The Tudors

Henry Vlll

Henry Vlll was born at Greenwich Palace, London on 28 June 1491 and was the second son of Henry Vll and Elizabeth of York . Henry died in St James's Palace, Westminster, in 1547, aged 55 years

He succeeded to the throne after his father's death on 21 April 1509. He was 17 years old when he became king. Henry built fine palaces, and fought wars against France and Scotland.

Important facts

1.   When he became king, most people belonged to the Catholic Church, which was headed by the Pope, in Rome.  Henry Vlll wanted a male heir, but his wife had not given birth to a son. Henry wanted to divorce her and take a new wife. The Roman Catholic Church refused to grant the divorce. In order to gain his divorce Henry broke away from the Catholic Church and proclaimed himself head of the  Church of England in 1534. The land and riches of the church became Henry's property

2.- King Henry Vlll, , successfully united England and Wales under one system of government. The two countries were joined in 1536.

Family life

Henry Vlll was a great athlete in his youth. He spoke French, Spanish, Latin and some Italian and was a good musician. He lived at Hampton Court Palace in London.

In total he married six times! and had three children - Mary (by Catherine of Aragon), Elizabeth (by Anne Boleyn) and Edward (by Jane Seymour). Each became a monarch - Edward Vl, Mary l (or Mary Tudor) and Elizabeth l in that order.

 Fuente: woodlands-junior.kent.sch.

ELIZABETH I

 Who was Elizabeth I?

Elizabeth was Queen of England, Ireland and Wales from 1558 to 1603. Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII. She was born in 1533 She gave her name to the 'Elizabethan Age'. It was an exciting time in English history. There were wars with Spain. English explorers sailed to new lands.

.Why is Elizabeth famous?

Elizabeth I  inherited a bankrupt nation, a weakened pawn between the great powers of France and Spain. They counseled to marry quickly and lean upon her husband for support. But she ruled alone.. Her sense of duty was admirable, though it came at great personal cost. She was committed to preserving English peace and stability.

The Armada

In 1588 King Philip of Spain sent the Armada to attack England. He hoped to remove Elizabeth as queen.

Spanish and English ships fought battles in the English Channel. Both sides fought bravely. A terrible storm scattered the Spanish ships. Half never reached home.
England celebrated a great victory. Elizabeth was safe.

Royal pleasures

During the Elizabethan age, London had its first theatres. From the 1590s, audiences packed The Globe theatre in London to see plays by William Shakespeare and other writers.

Elizabeth enjoyed private shows. Shakespeare performed several times for the Queen.

The Elizabethan age ends

Elizabeth I died on 24 March 1603, at her palace at Richmond. She was buried in Westminster Abbey beside her grandfather Henry VII.

King James VI came from Scotland to become James I of England. The Stuarts had taken over from the Tudors.