Tudor dynasty

The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor (Welsh: Tudur) is a series of five monarchs of Welsh origin who ruled England and Ireland from 1485 until 1603. The three main monarchs (Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I) each played an important part in turning England from a European backwater still immersed in the Middle Ages into a powerful Renaissance state that in the coming centuries would dominate much of the world.

Beginning of dynasty

The Tudor dynasty began with the secret marriage between Owen Tudor (an anglicisation of Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudur), a descendant of Ednyfed Fychan, seneschal of Gwynedd in the time of Llywelyn the Great, and Catherine of Valois; it gained strength in the only Earl of Richmond to become King of England and ended when Elizabeth died childless. Her successor was James VI of Scotland, a descendant of Henry VII through his daughter Margaret Tudor. He became the first of the Stuart Kings of England.

Despite the fact that the Tudors made much of their Richmond roots, not many in Richmondshire (except Catherine Parr of Snape Castle) really supported the Tudors. When it came to partisanry, Richmonders had staunchly Neville alliances and their chief examples were found among Bedale natives like Francis Lovell, Viscount Lovell and Simon Digby. (See Pilgrimage of Grace, Rising of the North)

The Tudor Period

The Tudor historical period usually refers to the period 1485 – 1558, especially in relation to the History of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England, with the exception of Elizabeth I. Occasionally the term is used more broadly to capture Elizabeth's reign as well, though in general 1558 – 1603 is treated separately as the Elizabethan era.

Monarchs of England

The five Tudor monarchs were:

King Henry VII (1485-1509)
King Henry VIII (1509-1547); son of Henry VII
King Edward VI (1547-1553); son of Henry VIII
Queen Mary I (1553-1558); eldest daughter of Henry VIII
Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603); second daughter of Henry VIII

Henry VII's great-granddaughter, Lady Jane Grey also served as Queen for nine days before being deposed by Mary I. Jane was later executed along with her husband Guildford Dudley, son of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland. This was a prelude to the Puritan usurpations of the Stuart era, as the Dudleys were invested in the Pilgrims' American colonisation.

tudors.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Allegory of the Tudor dynasty, (detail), attributed to Lucas de Heere, ca 1572: left to right, Philip II of Spain, Mary, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Elizabeth]]

To the Tudor period belongs the elevation of the English-ruled state in Ireland from a Lordship to a Kingdom (1541).

Tudor's Family Tree

External links

http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/index.html Tudor Place
http://tudorhistory.org/ Tudor History
House of Tudor Chronology
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page11.asp Official British Royal Site Discussion on the Tudors
http://www.royal.gov.uk/files/pdf/stuarts.pdf Tudor and Stuart Family Tree from Official British Royal Site

Beginning of dynasty

The Tudor Period

Monarchs of England

Tudor's Family Tree

Further reading

External links

See also

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Tudor dynasty

Beginning of dynasty

The Tudor Period

Monarchs of England

Tudor's Family Tree

Further reading

External links

See also