The Tudors for Dummies (AvaxHome Download) Read Free Book Online Page A

only bloodletting could cure.

    A lot of this book looks at events in Ireland in particular because it was a con-

    stant problem for the Tudors. Wales was quieter � perhaps because the ruler

    of England was Welsh!

    Getting to Know the Family

    The Tudors were just like most people � proud, difficult, petty, loving, hating � but

    they also ran the country, and that made a big difference. You meet the Tudors

    all through the course of this book, but here's a quick snapshot to put them in

    perspective. If you've already had a sneaky look at the Cheat Sheet, this is just a

    reminder:

    Henry VII, born 1457 (reigned 1485�1509)

    � Married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV

    Henry VIII, born 1491 (reigned 1509�1547)

    � Married Catherine of Aragon (Queen 1509�1533)

    � Married Anne Boleyn (Queen 1533�1536)

    � Married Jane Seymour (Queen 1536�1537) Chapter 1: Touring the Time of the Tudors 11

    � Married Anne of Cleves (Queen 1539�1540)

    � Married Catherine Howard (Queen 1540�1541)

    � Married Catherine Parr, Lady Latimer (Queen 1543�1547)

    Edward VI, born 1537 (reigned 1547�1553)

    Jane Grey, born 1537 (reigned 10�19 July, 1553)

    Mary I, born 1516 (reigned1553�1558)

    � Married Philip II of Spain (1554�1558)

    Elizabeth I, born 1533 (reigned 1558�1603)

    Where did the Tudors come from? Hold on to your hats � it's complicated!

    Henry VII's father was Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond. Edmund's

    father was Owen Tudor, a fairly poor Welsh gentleman, and his mother

    was Catherine de Valois, the French widow of Henry V (reigned 1413�

    1422).

    Henry VII's mother was Margaret Beaufort, daughter of the Duke

    of Somerset. Margaret was a descendant of John of Gaunt, Duke of

    Lancaster, the son of Edward III (reigned 1327�1377).

    We told you it was complicated! Thank goodness for Figure 1-1, a family tree

    of the families of York and Lancaster.

    Edward III

    Edward, Lionel, John of Gaunt, Edmund, Thomas,

    Black Prince Duke of Clarence Duke of Lancaster Duke of York Duke of Gloucester

    marr. marr.

    (1) Blanche of Lancaster (2) Catherine Swinford Richard,

    Earl of Cambridge

    marr.

    Henry IV John, Anne Neville

    Marquis of Somerset

    Catherine de Valois marr. Henry V Richard,

    Duke of York

    John,

    Duke of Somerset

    Margaret of Anjou marr. Henry VI

    Figure 1-1: Edward IV Richard III

    The York Margaret marr. Edmund Tudor (died 1483) (killed 1485)

    and Edward, Earl of Richmond

    Lancaster Prince of Wales

    (killed 1471) family tree. Henry VII marr. Elizabeth of York Edward V

    (died 1483)

12 Part I: Encountering the Early Tudors
    No evidence proves that Owen Tudor and Catherine de Valois ever married,

    which makes the Tudor line illegitimate. That wasn't much of a problem in

    the 15th century unless, of course, you tried to claim the English throne.

    Henry's claim to the throne was weak, but he got lucky at the Battle of

    Bosworth in August 1485 (see Chapter 2) and, with the death of Richard III,

    went on to become king. At that time at least 18 people had a better right to

    the throne than Henry, including his own wife and mother. By 1510, when his

    son Henry VIII was king, the figure had increased to 34! Perhaps it was this

    insecurity that explains much of the changes in society that happened in the

    Tudor period.

    Cruising the Royal Court

    The Court was much more than a building � it was the place where the king

    lived with his family, where the business of government was carried out and

    where key decisions were made. It was always full of people, courtiers, ser-

    vants, ministers, priests, entertainers and hangers-on hoping to find fame and

    fortune. Until 1603 the Court moved from one palace to another, taking every-

    thing but the kitchen sink with it. Henry VIII had only one set of furniture that

    went wherever he did!

    Mingling with the monarch

    The king or queen in Tudor England was the government. Although the mon-

    archs worked