Tudor England

The Tudors

• Henry VII (Henry Tudor) won the War of the Roses

• Henry VIII, son of Henry VII– Sought male heir to throne

– Broke Church of England from Rome in 1534

– Seized property of the monasteries

• Edward VI changed doctrine of church to truly protestant

• Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII by Spanish Catherine of Aragon (preceded by Lady Jane Gray, somewhat queen for 9 days!)

• Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII by Anne Boleyn

Henry VIII and his wives

Mary I (r. 1553-1558)

• Devoutly Catholic daughter of Catherine of Aragon

• Tried to re-Catholicize England by repealing changes wrought by Edward VI

• 300 Protestants were burned as heretics: “Bloody Mary”

• 1554: Married Philip II of Spain (only nominally king of England)

• Policies created strong anti-Catholic sentiment in England

Elizabeth I: Political “Politique”

• First successful female monarch in Europe: highly educated, fluent in English, French, Italian, Latin, Greek

• Her religion unclear, but nominally Church of England

• Unmarried virgin queen, loved Robert Dudley; believed national duty outweighed personal desires

• Used possibility of marriage diplomatically

• Moderation created English Renaissance, age of Shakespeare, Johnson, Marlowe

• Insisted on beautiful images of her self to portray power; loved by common people

• Selected able ministers to guide her (William Cecil), but maintained her own power Coronation Portrait

Painting that is rumored to show Elizabeth and Dudley

Elizabeth: Solidified English Church

• State church, with theology determined by monarch through Parliament

• All subjects obliged to belong to it

• Retained physical possessions and organization of the medieval church

• Protestant in practice: English-language worship, married clergy

• “Thirty-nine Articles” defined the church’s doctrines rather vaguely

The “ermine portrait”

Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots

• MQS, daughter of Marie de Guise and Scotland’s James V

• French-raised wife of Francis II of France during French Religious Wars

• MQS became focus of intrigue between England, France, Spain, and rebellious Low Countries

• Devoutly Catholic, with clear right to Scottish throne; next-in-line to English throne after Elizabeth

• Spain wanted to use Netherlands as base to attack England, seat Mary on throne

• After several plots against Elizabeth, Mary was placed under house arrest in London

• Executed 1587: death in part caused Philip II to launch Armada

• Treaty of Berwick: Elizabeth allied with Scotland and unofficially named James VI as heir

Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada

• English ships (Sir Francis Drake) plundered Spanish ships returning from America

• England supported anti-Spanish forces in Netherlands

• Mary Queen of Scots executed on eve of Spanish attack

• Drake burnt Spanish ships in Spanish port of Cadiz

• Armada sailed, first en route to Netherlands, before planned invasion of England

• 125 ships. 30,000 men• Smaller, more agile English ships

defeated lumbering Spanish galleons one at a time

• “Protestant Wind” drove Armada northward into terrifying Scottish seas, shipwrecks

The “Armada Portrait” commemorates the English victory (see ships in background)

Political Consolidation

• Long reign provided stability after chaotic short reigns of Edward and Mary

• Unification of church behind moderate views led to peaceful stability

• Defeat of the Catholic “northern earls” safeguarded reign

• Financial support of Dutch rebels weakened Spain