The Tudors for Dummies (AvaxHome Download) (4 page)

This book focuses on English history. Scotland was a foreign country

(until King James came along), and so it appears alongside France, the

Netherlands and Spain as part of English foreign policy. The Tudors and

the Stuarts in Scotland were related by marriage, but that didn't make them

friends. The two kingdoms were fighting each other throughout the first

half of the 16th century.

Ireland, meanwhile, was a glorified English colony: it became a kingdom in

its own right in 1541 but belonged to the English Crown. In fact, no English

monarch visited Ireland between Richard II (1399) and William III (1689). The

Tudors made a right royal mess of governing Ireland � and the after-effects

still linger. Wales was ruled directly from England; the rulers and citizens

may not have liked this situation, but the country received quite a fair mea-

sure of home rule after 1536. People began to talk about Britain (and even

Great Britain) in the 16th century, but they meant the lands ruled by the mon-

arch of England.

Although the Tudors are very important and fascinating for modern read-

ers, keep in mind that they were small fry in the European political league

at the time. England performed a balancing act between France and the

Roman Empire in the first half of the 16th century, although Henry VIII always

punched above his weight. In the second half of the century Elizabeth led

(or in certain cases, didn't lead) a series of coalitions against Philip II, who

ruled the Spanish Empire, the one superpower of the period.

The only European Community of the time was the Roman Catholic Church,

from which England had firmly withdrawn. Elizabethan England was a sea

power and traded all over the world, but its only colony at Roanoke in the

Americas failed and the days of the British Empire were still 100 years in

the future.

Therefore, this book provides the ingredients and recipe of half an island,

lightly cooked and served (we hope) with enough relish to make it palatable.

Conventions Used in This Book

The system of dating used throughout the Tudor period, and for a long

time afterwards, was the Julian calendar, named after Julius Caesar who

supposedly invented it. This old calendar was known as the Old Style and

is important only because continental Europe adopted a New Style or

Gregorian calendar from 1582. This new calendar was ten days ahead, and

so the Spanish dating of the Armada, for example, was ten days later than

the English version. The year also began on 25 March, so that February 1587

by modern-day reckoning would have been February 1586 by the Tudors'

calendar. This situation can be confusing, and so in this book we adopt the

modern convention of starting the year on 1 January: therefore, the year 1586

runs from 1 January to 31 December.

We haven't changed money at all. No paper money existed in Tudor England,

and certainly no cheques or plastic! Coins included groats, angels and

crowns, but the value of money has changed so much � and historians are

still arguing about exactly how much � that we've left the original round fig-

ures with no attempt to update to today's currency values.

Foolish Assumptions

We assume that you've heard of the Tudors and know roughly when the 16th

century was � but not very much more.

Many people studied the period 1485 to 1603 at school and acquired vague

impressions of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I but little understanding of the other

three Tudor rulers.

You may have watched The Tudors series on television (in which case the

facts may well surprise you), or seen David Starkey's documentary pro-

grammes that whetted your appetite to know more. David tells it like it was,

but only some of it: the rest is here.

How This Book Is Organised

The parts of the book flow chronologically, and so Part I is (mainly) about

Henry VII and his origins, and Part IV focuses on Elizabeth I. Within these

parts, the chapters are thematic, allowing you to pick and choose. For exam-

ple, if you want to know about Henry VIII's love life, go to Part II, Chapter 5; if

Elizabeth I's war with Spain grabs you, go to Part IV, Chapter 15.

Part I: Encountering the Early Tudors

Henry VII didn't just spring out of the grass � he had a family and back-

ground. This part looks at who he was, his Welsh roots and the civil war that

gave him his opportunity. We also lead you on a quick tour of 15th-century

England � its social structure, religion and beastly habits � to provide some

context. The culture of the Court was a thing apart, and education struggled

with an illiterate population. If you think things are bad now, look at the

England of Henry VI! When the Crown was weak, the nobility dominated

and fought its private quarrels under the cover of the houses of York or

Lancaster. This situation created the challenge that greeted Henry VII after

the Battle of Bosworth. On the whole, he made a pretty good job of getting

and keeping his crown. 4 The Tudors For Dummies

Part II: Handling Henry VIII

Henry VII became monarch in 1485 and married within six months. His wife

Elizabeth bore at least five children, three of whom were sons. Nevertheless,

by 1502 the future Henry VIII, whom we meet in this part, was the only son

left � a crisis situation. Henry VIII was brought up and educated most carefully

as the heir to the throne. As a young man he was very athletic, hunting and

jousting with great enthusiasm. He ran his kingdom with a light touch, prefer-

ring his hobbies, but he also yearned to prove himself by war, taking Henry

V as his role model. As he aged, he became short-tempered, particularly on

the subject of sex; he famously married six times and fathered one illegitimate

son. His ego also developed to gigantic proportions. He eventually took on the

papacy in Rome and changed the direction of English religion forever.

Part III: Remembering the Forgotten

Tudors: Edward VI and Mary

The focus in this part is on Edward and Mary, who are notoriously the two

little Tudors between the two big ones. They're often passed over, particu-

larly by popular storytellers. Nevertheless, they're both important in dif-

ferent ways. Edward's minority (he was a child of 9, but bright) tested two

things: the Royal Supremacy and the Crown's control over the nobility. Henry

VIII surrounded his son with men who turned out to be Protestants. These

radical reformers converted both King Edward and the English Church, suc-

cessfully sweeping away centuries of religious styles of worship. Mary is best

remembered as Bloody Mary who burned Protestants, but she was far more

than that. She was England's first ruling queen, and her marriage to King

Philip of Spain brought up all sorts of questions about being a good sovereign

and a good wife.

Part IV: Ending with Elizabeth

Elizabeth had a different agenda to Mary but took advantage of her half-

sister's reign in several ways. First, the Crown had been `ungendered' for

Mary's benefit, which gave Elizabeth a flying start. Second, she took on-board

the lessons of her sister's example about how tricky marriage can be for a

ruling queen. Although Elizabeth entered into several negotiations, she never

tied the knot. Third, she exploited Mary's spiritual fervour and turned the

whole religious settlement upside down. Although she's best remembered

as Gloriana who beat the Spanish Armada, you see in this part that Elizabeth

was simply a successful ruler who developed her own inimitable style and

gave her kingdom status and self-respect. Having never married, sheer good

luck enabled her to pass the crown to her cousin, her Protestant `brother of

Scotland' James VI, who became King James I of England in 1603.

Part V: The Part of Tens

If you want to impress your friends with your knowledge of Tudor England,

you can do worse than start at the end of this book where you find a digest

of information. We supply ten crucial moves and developments, such as

England's break with Rome and the start of the war with Spain. We describe

ten things that link the Tudors with the present day, including the right

of female succession and an independent Church of England, and highlight

ten areas where the Tudors got there first. And you can tour ten surviving

buildings, some of which are only partly Tudor (such as Hampton Court).

The list includes places you've probably never heard of but that are well

worth a visit.

Icons Used in This Book

This book includes several icons to highlight special points and add addi-

tional layers of understanding to your reading experience.

The Tudor period is brimming with political and personal intrigues that result

in surprising decisions and alliances. This icon points out some of the oddest

moments in Tudor history.

If you think that Henry VIII was an insatiable womaniser or Elizabeth I was a

frosty virgin queen, think again! We replace commonly held beliefs with the facts.

As with all things, you can look at a problem or the importance of an event in

different ways. This icon points up some of the most intriguing examples.

The Tudor legacy extends from 16th-century England to modern-day Great

Britain � and beyond. We use this icon to emphasise these connections.

These paragraphs contain essential information to bear in mind when getting

to grips with the Tudors.

Although everything in this book is interesting, not every single paragraph is

vital. If you want to skip the more complicated stuff (or save it for later), this

icon shows the way.

The events of the Tudor era have provided film makers with plenty of inspira-

tion and have led to a number of memorable movies being made. Many of

these are worth watching for an insight into Tudor times, so we highlight

some of the best for you in these paragraphs.

Where to Go from Here

At this point you can turn the page and start at the beginning of the Tudors'

story. Part I gives you a snapshot overview of the period and introduces you

to the first Tudor, Henry VII. Alternatively, you can jump to Parts II or IV and

dive into the fascinating reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, respectively.

Each chapter of this book focuses on a specific topic or segment of Tudor

history, so you can dive in anywhere. We include cross-references in each

of the chapters, and so when something comes up that we mention in more

detail elsewhere, you can turn to the appropriate chapter.

Whatever way you choose to enjoy this book, we hope you find the journey

fun and interesting.

Early Tudors In this part . . . E ngland was a mess before 1485. Bully boy barons

with their castles and private armies had a go at each other, everybody kicked the peasants around and the Church was a law unto itself. It was a bit like Lord of the Flies � anarchy ruled until a shrewd cookie called Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, made his mark and kick-started modern history.

To give you some idea of how Henry changed England, this part takes you on a whirlwind tour of 15th-century England, its ups and downs, its ins and outs, and looks at the politics, religion and general skulduggery of the period.

First, though, we have a gallop through who the Tudors were and what they did in their 118 years on the throne of England. And remember, everything in their time hap- pened at the speed of a horse or slower. Get with the rhythm.

Touring the Time of the Tudors In This Chapter

Seeing how the Tudors were, and how far their kingdom extended

Governing the country

Coping with the Church

Living and dying

Getting clued up on culture

T he old history books will tell you that 1485 was the end of the Middle

Ages and the start of the modern world. It wasn't quite like that. What

happened was that the last king of the Plantagenet family (Richard III) was

defeated at the Battle of Bosworth by the first king of the Tudor family (Henry

VII), and the rest is history.

The Tudors ruled England, Wales and Ireland for 118 years until Elizabeth I

died in 1603. These years were a time of huge changes, many of them brought

about by the Tudors themselves. For example:

The nobility � rich, powerful, awkward � became a kind of civil service

and worked for the king.

Parliament got pushier.

The Church changed from Catholic to Protestant.

Trade took off and exploration increased.

In this chapter we take a walk through the Tudor times, from the monarchs

and their Courts through to religion, education, health and the arts. So make

sure your breeches and codpiece are in place or lace up your corset, and

enter the world of the Tudors.

Looking at the Tudor Kingdom

England had come to dominate the British Isles long before the Tudors

arrived and, because of this, historians use the term `England' to include

Wales and from time to time, Ireland. Wales was a principality (since the

13th century, the eldest son of the king of England had always been Prince of

Wales), but was regarded as part of England. Because of this, Welsh heraldry

(featuring images of dragons, daffodils and so on) rarely appeared on coins.

From 1536, the various regions of Wales were turned into counties based

on the English pattern. Those counties have disappeared since, though, so

don't try to find the Tudor county names in Wales today � Welsh place

names are used again. The Tudor county names were quite quaint though;

examples include Radnorshire, Merioneth, Flintshire, Carmarthen, Caerphilly

and Gwent.

Although England in the 16th century had more than its fair share of intrigue,

excitement and blood and guts, across the water Ireland had plenty of drama

of its own. The Tudors thought of Ireland as something that, with a bit of

luck, would go away. The Irish thought equally little of their English over-

lords and centuries of mistrust and misunderstanding were to lead to a run-

ning sore that 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)