The Tudor Dynasty

The Tudor Dynasty

Cupoftea | British | Tudor Dynasty | Culture and Civilization | FNBE 2015 January

Visual Timeline


Battle of Bosworth

Henry VII was crowned as King of England

House of Tudor and House of York is united

Henry VIII ascended the throne

Anne Boleyn gives birth to Elizabeth

Dissolution of Monasteries

Jane Seymour gives birth to Edward VI

Edward VI succeeded the throne

Lady Jane Grey ascended the throne for 9 days till execution

Mary I replaced Lady Jane Grey


Mary marries Philip of Spain

Elizabeth accedes the throne

Protestant and Catholic merged

The English defeats the Spanish Armada

History of Tudor1457 Jan 28Henry Tudor (aka Henry VII) was born to Lady Margaret Beaufort (descendant of Edward III) and Edmund Tudor (Welshman of Welsh royal lineage)

1485 Aug 22War of Roses ended. Henry VII had defeated Richard III and was crowned the King of England.

1486 Jan 18Henry VII married Elizabeth of York. She is the eldest daughter of the previous Yorkist King, Edward IV. This marriage had brought both houses, House of Lancaster and House of York together. This event created the Tudor Rose, joining of the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster.

1486 Sep 19Birth of Arthur, Prince of Wales

1488/1489Henry VII had arranged a marriage for Arthur to Catherine of Aragon, Princess of Spain, and daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon, King of Spain.

1491 Jun 28Birth of Henry VIII

1501 November 14Arthur and Catherine got married.

1502 MarchArthur fell sick, possibility tuberculosis, the plague or the dreaded “sweating sickness”.

1502 April 2Arthur died which made Henry VIII the next King. Henry VII wanted to keep Catherine as his daughter in law, so after 14 months of Arthur’s death, he made Catherine engaged to Henry VIII.

1503 February 11Death of Elizabeth of York

1505Henry VIII was old enough to get married, but the marriage with Catherine is delayed because Henry VII had lost interest in maintaining Spanish alliance.

1509 April 22Henry VII died.

1509 June 11After Henry VIII’s father died, he was still keen on marrying Catherine. He obtained the papal dispensation from the Pope to allow him to marry his brother’s widow, and they wed making Catherine the Queen of England. 1516 Feb 18


After many babies’ death and miscarriage, Mary was finally born and lived. She is the only child of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

1547 Feb 20Edward VI was crowned as the king even though he was only 9 years old. Edward Seymour took the opportunity of the king being young and proclaimed himself as his protector. Edward Seymour ruled behind Edward VI as his Lord Protector.

1551 Oct 11Edward Seymour was arrested for conspiracy. John Dudley replaced Edward Seymour as the Lord Protector.

1552 Jan 22Edward Seymour was executed.

1553 Jul 6Edward VI died.

1553 Jul 10Protestant was happy that Edward was the King, but fear f his death. This is because they are afraid the next in throne, which is Mary I would return England to Roman Catholicism. To prevent this from happening, some nobles plotted to bring another woman to the throne, so John Dudley and Henry Grey chose her own daughter and son to be the next queen to continue the Protestant monarch. 1553 Jul 19After receiving the news of her brother death, she gathered many supporters in Suffolk. After that, she and her followers rode into London, imprisoned Lady Jane and her supporter up and declare herself as the Queen of England.

1554 Feb 12Execution of Jane Grey and Guildford Dudley.

1554 May 19Release of Elizabeth I from the tower

1554 July 25Marriage of Mary I and Philip II of Spain. This marriage bring back the alliance with Spain.

1558 Nov IMary I died because of cancer.

1559 Jan 15Coronation of Elizabeth I

1603 Mar 24Elizabeth I Death


Who were the Tudors?The King and queens of the Tudor family ruled England from 1485 to 1603. Henry Tudor of Lancaster won the crown at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. This ended the Wars of the Roses in which two branches of the royal family, Lancaster and York, fought for the throne. Henry VII combined the two family emblems, the red rose of Lancaster and York, into the Tudor rose. It was a symbol of the newly unified country.

The fight for the crown had bankrupted England. Henry VII now avoided costly wars and managed the country’s money carefully. He wiped out England’s debts and turned England into a wealthy world power.

In 1509, Henry died and his son became King Henry VIII. The new King was a fine sportsman. He also claimed he could out-drink any of his courtiers. He ruled with extravagant displays of power, once leading 5,800 followers to France, to meet the French king at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. He had to raise taxes to pay for such exploits and for his expensive wars with France and Scotland.

Henry VIII left the running of the country to powerful ministers like Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and, later, Thomas Cromwell. Wolsey became rich enough to build Hampton Court. This palace, which had 1,000 rooms and 280 silk covered beds, is a striking part of the Tudor Heritage.

Henry married six times. He divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, after she failed to produce a son. Henry’s divorce was opposed by the Pope, who controlled the Catholic Church in England. To get his own way, Henry passes the Act of Supremacy, appointing himself ‘Supreme Head of the Church in England’. He could now run the England Church as he wished, with no interference from the Pope in Rome.


How did the Tudors found an empire?From early Tudor times, explorers set out to find new countries with which to trade, and quicker routes to countries they knew. Many searched for a northern passage to China, either to the west, north of America, or the east, north of Russia.

In 1497, five years after Christopher Columbus had discovered America, John Cabot, an Italian navigator, set sail from Bristol. Henry VII was his patron and his ship was paid for by local merchants. Cabot reached an island that he thought was China, but which was probably Newfoundland. He had not found Asia, but fishermen could not follow his route to Newfoundland each year, to bring cod.

In 1553, Sir Hugh Willoughby and Richard Chancellor sailed in search of a passage to China, round the north of Russia. Willoughby was shipwrecked in Lapland, and froze to death. Chancellor reached Moscow, and met the Russian ‘tsar’, or king, Ivan the Terrible. Willoughby and Chancellor failed to find a route to China (it was finally found in the nineteenth century and is today kept open by Russian icebreakers). They did, though, open a route

for merchants and diplomats to travel regularly between Russia and England.

In September 1580, Francis Drake completed a three-year, round-the-world voyage. Drake’s companions made written records of his exploits. They describe the many pirate raids Drake made against Spanish ships in the Pacific: ‘We espied two ships under sail and gave chase to one… We boarded her from the ship’s boat without resistance. We found her to be a good prize, yielding us a good store of wine.’

From these Tudor expeditions grew the British ‘world power’, with its huge trading empire, of later times.


Francis Drake’s Voyage

Social Strata of Tudor Dynasty

Tudor Dynasty 1485-1603King and Queen: Richest person in the land.The Church: (Head of church) owns large amount of land, controls people by preaching what they want them to believe, confiscates land and dissolve monasteries.Archbishops: Able to influence King/Queen, part of government, support Monarch.Bishops: Part of government, support Monarch.Clergymen: Church services, provides education to people who can afford, visiting the sick, counselingGentlemen: Born rich with titles, important positions in government.Yeomen and Citizens: fairly wealthy, rich enough to own houses and employ servants, own lands/farms, some are merchants, craftsman.Laborers: Worked for Yeomen and Citizens, employed to do heavy jobs.Vagrants and Beggars: Unemployed, beg for money.

Archaic 1707 - Great BritainRoyal: Close relatives to king & queen.Peer (Noble/Archbishops): large land holders.Baronet (Hereditary): Hereditary style of knighthood.Knight: Senior member of gentry, organizing large body of military forces.Gentry/Gentlemen: High assets to live without working, priests, politics.Yeomen: Farmers, Longbow men in military roles.Husbandman: Tradesman, Farmer, Serf (Server).Cottagers: Vagabonds (wonderer), Drifters, Criminals, Outcasts.


Tudor Administration

-medieval government ended on 1529-rule the country with English monarchy-social and ideological changes under the power of feudal nobility-run and managed by educated functionaries (the Council and the Court of Star Chamber)-divine right of kings have the power to rule over their subjects-reduced the power of traditional aristocracy and increase in the power of the commercial classes-focus on an essential aspect of English government and the Tudor Parliament (active)-Roman civil law was not accepted into the Tudor Administration-English common law was used instead (taught in Inns of Court)-the royal blood line only stays on the throne unchallenged-citizen had a rise in nationalism, confidence and patriotism-seas are controlled by Tudor and most naval exploration results in the beginning of English seafaring tradition-Tudors position themselves as a peace maker between France and Spain-government ran more efficiently during the ruling of Tudor Dynasty-uniform system of justice and taxation-Henry VIII and Elizabeth I stands out more than the other 4 monarchs -in Reformation Parliament, English Parliament has giving a permanent place of political importance and incorporated it in the English system of government-Tudor Dynasty is run by Crown and the Parliament-the Crown controls the Parliament-3 functions in Tudors Parliament, debate and consultation of government bills, legislation, taxation-citizens of Tudor have the freedom of speech, freedom to arrest and direct personal access of the speaker of the commons to the monarch-elections for M.P. are not practice regularly in Tudor dynasty as many influential men in the counties believed that elections should be decided as much by the status of the voters as by their mere number-Oliver Cromwell contributed a lot in the development in government structure


Tudor Fashion

RUFFThe ruff, which was worn by men, women and children, evolved from the small fabric ruffle at the drawstring neck of the shirt or chemise. They served as changeable pieces of cloth that could themselves be laundered separately while keeping the wearer's doublet from becoming soiled at the neckline.

BODICEA bodice is an article of clothing for women, covering the body from the neck to the waist. The term comes from pair of bodies (because the garment was originally made in two pieces that fastened together, frequently by lacing)

FARTHINGALE


A farthingale is any of several structures used under Western European women's clothing in the 16th and 17th centuries to support the skirts in the desired shape. It originated in Spain

DOUBLETA doublet is a man's snug-fitting buttoned jacket that is shaped and fitted to the man's body which was worn in Western Europe from the late middle Ages up to the mid-17th century. The doublet was hip length or waist length and worn over the shirt or drawers.

Tudor Crime and Punishment

The Star Chamber


The Star Chamber was an English court of law which was located at the royal Palace of Westminster. The Star Chamber witnessed the trials of royalty and nobility between 1487 and 1641. The primary function of the Star Chamber was to hear cases involving political libel, heresy and treason. The Star Chamber was made up of Privy Counsellors and judges and was set up to ensure the fair enforcement of laws against powerful and prominent people who might not be convicted by ordinary courts. Star Chamber sessions were closed to the public and became greatly feared. The Star Chamber court sessions were held in secret. The Star Chamber Court had no jury, there was no right of appeal and no witnesses - evidence was given in writing. The powerful Court of the Star Chamber evolved into a political weapon to use against any opponents of the policies of the monarch.

Common CrimesHigh TreasonBlasphemySeditionSpyingRebellionMurderWitchcraftAlchemy

The punishment for most of the above crimes was death. There were various forms of execution. These terrible punishments included execution by beheading, burning and the terrible punishment for high treason was to be hung, drawn and quartered. Minor punishments would include taking the lands, titles and wealth form those who had been found guilty of various crimes.Beheading ("Death by the Axe")The punishment of death by the axe was the most common form of execution and it was a terrifying prospect. The Tudor executioners often took several blows before the head was finally severed, as was in the execution of the old Countess of Salisbury. Anne Boleyn was granted the services of a French executioner and the sword, rather than the axe. The punishment of beheading was held in public and witnessed by


many people. Following the execution by beheading the severed head was held up by the hair by the executioner. This tradition was not just to show the crowd the head, but also to show the head of the victim the crowd and to it's own body. Consciousness remains for at least eight seconds after beheading, until the lack of oxygen causes unconsciousness and mercifully death. The heads of Tudor traitors were placed on stakes and displayed in public places such as on the ramparts of castles or such prominent spots like London Bridge.

Hanging from the gallowsA piece of rope was put around the neck making it hard for the person to breathe. The person would be hung from the rope until he/she had stopped breathing and was dead. People were hung for crimes such as stealing, treason, rebellion, riot or murder.

Burning Another Tudor punishment included execution by burning, favored by the Catholic inquisition and Queen Mary I - Bloody Mary. Being burnt at the stake was a most terrible death. Tudor Executioners sometimes showed mercy to their victims by placing gunpowder at the base of the stake which helped the victims to a swifter, and less painful death. The only other respite from the excruciating pain of being burnt to death was if the victims died of suffocation through smoke inhalation and lack of oxygen.

Superstitions and Taboos

Touch wood Many of us still say ‘touch wood’ when talking about future plans, even if we don’t actually perform the action: “It’s supposed to be finished by Friday, touch wood”. In today’s era, touch wood is something that a person would say when he or she wants their luck or a good situation to continue.

MistletoeFrom Saxon times, if mistletoe was hung over the door or above a hearth, it was a sacred oath that the host would not kill his guests, even if they were mortal enemies, and would defend them against attack


for as long as they remained beneath the mistletoe. The mistletoe pledge was often used at times of great feasts, like the winter solstice, when fights could easily break out after heavy drinking. For centuries, mistletoe has been considered a plant that increases life and fertility. Norse legends tell the tale of Balder, son of the goddess Frigga. As the legend goes, Balder was killed by an evil spirit with an arrow made of mistletoe. Saddened by her son’s death, Frigga wept tears of white berries, which brought Balder back to life. Frigga was so overjoyed that she blessed the plant and promised a kiss to all who passed beneath it.

WitchcraftWitchcraft was a fact of life, not something only a few believed in. If your milk soured, a witch's curse was to blame. If your pregnancy miscarried, your elderly female neighbour was behind it, especially if she lived alone and knew how to heal the sick. Witches were hanged in England, burnt in Europe. But they were not the only bugbears of the Tudor imagination. Suicides were still buried at crossroads to confuse their way back from the land of the dead, stakes were put though their hearts to pin them to the ground. What the modern mind sees as psychological, the Tudor perceived as real exterior force. Sin was a living thing, and sin-eaters would be employed to consume food that had been passed over the corpse of a dead person.Meet the Tudors

HENRY VII


Born on 28 January 1457, in Pembroke Castle, WalesAcceded the throne in Tudor Dynasty in 30 October 1485, in Westminster Abbey, London, EnglandDeceased in 21 April 1509, in Richmond Palace, Richmond, Surrey, EnglandBuried in Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey, London, England Father – Edmund TudorMother – Margaret BeaufortWife – Elizabeth PlantagenetChildren – Arthur Tudor, Margaret Tudor, Henry VII Tudor, Mary Tudor

-founder of Tudor Dynasty was Owen Tudor, a squire to the England’s King Henry V-Henry VI succeeded his father, Henry V-Henry VI was involved in the Wars of Roses, a series of power struggles between the ruling House of Lancaster and House of York-the House of York won and Tudor was killed and Henry VI lost his throne and Edward III became king

-Henry VII became King of England was somewhat a miracle-his mother, Margaret was a descendant of Edward III-King Edward III’s son, John of Gaunt married Catherine Swynford and Margaret was born by them before the two of them were married-His father died and his mother was incapable of caring him, so his uncle, Jasper Tudor became his guardian. But Jasper was a Lancastrian and Yorkist force had taken Tudor fortress where Henry VII had lived. Jasper escaped and Henry VII was taken custody by the Yorkist force-during the separation of Henry VII and Jasper Tudor, the events of Henry Vii was uncertain-but it was certain that he was in the Herberts’ care when the Lancastrians seized power-his half uncle, King Henry VI was captured in the battle of Barnet and murdered-the male line of Lancastrian dynasty was wiped out and in the Beaufort line, Margaret, Henry’s mother was the sole heiress, so the obvious heir to the Lancastrian pretension was Henry VII-his uncle Jasper quickly took back Henry to Brittany to keep him safe from the Yorkist hands until the chance for Henry to return as King-in 1483, Yorkist King Edward IV usurped the throne to Edward V, becoming King Richard III-during this time, uncle Jasper tried to invade to gain back the throne, but there is a storm and had weaken Jasper’s attacking forces and the plan had fail


-the true heir of the England’s throne was decided at the Battle of Bosworth. Richard III and Henry’s force clashes and Henry won the battle. Richard III was killed and Henry was crown on the midst of battlefield near Stoke Golding village-Henry forms Yeomen of the Guard and revives Court of Star Chamber to increase royal involvement in civil and criminal cases-Henry strengthened the monarchy by employing political innovations-Henry created the Committee of the Privy Council as an executive advisory-imply tax, loans and grants on the nobility-His skill at by-passing Parliament played a crucial role in his success at renovating government-during the control under Henry VII, the faith and strength of the monarchy was weak, he strengthened the government and his own power with the help of the nobles-that time, the treasury was also nearly bankrupt. Through his monetary strategy, Henry managed to steadily accumulate wealth during his reign, so when he died, he left a quite a fortune to his heir-Henry make use of the Parliament to make England and its government wealthier-he choose not to over-taxing his people, and yet he get to laid a solid financial foundation of government-the Henry’s genius in financial administration was not his own innovation, he merely refined the Yorkist kings that had shown themselves adept at financial administration-Henry supports the Parliament rather than the Crown-Henry was truly a government “of the talents”-Henry think that too much independence was given to Ireland during the control of Yorkist overlords. He showed the iron fist and forbidding the Irish to have their own Parliament -Scotland was also a problem to Henry as Scotland supported Perkin Warbeck. This was solved by marrying his daughter, Margaret to James IV of Scotland for a perpetual peace-Henry encouraged trade and giving out lucrative trade agreements, increasing the wealth of both crown and nation-he signed treaty of “Magnus Intercursus” and “Great Intercourse” with the Netherlands to secure England’s textile export-England was not restored overnight and the War of Roses had not ended with the death of Richard III-Perkin Warbeck was a threat to Henry VII as he was recognized as “Richard Duke of York” that his continuing existence dominated Henry’s foreign policy-Henry himself had married Elizabeth of York-with the marriage between them, Henry combine the Red Rose from the House of Lancaster and the White Rose of the House of York and turn it into the Tudor Rose

-Polder Vergil described his to have none of the charisma of the later Tudors-he was not personally attractive to his people-Francis Bacon stated Henry was a miser-Henry had never been very ambitious in foreign affairs

-“What he minded, he compassed”-


Henry VIII


King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth York gave birth to 6 children, but only 3 survived. They are Arthur, Margaret & Henry.

JUNE 28 1491Henry VIII was born.

1509Arthur was the supposed heir to the throne when King Henry passes, but he died at an early age of 15. In the end, Henry took the throne and married his dead brother's wife, Catherine.At that time, Henry was 18 and his wife was 23.After 2 days of his coronation, Henry executed 2 of his father's ministers.

1533Henry and Catherine were together for 24 years, and they had 9 pregnancies in total, but only one of them were successful and it was the birth of their only daughter and child, Mary.Feeling sad and depressed, Henry decided to look for mistresses to satisfy his desire to have a baby boy.One his mistresses, Mary Boleyn suggested her sister, Anne Boleyn to be Henry's next wife.Henry married Anne in. Before giving birth to the child, Henry thought that their offspring will be a boy, so he decided to name him Henry or Edward. But instead, it was a girl and they had to name her Elizabeth. Anne had another baby in the form of a boy, but he sadly died during birth, Disappointed with not being able to give birth to a boy, Henry blamed Anne for having an affair with 3 other men and arrested all of them to be executed.

1536As Anne was beheaded, Henry was already planning his next wedding with another woman, Jane Seymour.Jane successfully gave birth to a baby boy, who they named Edward. Sadly 12 days later, she died. Henry mourned for her death as he was happy that she gave birth to a boy and that she was his TRUE WIFE.

1539After 3 years, Henry decided to find a new wife and he did it by organizing a beauty contest.In the end, he married the winner which was Anne of Cleves. Six months later, they divorced and she was given the nickname 'The King's Sister'. 1540As time goes on, Henry went on to marry another woman, Kathryn Howard.


She was only 18 when they married. As she was young and beautiful, it turned out that she had many affairs with other men, so he sentenced her to be beheaded as well.

1543Lastly, Henry went on to marry his 6th wife, Catherine Parr (Daughter Of Maud Green, a lady in waiting to Queen Catherine, Henry's first wife)

1547Henry died at the age of 55.

Edward VI


-Born: 12 October 1537-only son of Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour.-coronation: 20 February 1547-Edward VI accedes to the throne at the age of nine after the death of his father, Henry VIII. -Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, uncle of Edward VI, is invested as Duke of Somerset and Protector of England. -The Duke of Somerset is deposed as Protector of England, and is replaced by John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, who creates himself Duke of Northumberland. -The Duke of Somerset is executed. -The Duke of Northumberland persuades Edward to nominate his daughter-in-law Lady Jane Grey as his heir, in an attempt to secure the Protestant succession. -Edward VI dies of tuberculosis at Greenwich Palace.

Lady Jane Grey


- born in 12 February 1554 - Great granddaughter of Henry VII, granddaughter of Mary Tudor & Charles Brandon, daughter of Frances Brandon & Henry Grey- married to Guildford Dudley in 21 May 1553, who is the son of Edward VI’s protector, John Dudley- In early February 1547, Jane was sent to live in the household of Edward VI's uncle, Thomas Seymour, who soon married Henry VIII's widow, Catherine Parr. Jane lived with the couple until the death of Queen Catherine in childbirth in September 1548.- When the 15-year-old king died in June 1553, Jane was nominated as successor to the Crown in his will- Northumberland faced a number of key tasks to consolidate his power after Edward's death. - Jane is The Nine Day Queen.- Northumberland isolate and, ideally, capture Lady Mary to prevent her from gathering support. - As soon as Mary was sure of King Edward's demise, she left her residence at Huns don and set out to East Anglia, where she began to rally her supporters. - Northumberland set out from London with troops on 14 July; in his absence the Privy Council switched their allegiance from Jane to Mary, and proclaimed her queen in London on 19 July among great jubilation of the populace. - Jane was imprisoned in the Tower's Gentleman Gaoler's apartments, while her husband in the Beauchamp Tower. - The new queen entered London in a triumphal procession on 3 August, and the Duke of Northumberland was executed on 22 August 1553. - In September, Parliament declared Mary the rightful queen and denounced and revoked Jane's proclamation as that of a usurper.

Mary I


1516 Feb 18Birth of Mary I1553 Jul 19After Lady Jane’s 9 days of reign, she and her supporters went to London to take back her throne. She imprisoned Lady Jane Grey and her supporters.1554 Jul 25Marriage with Philip II of Spain1554 SeptemberMary I believed she was pregnant.1555 May – JulyWas expecting for a baby but it never happen. It was believed she had a phantom pregnancy.1556 JanPhillip became the King of Spain and left Mary I. She was saddened by this event.1557 March – JulyPhillip return to Mary I and convinced her to fight against France as the ally of Spain. During Phillip’s return, Mary I believed she was pregnant again.1558 MarchIt was expected that the baby would arrive around this time, but once again there was no baby.1558 Nov 17Mary I died from cancer.

Elizabeth I


1533Born into the Tudor dynastyElizabeth is born on 7 September in Greenwich Palace. News of her birth causes rejoicing across the country, but is a bitter disappointment to her father Henry. He is desperate for a male heir to continue the Tudor dynasty. Although Elizabeth is made next in line to the throne, the King prays his next child will be male – superseding her claim to the throne.

1536Mother beheaded Elizabeth is two years and eight months old when her mother Anne Boleyn is accused of adultery and beheaded on the orders of Henry VIII. Her father marries Anne’s lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour a week later. Elizabeth is declared illegitimate and removed from the royal succession. Her title is downgraded from 'Princess’ to 'Lady’. Elizabeth is neglected for a number of years until Henry's final wife Catherine Parr takes charge and makes sure she is educated to the highest standards and, crucially, taught the art of public speaking by renowned Cambridge scholar Roger Ascham

1547Father diesSimon Schama explains how Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth's relationship developed. A History of Britain by Simon Schama (BBC Two, 2000).Elizabeth is 13-years-old when Henry VIII dies. Her nine-year-old half-brother Edward becomes King. Elizabeth joins the household of her stepmother Catherine Parr. When Elizabeth is caught in an embrace with Parr’s husband Thomas Seymour, she is banished from the house. In 1548 Catherine dies in childbirth and Seymour is subsequently executed for plotting to marry Elizabeth and kidnap Edward VI. When Elizabeth is questioned by the authorities she protests her innocence and escapes prosecution.

1554Imprisoned in the Tower of London After Edward’s early death in 1553 Elizabeth’s older sister Mary I becomes queen. Mary returns the country to Catholicism and begins a series of bloody purges of Protestants. 287 are executed during her short reign. Mary’s plan to marry Prince Phillip of Spain sparks an unsuccessful rebellion and Elizabeth is interrogated about her involvement with the plotters. She is imprisoned in the Tower of London before being put under house arrest in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.

1558 Elizabeth becomes QueenFollowing the death of her half-sister Mary, Elizabeth succeeds to the throne. She is 25.Elizabeth has inherited a country wracked by religious strife and knows she needs public support to remain queen. The celebrations for the coronation the following year are spectacular. As her procession


makes its way through London on its way to Westminster she pauses to listen to congratulations and receive flowers from ordinary people on the street.

1559Returns England to Protestantism Elizabeth reinstates the Church of England, and declares she does not want to make "windows into men's souls".She removes the Pope as head of the English church and instead becomes its Supreme Governor. She introduces a new Book of Common Prayer and republishes an English translation of the Bible. Elizabeth takes a pragmatic view of her subjects’ personal faith and religious orthodoxies are not strictly enforced.

1560Falls in love? Simon Schama asks if Elizabeth was really in love with Robert Dudley. Clip from A History of Britain by Simon Schama (BBC Two, 2000).Elizabeth has many suitors but the one who comes closest to winning her heart is Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.The two are very close and she appoints him as one of her most trusted advisors. When his wife Lady Amy Dudley dies suddenly in suspicious circumstances in 1560, rumours start spreading about the nature of Robert's relationship with the Queen. However Elizabeth ignores the rumours. The precise nature of their relationship remains a mystery to this day.

1566Refuses to marry Parliament refuses to grant Elizabeth any further funds until the matter of her marriage is settled. This angers the Queen and, using her skills of rhetoric, she lambasts members of Parliament saying the welfare of her country is her priority, not marriage and Parliament should keep out of her personal matters – she will marry if and when it is convenient.

1583A revolution in theatreElizabeth’s reign sees a flourishing of the English theatre. Legislation encourages actors to join touring companies such as Lord Sussex’s Men and Lord Leicester’s Men. They settle in London, first performing in taverns and then in purpose-built theatres. The Queen takes an interest in plays, attending performances at court, and in 1583, she commands the formation of the Queen Elizabeth’s Men. By the 1590s the dominant acting company is the Lord Chamberlain’s for whom Shakespeare writes and performs.

1580-1585Exploration and the beginnings of EmpireElizabeth looks beyond Europe for opportunities to expand trade and increase the nation’s wealth. Her reign sees many voyages of discovery.


In 1580 Francis Drake becomes the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. In 1585 Sir Walter Raleigh sets up a colony of about 100 men on the east coast of North America, which he names Virginia after Elizabeth I, ‘the Virgin Queen’.

1587Executes Mary, Queen of Scots Elizabeth's Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots is under house arrest in Chartley Hall, Stafford as she poses a threat to Elizabeth.Elizabeth builds up an extensive network of spies headed by Francis Walsingham to help protect her. He implicates Mary in a plot to depose Elizabeth and she is tried and convicted of treason. Elizabeth is reluctant to execute her cousin. She doesn’t want to set a precedent by executing an anointed monarch. After months of prevaricating, she finally has Mary beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle.

1588The defeat of the Spanish Armada After the death of Mary, Queen of Scots the Pope urges Philip of Spain to invade England. England and Spain have long been bitter rivals and Philip launches a great fleet of ships, known as the Spanish Armada. Elizabeth is adamant she will retain her crown and that England will remain free from the influence of Rome. She addresses the troops encamped at Tilbury saying she will fight by their side. The Armada is engaged by the Royal Fleet in the channel and then driven to the North Sea by strong winds. Only half of the 130 ships make it back to Spain.

1603Elizabeth dies a beloved queenElizabeth I dies aged 69. Known forever as 'the Virgin Queen', she remains unmarried and childless until the end. In her final years Elizabeth's reign is beset by problems in Ireland and her failing health. However, the mourning which follows her death is unprecedented. Many ordinary Londoners take to the streets to watch Elizabeth's journey to her final resting place in Westminster Abbey. As Elizabeth leaves no direct Tudor heir, James VI of Scotland – the son of Mary, Queen of Scots – is named king. The Tudor dynasty that has ruled England for 118 years comes to an end.

Edward Seymour


-1st Duke of Somerset (1500-1552).-Eldest brother of Jane Seymour, wife of King Henry VIII, mother of King Edward VI.-Served as Lord Protector from death of King Henry VIII to his own indictment. (1547-1549).-Upon death of Henry VIII, Henry appointed 16 executers to act as Edward’s council until he reached 18.-13/16 executers (other absent) agreed on Edward’s Seymour’s appointment as Protector.-1547, Edward Seymour secured letters patent from King Edward, granting him most monarchial right to appoint Privy Council members and consult them only when he wished.-He proceeded to rule largely by proclamation, calling Privy Council to rubber stamp (approve) his decisions.-Edward Seymour only met opposition from Chancellor, Thomas Wriothesley, whom Earldom of Southampton had evidently failed to buy off (bride).-Finally dismissed from chancellorship on charges of selling off some of his offices to delegates.

Movies made based on Tudor DynastyElizabeth: the Golden Age (2007 film)


"The Golden Age" finds Queen Elizabeth I facing bloodlust for her throne and familial betrayal. Growing keenly aware of the changing religious and political tides of late 16th century Europe, Elizabeth finds her rule openly challenged by the Spanish King Philip II--with his powerful army and sea-dominating armada--determined to restore England to Catholicism. Preparing to go to war to defend her empire, Elizabeth struggles to balance ancient royal duties with an unexpected vulnerability in her love for Sir Walter Raleigh. But he remains forbidden for a queen who has sworn body and soul to her country. Unable and unwilling to pursue her love, Elizabeth encourages her favorite lady-in-waiting, Bess, to befriend Raleigh to keep him near. But, this strategy forces Elizabeth to observe their growing intimacy. As she charts her course abroad, her trusted advisor, Sir Francis Walsingham, continues his masterful puppetry of Elizabeth's court at home--and her campaign to solidify absolute power. Through an intricate spy network, Walsingham uncovers an assassination plot that could topple the throne. But as he unmasks traitors that may include Elizabeth's own Cousin Mary Stuart, he unknowingly sets England up for destruction.

InspirationThat's despite the return of the remarkable Cate Blanchett in the title role. Who else would be so tall, regal, assured and convincing that these surroundings would not diminish her? We believe she is a queen. . But the film's screenplay, by Michael Hirst and William Nicholson, places her in the center of history that is baldly simplified, shamelessly altered, and pumped up with romance and action.

We see her kingdom threatened by two Catholics, Mary, Queen of Scots who stood next in line to the throne, and Philip II of Spain, who was building a great armada to invade England. Elizabeth's treasury is depleted, her resources strained, her attention diverted by the arrival in her court of the dashing Sir


Walter Raleigh. He has just returned from the New Land with two gifts: the territory of Virginia, which he has named after her in honor of her virginity, and tobacco, which she smokes with great delight. Elizabeth was indeed by all accounts a virgin, but in 1585, when the story is set, she would have been over 50 and her virginity more or less settled. The film sidesteps the age issue by making her look young, sensuous and fragrant, and yearning for a man such as Raleigh.

This Sir Walter, he is a paragon. He would have been 32 in 1585. Despite his shabby attire and rough-hewn manners, he uses brash confidence to rise in Elizabeth's esteem and becomes her trusted adviser and a mastermind of the British military strategy. The film deals with the famous 1588 defeat of the Armada with Raleigh at its center, commanding ships to be set afire and aimed to ram the Spanish vessels. He swings from ropes, brandishes his sword, saves himself by plunging into the sea, and in general proves himself a master swashbuckler, especially since history teaches us that the real Raleigh was ashore the whole time and played no role in the battles.

Some of the film's best scenes involve Mary, played by Samantha Morton as a heroic and devout woman who goes to the executioner's ax with dismay but royal composure. Elizabeth's own crisis of conscience over Mary's death is also well played, but the film is far more interested in romantic intrigue and sea battles. I think it undervalues the ability of audiences to get involved in true historical drama, instead of recycled action clichés.

The costumes and settings are nearly overwhelming. Reviewing the earlier film, I suggested that Shekhar Kapur was perhaps influenced by the rich colors and tapestries of his native India. Here he seems carried away by them. There are scenes where the elaborate lace on Elizabeth's costume is so detailed and flawless that we don't think about the character, we wonder how long Blanchett must have had to stand there while holding the pose and not ruffling anything

The Tudors (2007-2010 TV series)


This costume drama features England's splendid Renaissance dynasty under King Henry VIII. Beginning in Season 1 when Henry VIII was growing desperate for an heir and growing distant from his first wife, the series moves quickly to the period when Anne Boleyn became his obsession. During this time Cardinal Wolsey rose to become the power behind his throne, ruling ruthlessly and nearly absolutely while Henry (played by Johnathon Rhys Meyers) for the most part followed the Cardinal's advice, maneuvering through a series of betrayals and plots against him. When Anne Boleyn plays much harder to get than any woman ever has, Henry begins to search for a way out of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, so that he can make Anne his wife. Needing a divorce, Henry turns to Wolsey, who promises to help him create waves of backlash from the church, as well as the Spanish Habsburg dynasty and its overseas empire. Against this background gyrate the private lives and political intrigues of several members of the royal court and chancery. This includes Henry's friend and his sister Margaret's true love Charles Brandon, the Habsburg ambassadors, greedy and power-hungry schemers, their incidental victims and composer Thomas Tallies

InspirationWeight


Henry never became fat. Paintings depicting him in this way presumably used bulk as a propaganda symbol of greatness. The king also still looked 30 when in his 50s

AccentNor did he speak in the fruity roar actors such as Charles Laughton and Keith Michell have duped us into imagining. Instead, Jonathan Rhys Meyers's definitive performance shows he had an oddly jerky vocal style, like a Rada-trained robot or Basil Brush channeling Laurence Olivier. The future monarchs Edward and Elizabeth also had, it seems, faint but discernible Irish accents, calling into doubt both their parentage and the legitimacy of the Tudor dynasty.

AppearanceOur sense of how people looked in the 16th century will have to be radically revised as a result of the series' research. Courtiers' skin was flawlessly smooth, teeth met Hollywood standards of whiteness and evenness. The era's hairstyles lent men the look of boyband members

SpeechThe way in which people at Henry's court spoke, particularly in informal contexts, was far more "modern" than we've previously been led to believe. And many phrases we thought were coined in the past 20 years were in fact first said almost five centuries ago. Catherine of Aragon was told she was "the queen of hearts". Anne Boleyn complained "you can't have three people in a marriage". Catherine Howard was prone to say "oh my God!"

Lady Jane (1986 film)


The death of King Henry VIII of England throws his kingdom into chaos as his heir, Edward VI, is under-age and in poor health. Anticipating the young king's imminent death from consumption and anxious to keep England true to the Reformation by keeping the Catholic Mary from the throne, John Dudley, Lord President of the Council and second only to the king in power, hatches a plan to marry his son, Lord Guildford, to Lady Jane Grey, and have the royal physician keep the young king Edward VI alive, albeit in excruciating pain, at least long enough to get him to name Jane his heir.Jane is not happy with the proposed marriage, and must be forced into it through corporal punishment by her parents. At first Jane and Guildford decide to treat their union purely as a marriage of convenience, but then they fall deeply in love. After Edward VI dies, Jane is placed on the throne. She is troubled by the questionable legality of her accession, but after consulting with Guildford, turns the tables on John Dudley and the others who thought to use her as a puppet.After only nine days, however, Queen Jane is abandoned by her council precisely because of her reformist designs for the country. The council then supports Mary, who at first imprisons Jane and Guildford.Consumed with guilt, Jane's father, the Duke of Suffolk, raises a rebellion to restore her to the throne, presumably in concert with Thomas Wyatt's rebellion. When the rebellion fails, Queen Mary I offers to spare Jane's life if she renounces her Protestant faith. When she refuses, Jane, her father and Guildford are all executed.

Inspiration1. Political Intrigues of the Tudor Court


This film offers up a look at the intrigues within the court in the period between Henry's death and Elizabeth's accession, as Catholic Princess Mary strives to gain the throne after the death of her Protestant brother King Edward VI. The religious divisions caused by Henry VIII's embrace of the Reformation are well documented and believably portrayed.2. HistoryThis movie opens by telling the audience what has come before, and the ending is made even more poignant by knowing what will come after. By watching this movie, it gave us a clear idea of what had happened in that particular period.

The Tudors by G. J. Meyer


SynopsisFor the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.

In 1485, young Henry Tudor, whose claim to the throne was so weak as to be almost laughable, crossed the English Channel from France at the head of a ragtag little army and took the crown from the family that had ruled England for almost four hundred years. Half a century later his son, Henry VIII, desperate to rid himself of his first wife in order to marry a second, launched a reign of terror aimed at taking powers no previous monarch had even dreamed of possessing. In the process he plunged his kingdom into generations of division and disorder, creating a legacy of blood and betrayal that would blight the lives of his children and the destiny of his country.

The boy king Edward VI, a fervent believer in reforming the English church, died before bringing to fruition his dream of a second English Reformation. Mary I, the disgraced daughter of Catherine of Aragon, tried and failed to establish the Catholic Church and produce an heir. And finally came Elizabeth I, who devoted her life to creating an image of herself as Gloriana the Virgin Queen but, behind that mask, sacrificed all chance of personal happiness in order to survive. The Tudors weaves together all the sinners and saints, the tragedies and triumphs, the high dreams and dark crimes, that reveal the Tudor era to be, in its enthralling, notorious truth, as momentous and as fascinating as the fictions audiences have come to love.

Analysis and conclusionThrough this book, we managed to understand the world of the Tudors and how the empire was formed. We also got to traced down the entire family of the Tudors from Henry VII to Elizabeth I and learnt the Tudor timeline from 1457 January 28 to 1603 March 24 during the Death of Elizabeth I. Moreover, by reading and understanding the book, we managed to learnt and apply the style of language and grammar used during the Tudor period. We were able to discover further details on our character or character involved in the Tudor period for our individual pamphlet.

Summary


In our opinion, the Tudor dynasty was a difficult dynasty to live in. This is because at that point of time, rules or laws were not created, therefore the kings and queens were the ones that have complete control over the entire country. This means that they can change the rules anytime and this caused a lot of problems among the people of England.

Besides that, we found out that the kings of England tend to marry many times due to their lust for women. This can be proven by King Henry VIII marrying 6 women during his reign as king. He married so many times not just for his own satisfaction, but also to ensure that an heir could be produced to rule England in the future. This proves that the kings of England really want to ensure that their royal blood can continue to be passed on instead of getting extinct.

On the other hand, we also found out that many of the kings’ off spring tend to die or be miscarriage during the Tudor Dynasty. Our theory is that the doctors and medicine during that point of time were not good enough and this caused many of the babies to die easily. One of the kings that faced this problem a lot of times is King Henry VIII, who had Catherine as his first wife. They both had 9 pregnancies in total, but only 1 survived, which was Mary.

Furthermore, we also realised that the kings and queens of England are dedicated would do anything they can to help their country. They were dedicated in making a lot of agreements, peace treaties with other countries to ensure the peace of England is restored.

Other than that, we also found out that religion played a big part is the reformation of England. In the social strata of England, we can see that the churches were at the same level as the gentlemen, the noble people as people worshipped their religion a lot during the Tudor times.

Tudor fashion wise, we realised that the Tudor people preferred to wrap themselves in cloth, which means that they barely show any skin while wearing their clothes.

For execution, the people of Tudor treat deaths as entertainment. People tend to line up in front of a beheading session to witness its occurrence as it amuses them a lot. In our opinion, this act is actually pretty disgusting as the death of a person shouldn’t be treated as so.

The people of Tudor believed in many superstitions and taboos. As they are very religious during that point of time, these taboos were not taken lightly and were treated seriously and not to be messed around, especially witchcraft. In our opinion, these type of taboos shouldn’t be believed 100% as they are usually not true and just made up stories to scare off people.

For our video, we took inspiration from various films in the aid to make our acting seem more legit and that the scenes look more realistic. We also used a green screen to help creating that movie making feel to our video. As we are just amateurs, our video might not be of the best quality but we had a lot of fun making it and as a team we really got to know each other better after this assignment.


The Script


SCENE 1Act 1Narration: The tudor dynasty starts… with the birth of a baby boy, Henry he seventh, a boy with a great future ahead of him. He is the son of King Edmund Tudor and Queen Margaret.Narration: Henry was born in the Pembroke Castle of Wales, where all of his other siblings were born as well.King Edmund and Queen Margaret had 2 children altogether, their eldest son being Edward while the second son is the star of the show, Henry.Henry and Edward were great brothers, they loved each other a lot and constantly go to the castle grounds to play

Act 2Narration: As years past, the boys grew older as did their father, King Edmund. When King Edmund passed away, Edward was supposed to be the rightful heir to the throne.But their uncle, Richard 3, thought otherwise…

Richard: (face turning backwards) The boys are both too young to be kings. I, Richard will take over the throne from my sarcastically) poor... poor dead brother Edmund. The kingdom is mine!Richard: (turns to guards) GUAARDS! Lock them both in the tower of London, and make sure that their faces are never seen again.Guards: Yes my lord.*Drags the 2 boys in to the dungeon.

Narration: As years gone by, words have spread that the boys have been assassinated by their uncle. This lead to many being depressed.

Narration: Even so, many still think that Henry was still alive and should be the rightful king of England.At one point of time, Henry managed to escape from the tower and went all the way to Britanny, France to bide his time and build his army to face off against his uncle, Richard 3.

Henry: (standing in front of his army) My fellow brothers, we are here today to claim what is rightfully ours, our beloved country. We have trained long and hard, day and night for this particular moment. It is time to seek revenge, and slaughter the beast that has robbed us many years .This win is for my brother, King Edmund. Are you with me, my brothers?

Others: YEA YEA YEAAAAAAA FOR EDMUNDDDDD.

Act 3Narration:Henry and his army travelled to Wales to face off against Richard in Bosworth. They fought bravely, with many dying for their beloved country.


Narration: Not long after, both Henry and Richard found themselves locked in hand to hand combat alone.

*swords clangingHenry: Uncle, Im here to take back what is rightfully mine. Give it back, in the name of my late father!Richard; You puny boy… your body is small, you are weak. Do you really think you can kill me?Henry: I might be small, but don’t underestimate the power of my men. They will definitely kill you, and it will be happening right now!

Narration: Henry’s right hand man, Lord Stanley, took out his sword and beheaded Richard from behind.Stanley then took the crown from Richard and placed it on Henry’s head. Welcome home, my king. Long live, King Henry! (Raises sword).In 1486, Henry married Elizabeth of York. Which helped end the war of roses.

Henry: I love you, my queen.Elizabeth: As I to you, my dear.*stares into each other’s eyes.

Narration: This remarkable event helped in reuniting the country and also rebuilt the England Empire.In 1509, Henry deceased at Richmond Palace, forever known as a great king of England.


Scene 2Act 1Before Henry the seventh died, he and Margaret both had 6 children altogether…. But sadly only 3 survived.They were Arthur, Margaret and Henry the Eighth.Prince Arthur was supposed to be the next heir to the throne, but he died at an unfortunate age of 15.Arthur: (lying on the death bed) Henry, take care of our kingdom, for the sake of everyone in England.Henry: (crying) Don’t worry my brother, you have my word.

In the end, Henry took to the throne and married his dead brother’s wife, Catherine.*holding hands in the sunset.Act 2Henry and Catherine were married together for a total of 24 years. They had 9 pregnancies in total, but only one survived, which is the infamous Mary.*Baby Mary’s photo. Feeling sad and depressed, Henry decided to go around the kingdom looking for mistresses.Henry: Oh how lonely and sad I am. All I want is a baby boy, to be the next heir. Maybe I should go look for mistresses to help me bear a boy.One of Henry’s mistresses, Mary Boleyn, came up with a great idea for her king.Mary: Your Highness, I suggest that my dear sister, Anne Boleyn, can help with your sad problem.Hearing that. Henry became very excited and immediately organized a wedding for them, she became pregnant right after.*church bells ringing.Henry: Congratulations my dear. The child will definitely be a boy, I will name him Henry after me or maybe Edward.Anne: Definitely my dear.Act 3Sadly, the child turned out to be a girl and they had to name her Elizabeth instead.Feeling disappointed, Henry was enraged and accused Anne for having an affair with 3 other men.Henry: Off with their heads! These scum do not deserve to be alive!*Anne and 3 men on the floor sobbing.While Anne was being beheaded, Henry was already planning another wedding with Jane Seymour.*more church bells ringing.She successfully gave birth to a baby boy, and Henry was simply delighted.Henry: We shall name the gem of ours… Edward.Sadly, 12 days later, she passed.*kneels down beside her dead body.Henry: My love, you are my one true wife. Without you, a male heir would never be a possibility. Rest in peace, my dear.Act 4Years have passed, Henry had 3 other wives. The first one, Anne of Cleeves, was found in a beauty ccontest.Anne: (seducing) Pick me, my king.They divorced 6 months later.The second one, Katheryn Howard was only 18 when she married an old King Henry. As she was young and beautiful, she had affairs with many other men.*affair picsHer punishment, execution.


Henry: Off with her bloody head.*cutsHis last wife, Catherine Parr, was the daughter of Maud Green, a lady in waiting to Queen Catherine.In 1547, Henry died at the age of 55.


Scene 3Act 1Narration: After the late king’s death, Edward ascends the throne as a young boy, at the age of nine.(Edward walks slowly to his father’s throne)Edward VI: In the name of our late king, I Edward VI thy new king, shall bring peace and justice to our beloved Kingdom.Commoner: Long live the king, long live king Edward. X3

Act 2Narration: However, Edward’s reign over England was limited as his uncle, Edward Seymour, Earl of Heartford was invested as the Protecter of England and took over England through Edward VI.(In the throne room)Edward VI: May I have a say on the upcoming war?Edward Seymour: Never, such with your age, thou shall not have this decision, the arts of war is not a tool of amusement. It requires careful consideration through time and knowledge.(in his mind): As your Protector, I Edward Seymour, will lead England to its golden age.

Act 3Narration: Through time, Edward Seymour was deemed guilty of his motives and was deposed as Protector of England. He was then replaced by John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland.John Dudley: I shall be your new Protector, Duke of Northumberland.Edward VI: Lord Protector, England shall have its golden age with us, the mighty rulers of England.John Dudley: Indeed, your highness.

Narration: However, John Dudley has his own motives, in attempt to secure the protestant succession, he persuaded Edward to nominate his daughter-in-law, Lady Jane Grey as his Heir.John Dudley: Your Highness, Have the lord ever considered an heir, a successor maybe?Edward VI: No, why so?John Dudley: In any case of your demise, who shall be the new ruler?Edward VI: My sister Mary, of course. Isn’t she the legitimate successor to the throne?John Dudley: (anxiously) Your Highness, beware of thy sister’s non-protestant reign, What shall became of England if she is the ruler?Edward VI: Well said, for the sake of England, I shall accept Lady Jane Grey as the next successor to the throne.Narration: sadly, his demise was as predicted, dying at the age of 15 with tuberculosis.Edward VI: (cough bloods and died)


Scene 4Act 1Narration: The reign of the Kings ended and the next heir to the throne is now given to Lady Jane Grey, daughter-in-law of John Dudley.Northumberland: Jane Grey is now our new queen, we will swear our allegiance to her majesty.(Everyone bowed and curtsied to her).Jane Grey: (sobbing before walking to her throne) The crown is not my right, and pleaseth me not. The lady Mary is the rightful heir.

Act 2Narration:For a few days Jane Grey was in grief knowing that the throne was not rightfully hers to take. Mary however was marching toward London with an army of her own. While he was gone the nervous royal council decided to proclaim Mary the rightful Queen. Determined to save himself, Jane's father signed the proclamation making Mary Queen.( few slides of pictures and scenes)Mary: Guards seize them and send them to the tower!!Jane: (quietly while being held down)Out of obedience to you and my mother I have grievously sinned.Now I willingly relinquish the crown. May I not go home?

Act 3Narration: Mary caught lady jane grey during her reign in London and lock her in a tower. Lady Jane grey was then executed after her nine days of ruling England.(Jane grey tied and was standing before the executioner) ( there are a few witnessed around)Jane Grey: And now, good people, while I am alive, I pray you to assist me with your prayers.(finished her last prayers)(she then knelt down and lowered her head and stretched forth her body)Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit.(the executioner swung her axe)Executioner: So perish all the Queen's enemies. Behold, the head of a traitor.


Scene 5Act 1Narration: Mary the first, daughter of the late King Henry 8 and his wife, Catherine, was officially crowned as queen and married Prince Philip the second of Spain after executing Jane GreyStaring into each other’s eyes…Philip: Will you marry me my love?Mary: OF course my darling.

Narration: In the beginning, the people of England didn’t agree to Elizabeth marrying someone that isn’t from England, but she proceeded anyways. This led to them wanting to overthrow Mary.The people: (screaming) She doesn’t deserve to be queen, she doesn’t deserve to be queen!

Act 2Narration: As time goes on, Mary suspected that Elizabeth was involved with the people in the plot to overthrow her, which lead to Mary imprisoning Mary into the dungeon. In the dungeonMary: I expected more from you sister, you have disappointed me.Elizabeth: ( In the dungeon squatting ) Sobs.

Narration: As Mary continued to be be queen of England, she was worried that Elizabeth will one day take over as queen as she is her half-sister and have the rights to the throne as much as she does. It was then that she had a sudden plan…Mary: walking to and fro to and froMary: I have decided to have a child as my heir so that my rachet sister will have no chance to be queen. ( loud voice) YES THIS IS A GREAT PLAN. I KNOW THAT MY DEAR PHILIP WILL SUPPORT ME WHOLE HEARTEDLY.

Act 3Narration: A few months past, and Mary thought that she was expecting a baby, but it never happened. It was believed that she had a phantom pregnancy.Mary crying on the bed. BohooNarration: In 1557, Prince Philip left Mary to become the King of Spain, making Mary even more depressed.Mary: I gave him everything, and he left me just like that. What have I done wrong? What is it? Why is life treating me so badly!?

Narration: Even so, Philip returned to Mary a year later and begged for her forgiveness.Philip: (kneeling down holding Mary hand ) My love, I know that what I did was wrong. It was a sudden act of greediness that took over me. Please forgive me, you are the only one I love.Mary: Ill give you one more chance. But if you double cross me ever again… pauses* it will be the last of you existence (holding a sword to his throat).

Act 4Narration: As Elizabeth and Philip were together again, she believed she had another pregnancy again, but once again it was all just an illusion.Sad Mary


Narration: Philip also tried to convince her to fight against France as the ally of Spain. She agreed to help help him and they won the battle easily.Everyone: HURRAH HURRAH!!!

Narration: Mary grew older each day, and the fact that she could never give birth to her heir has finally taken its toll on Mary. When Mary got cancer, she became helpless and decided to let her half-sister be the next Queen.Mary: ( on her death bed) Sister, my time is coming to an end, I am sorry for everything that I have done to you. Please treat England well, they deserve a great leader to lead them.Elizabeth: I wont disappoint you my dear sister.

Narration: In 1558; Mary passed away peacefully.


Scene 6Act 1Narration: After Mary the first passed away, Elizabeth officially became the next heir to the throne after the death of her step-sister. *Elizabeth sitting on the throne.Elizabeth: My people, I am your new queen now. And I promise you that I will do everything it takes to make England powerful once again!

Narration: Elizabeth had a really good adviser that she trusted whole-heartedly. His name was William Gail. He helped her with various issues, the most profound one was regarding the political issues of England.William: (holding a few pieces of paper) my queen, I think it is best if… (Slowly fades)*Elizabeth nodding in agreement.

Act 2Narration: Queen Elizabeth was a wise and brilliant queen. She helped solve one of the most serious issues that was occurring at that point of time, which was the conflict between religions. She came out with new rules to help unite the Protestants and the Catholics to prevent another war.Elizabeth: I now declare that Both Protestants and Catholics will have equal rights! No one is indifferent. We are all the same, so let’s treat each other the same. * raises arm

Act 3Queen Elizabeth also succeeded in ending the Spanish Armada, where she gave her people a speech to help strengthen their confidence in themselves when the Spanish invaded England.Elizabeth: My loving people, we have been persuaded by some to be afraid of others with great powers and firearms. But as queen, I assure you that I do not desire to live in a country filled with distrust. I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king. I believe that we can end this war, and make sure that no other country would dare invade the borders of my realm anymore!

People: HURRAH HURRAH HURRAH !!!

Act 4Narration: After the Spanish Armada, it was expected from Queen Elizabeth to continue the Tudor line, but she failed to do so, despite many courtships with other men.Elizabeth: (sitting on the bed) sigh…

Narration:As Elizabeth grew older, she became famous for her virginity ad purity.Elizabeth: I might be a virgin, but I have decided that I am married to England. In the end, this shall be sufficient for me, that a marble stone shall declare that a queen, having to reign England for such a long time, lived and died a virgin.


Story Board




Crucial Scene


Henry managed to escape from the tower and went all the way to Britany, France to bide his time and build his army to face off against his uncle, Richard III

Jane Seymour successfully gave birth to a baby boy, and Henry was simply delighted.

After the late king’s death, Edward ascends the throne as a young boy, at the age of nine


Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford was invested as the Protector of England and took over England through Edward VI

Lady Jane grey was then executed after her nine days of ruling England

A few months past, and Mary thought that she was expecting a baby, but it never happened. It was believed that she had a phantom pregnancy


Queen Elizabeth also succeeded in ending the Spanish Armada, where she gave her people a speech to help strengthen their confidence in themselves when the Spanish invaded England

Costume Comparison

Henry VII

Henry VIII


Edward VI

Edward Seymour


Mary I

Lady Jane Grey


Elizabeth I


The Crew




Data & Analytics

The Tudor Dynasty