The throne of the Kingdom of England, which has a long and complex history, has been ruled by many different families throughout history. One of the most important of these is undoubtedly the Tudors Dynasty. Let’s take a closer look at the story of the Tudors Dynasty, which ruled for more than a hundred years and produced six kings and queens, and let’s see the traces left by the names that came to the throne in history.
The Ottoman Empire has been ruled by a single family since its inception. It is not very common to see such structures in history, because most of the time in such empires, the administration is in the hands of different families from time to time. The Kingdom of England is one of them. To the throne of the Kingdom of England, which has a long and complex history Many different families have passed. One of them is the Tudors Dynasty.
The Tudors Dynasty ruled the Kingdom of England for 118 years and succeeded in placing three kings and three queens on the throne. One of the most complex periods in the history of England, full of wars and intrigues, was also experienced during this family period. Volumes could be written about each, but come on. Let’s take a closer look at the story of the House of Tudors briefly and let’s see the traces left by the names that came to the throne in history.
Let’s get to know the Tudors Dynasty briefly:
The Tudor House is a Welsh family descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd and Catherine of France. For 118 years between 1485 and 1603 This family, which ruled the Kingdom of England, took the place of the Plantagenet Dynasty, and after them the House of Stuart took the throne.
After the Wars of the Roses, which was a civil war between 1455 and 1487, the Tudors Dynasty period started in England and VII. Henry VIII. Henry, VI. As Edward, Jane Grey, Mary I, Elizabeth I three kings and three queens boarded up. VII, the first king to emerge from the family. Henry gained power by making a marriage that would end the civil wars.
The rulers who ascended the throne from the Tudors Dynasty were influential on both England and the Kingdom of France. In this period There were religious reform movements that also affected the political structure of the state. The Dynasty of Tudors also came to an end as the last ruler of the family, Elizabeth I, died without leaving an heir.
Successors of the House of Tudors and their intrigue-filled reigns:
- VII. Henry
- VIII. Henry
- VI. Edward
- Jane Gray
- Mary I
- Elizabeth I
The name that started it all: VII. Henry
VII, who is considered the founder of the Tudors Dynasty and the first name from the family to the throne. Henry reigned from 1485 to 1509. One of the fiercest conflicts of the Rose Wars. At the Battle of Bosworth Field, the king of the time IV. Edward’s brother He went down in history as the last king to win the English throne in war by defeating Richard.
IV. VII, who consolidated his power by marrying Edward’s daughter. Henry, He became the name that strengthened the British monarchy again. He made many administrative, economic and diplomatic moves during his administration. Thanks to all these, he reassembled the kingdom that was about to collapse and paved the way for its development both politically and economically.
He broke up with the church for divorce: VIII. Henry
VIII, who ascended the throne of England after the death of his father. Henry reigned from 1509 to 1547. He was married six times however, only the first of them remained in mind. He wanted to end this marriage with Catherine of Aragon, that is to divorce him, but Pope Clement VII did not allow it.
Pope Clement VIII. This tension between Henry and religion quickly turned into a tension between religion and politics and the British reform movement started. Appointed as High Head of the Church of England and made fundamental changes to the British constitution. VIII, who is also known as one of the most charismatic rulers sitting on the British throne. Henry is known for accusing his opponents of being traitors.
He ascended the throne at a young age, died before he could grow up: VI. Edward
VI, who had to ascend to the throne at the age of 9 upon the death of his father. Edward ruled from 1547 to 1553. first English king to be raised as a Protestant VI. Since Edward was still a child, the country was ruled by the regency council. Their uncle’s role in this council was great.
It was during this period that the Church of England became an important center of Protestantism. VI, who came to the throne already at a young age. Before Edward had a chance to grow At the age of 15, he fell ill with a terminal illness. Learning that the king was going to die, the regency council devised a special plan. According to this plan, his cousin, Lady Jane Gray, would ascend to the throne, not his half-sisters.
The hapless queen of the House of Tudors: Jane Gray
Among the rulers of the Tudors, the most unfortunate name is Jane Grey. Queen of the Nine Days It is called the name because it reigned only from July 10, 1553 to July 19, 1553. VI. Edward and the regency council wanted him to ascend the throne because his half-brother Mary was Catholic.
As Jane Gray, proclaimed queen on July 10, 1553, awaited her coronation, Mary was rapidly gaining support. On 19 July 1553, the Privy Council of England made a decision and declared Mary Queen. The hapless Jane Gray declared a traitor but later pardoned. She was executed on February 12, 1554, along with her husband, on charges of involvement in a rebellion the following year.
He smeared England with red blood: Mary I
If the name Mary I doesn’t sound familiar, let’s call it Bloody Mary, we’re sure you’ll remember. reigned from 1553 to 1558 Because Mary I is a Catholic During his time on the throne, he worked to reverse reform movements. He is the only child of Henry VIII to reach adulthood by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
Uncomfortable with the process of moving away from the church, which started with the Church of England becoming a center of Protestantism, Mary I was on the throne. for burning hundreds of dissidents alive It was named Bloody Mary. We have explained the details of the story of Bloody Mary in our article here.
The most successful monarch to emerge from the Tudors: Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I, half-sister of Mary I, reigned for 44 years from 1558 to 1603. He made his name in history as one of the most successful rulers of the Tudors Dynasty. Unlike his brother, his first move when he ascended the throne was to strengthen the Church of England.
Elizabeth I is referred to as a virgin and venerated as such in history because she never married and had no children. His cousin VI. with James The foundations of the Kingdom of Great Britain were laid. Since Elizabeth I, who was a tolerant monarch, did not leave any heirs from her own family, with her death, the Tudors Dynasty came to an end.
who ruled the Kingdom of England for over a hundred years and placed six monarchs on the throne We talked about the House of Tudors. You can share your thoughts about this family, which has had conflicts even among themselves and played a big role in the history of England, in the comments.