The witch hunts and witch trials that happened hundreds of years ago are some of the most infamous events that have happened throughout history.
Perhaps the most infamous witch trials were those that happened in Salem Massachusetts, in the United States of America. The Salem Witch Trials happened between 1692 and 1693. The European witch hunts and trials were already happening long before the Salem witch hunts took place - the Salem Witch Trials happened in the dying decades of the witch trials that were happening across Europe during the early modern era.
The witch-hunts were happening in Europe from 1450 to 1750. These witch-hunts resulted in the brutal deaths of both people and animals in Europe.
The witch-hunts in the early modern era of Europe, resulted in many different European countries having witch trials. These countries included - Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, England and many more. In England, the witch-trials resulted in the 'The Witchcraft Act 1542'. The Witchcraft Act 1542, was a law that King Henry VIII had passed. This law was passed in the final years of King Henry VIII's reign, as the Tudor monarch died in 1547. This resulted in Henry's son, Edward, becoming king of England - King Edward repealed the Witchcraft Act that his father had put in place. The witch trials didn't stop in England though at that point; they lasted from the 15th century to the 18th century in England. The witch trials in England resulted in hundreds of deaths, the vast majority of people persecuted and killed because of the witch trials, were women. In Scotland, there were different witchcraft acts. For example, the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563 was passed. This act resulted in witchcraft and associating with witches as a capital offence. It is estimated that witch trials and hunts were significantly higher in Scotland, compared to England - as it is estimated that there were thousands of people persecuted in Scotland for being witches.
King James VI of Scotland (James I of England), was perhaps the most notorious person in history to be associated with the witch hunts and trials. James was notoriouslysuperstitious ; his dark superstitious nature resulted in thisking's brutal witch hunts.
The Scottish king himself personally attended Scotland's first major witch trials; these witch trials were called the North Berwick witch trials. There was said to be between 70 to 200 women who were arrested and accused of being witches; these women were tortured upon their arrest and murdered - though the exact number of women persecuted in the North Berwick witch trials is unknown to this day. The witch hunts in Scotland were significantly worse than its neighbour England. While England was thought to have killed around 500 people (mostly women) of witchcraft, the death rate was 3 to 4 times higher in Scotland, as it is estimated that 3,000 to 4,000 women in Scotland were killed because they were accused of witchcraft. The Witchcraft Act 1735 During the height of the witch trials, Scotland and England were united in the union. The Act of Union 1707, united Scotland and England to form one country. The witch trials and witch hunts were still happening during this time, however, these hunts and trials were ending. The Witchcraft Act 1735, which was made law in the Kingdom of Britain, resulted in the killing of witches being outlaw in Britain. However, people could still be sent to prison for witchcraft. The last witch-hunting trials which happened in England were in 1717 in Leicester. The witch hunting trials seemed to put an end to people being killed in the name of witchcraft, however, women (largely) were still imprisoned for witchcraft up until very recent history, due to the Witchcraft Act 1735. Remarkably, Scotland's last witch was sent to prison in 1944! The persecution of women in the name of witchcraft, stopped in Britain when the Witchcraft Act of 1735 was repealed by the UK parliament in 1951.
The biggest amount of witch trials and hunts across Europe came between 1580 and 1630.
These witch hunts and trials happened in much of Europe. It is believed that men, women and even animals were killed as a result of the witch hunts. The vast majority of those killed in the name of witchcraft across Europe were women. And, most of these women were usually either middle-aged or elderly; they often lived alone too. These women were also poor and social outcasts. This resulted in the thousands of women (and some men), during the early modern era in Western Europe. It is estimated that as many as 200,000 people were killed, tortured and hanged as a result of being accused of witchcraft between 1484 and 1750. What Was The Reason For The Witch Hunts? A major driving force in the witch hunts and trials seemed to be misogyny : a hatred of women. The vast majority of those accused of witchcraft were women. It was believed that 80% of those persecuted and killed in the name of witchcraft in the early modern era, were women. This has resulted in people theorizing that the witch hunts which happened were driven bymisogyny. Another reason that people believe that the witch hunts happened, was due to mass hysteria and moral panic. Mass hysteria has been seen as the reason, specifically for the Salem witch trials. Other reasons for the witch hunts happening are - people not fitting in with the social and religious beliefs and ways of life at the time, persecution of elderly and old women. It seems likely that is was a combination of all of these things that resulted in the witch trials and hunts of the early modern era in history; rather than just one thing being responsible for them. The witch trials and hunts were one of Europe's most infamous and brutal events in history.
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On this day in history, Queen Elizabeth I was born in 1533.
Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. She was the only child they had together. Though, Anne Boleyn did suffer several miscarriages to Henry. Elizabeth was the only child that Anne Boleyn had. King Henry VIII, on the other hand, had other children, but they were not to Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth was Henry's second daughter. His first daughter - Mary; who would later become Queen Mary I (also known as Bloody Mary) - was to his first wife Catherine of Aragon.
Henry had two daughters and a son. His son, Edward, was to his third wife: Jane Seymour. Edward would succeed his father to be king upon his death. But Edward was only a child when he became king and his reign didn't last long, as the young king died very prematurely while he was still a teenager. The passing from the crown from Edward to his half-sister Mary didn't go smoothly.
The passing of the crown didn't go smoothly as Lady Jane Grey claimed the English throne. Her claim to the throne of England didn't last very long though. Grey, became known as the 'nine-day Queen'. She became known as the nine-day Queen but was never officially crowned queen.
Lady Jane Grey was deposed from the throne by Edward's half-sister Mary, who had a stronger claim to the throne than her cousin Jane. Mary had her cousin Lady Jane Grey executed for attempting to take the crown from her, this resulted in Mary becoming the second of Henry VIII's children becoming monarch.
Mary didn't just become a monarch though when she became Queen of England, she also became the first Queen of England and made the way for future female monarchs to become Queen. One of those female monarchs was her half-sister - Elizabeth. Queen Mary, didn't reign for long on the throne, she was only Queen for a few years. In her dying days, Mary named her successor as her half-sister, Elizabeth. When Mary died, Elizabeth became the third and final of Henry VIII's children to become monarch of England. Elizabeth reigned the longest of the three siblings - she was one of England's longest-serving monarchs to this day,Elizabeth I reigned for a very impressive 45 years. The reign of Elizabeth is called the Elizabethan era. The Journey To Become Queen That journey to become Queen started in 1533 when she was born. Anne Boleyn is said to have found out that she was pregnant in January 1533. Then, on September 7th, 1533, Elizabeth (the future Elizabeth I was born).
On this day in history, Anne Boleyn recieved the title of Marquess of Pembroke.
What Is The Marquess of Pembroke? The Marquess of Pembroke was a title that King Henry VIII created for Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn received the title of Marquess of Pembroke on the 1st of September 1532. It was a title that was a peerage. A peerage is a title. The Peerage and Anne Boleyn When Anne Boleyn received the Marquess of Pembroke title, she was not yet married to Henry VIII. Instead, Anne Boleyn was engaged to the king. But, she was soon to become Henry VIII's second wife, and, Queen Consort of England. Henry and Anne married a few months after she was given the title of the Marquess of Pembroke. Both Henry and Anne married twice. The first time they married was in a secret ceremony on the 14th of November 1532. Then, just a few weeks later, the couple was married again on the 25th of January 1533.
Anne became pregnant that Winter. It's thought that Anne became pregnant in January 1533. Later that year, on the 7th of September 1533, Anne Boleyn successfully gave birth to a baby girl. That baby girl would be the future Queen Elizabeth I.
The birth of Elizabeth was the only successful heir that Anne Boleyn had given King Henry VIII. It is believed that her failure to produce a male heir for the king, was one of the main reasons for Boleyn's downfall. The Downfall Of Anne Boleyn The downfall of Anne Boleyn was dramatic and quick. She perhaps has one of the most, if not, thee most, spectacular downfall of an English monarch we have ever seen. Things seem to be going well for the new Queen Consort in January 1533. She was newlywed to the King of England, she was pregnant with the Kings heir, perhaps it may have seemed to her that she was invincible. But, she wasn't. It only took a few short years from when she received the Marquess of Pembroke title, to her downfall and execution. Anne Boleyn was executed on the 2nd of May 1536 by Henry VIII, just three years after she had been given the title of Marquess of Pembroke by the King. It shows how quickly her downfall came, and how quickly Boleyn fell out of favour with the King. Upon her death, it seems the title Marquess of Pembroke title was extinguished. Perhaps, probably for the best, as, who would want to inherit a title that seemed a bit ill-fated?
Jane Seymour was publicly proclaimed Queen on the 4th of June 1536.
She was the third queen and wife of King Henry VIII. Before Jane Seymour, King Henry VIII married twice beforehand. The first woman he was married to was Catherine of Aragon, this marriage lasted from 1509 to 1533. The second woman he married was Anne Bolyen. The marriage between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII was much shorter, it lasted from 1533 to 1536. The kings second shortest marriage was to Jane Seymour. Jane Seymour married the Tudor monarch just days before she was proclaimed queen. They married on the 30th of May 1536 and she became queen of England just days later on the 4th of June 1536. They became engaged just several days prior to their marriage. The engagement between Henry VIII and Jane Seymour strongly suggests that they were courting each other while the king was still married to Anne Boleyn, as Anne Boleyn was only executed a day before the announcment of their engagement and she was only arrested a few weeks before her execuation: Anne Boleyn was arrested on the 2nd of May 1536 for charges that included adultry and treason.
Jane was only proclaimed queen, she was never crowned queen of England. The reason that she was never crowned was due to there being a plague in London at the time time.
But she did go on to get pregant. Unlike Anne who was pregnant when she got married to Henry, Jane was not - it would be several months after her marriage to the king that she would fall pregant with his child. She first became preganant around Christmas in 1536. However, she miscarried the child. It didn't take her long to get pregnant again though, as by January 1537, Jane Seymour was pregnant again. And this time, she carried the child to term. She gave birth to the future King Edward VI on the 12th of October 1537. Jane gave birth to the son the Henry had always wanted, and the son that his first two wives failed to produce. But, even though Henry finally got the son he always wanted, it wasn't an entirley successful pregnancy - Jane had difficulty giving birth and it ended in tragedy as it seems as if her death was caused several weeks after the birth of her son from complications she went through at childbirth. Jane died on the 24th of October 1537. It resulted her being queen for just over a year and one of the shortest monarchs in English history. But, even though her time as queen was short, she did make an impact, as she gave Henry VIII the son he had always wanted, she had brough Henry's first child - Mary Tudor (later to be queen Mary I), from his first marriage, back to court from being banished by the King and helped restore Mary Tudor to the line of succession. She also seems to be the woman that captured Henry's heart the most, as he refered to her as his true love and requested to be buried next to her upon his death. To this day, both Henry VIII and Jane Seymour are buried next to each other in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Jane was queen from the 4th of June 1536 to the 24th of October 1537.
On this day in history, Anne Boleyn - King Henry VIII's - became queen of England.
She was not a queen that ruled in her own right. Instead, Anne Boleyn was queen consort. Even though Anne Boleyn was only queen consort, she was still incredibly powerful. Her powerful influence in the Tudor court and on Henry VIII, resulted in one of history's most important events: the English reformation. The English reformation was significant, as it weakened the Catholic church (probably the most powerful institution at the time). The Catholic church still remained incredibly powerful during the English Reformation beyond. However, the Catholic church lost much of it's authority over England, as Henry VIII became leader of the church in England as a result of the reformation.
Anne Boleyn was instrumental in breaking the Catholic churches grip over England, as she was sympathetic to the reformation cause. She was also instrumental in breaking Romes authority over England as Henry broke with Rome so he could marry her.
Henry chose to break with Rome because Rome refused to grant Henry a divorce: the Pope, Pope Clement VII, refused to grant Henry a divorce to his first wife - Catherine of Aragon. This in turn resulted in Henry VIII's rebellion towards Catholicism and the pope. The break from Rome was years in the making, as Henry VIII began his pursuit of Anne Boleyn long before his break from Rome. It is believed that Henry began to pursue Anne in early 1526. It was a long courting, as they married years later, on the 25th of January 1533 - by this point, Anne was pregnant with Henry's second child (and her first to him): the future Elizabeth I, who was born later that year in September. Henry's first child was to his first wife - Mary Tudor, who later became Mary I. Six months after Henry and Anne had married, Anne became queen consort. She became queen consort through her coronation, which took place on the 1st of June 1533.
On this day in history, Mary I of England, or - Bloody Mary, as she was also known, was born on this day in 1516. Mary I of England was born on the 18th of February 1516. She was the eldest daughter of King Henry VIII, and the daughter of King Henry VIII's first wife: Catherine of Aragon.
Mary was not only the eldest daughter of Henry VIII, she was also Henry's eldest child. The King had two other legitimate children: Elizabeth and Edward. Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife: Anne Boleyn. Elizabeth was born on the 7th of September 1533. Elizabeth, went on to become England's second female monarch. After the death of her sister Mary, Elizabeth became Elizabeth I and Queen of England. Henry VIII's third legitimate child, was his youngest child: Edward. Edward was born on the 12th of October in 1537, his mother was Henry VIII's third wife: Jane Seymour. Edward went on to become King Edward VI until his death. Edward was the first of the three siblings to become monarch after King Henry VIII died. Edward was not a long King, he only reigned as monarch from 1547 to 1553, until his premature death at just 15 years old. Edward VI was just a child when he became monarch of England. His siblings, on the other hand, were both adults when they became monarchs of England. Mary was the second of the three siblings to become monarch - Mary Tudor was 37 years old when she became Queen. And, Elizabeth was the last of the three siblings to become monarch: she became England's second Queen in history after Mary had died. Mary Tudor became England's first ever Queen in 1553. Mary Tudor became Mary I of England on the 1st of October 1553, when she was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey. She became monarch after Lady Jane Grey made a claim to the English throne after the death of Edward VI. Lady Jane Grey was a distant relative of Mary's, which was partly Jane's claim to the English throne. However, after just nine days of Lady Jane Grey being de facto Queen of England, Mary removed her from power and later had her executed. Mary's claim to the English throne was that she was the sister of Edward VI's. Mary also had a legal claim to the English throne, due to the Third Act of Succession in 1543. Henry VIII passed the Third Act of Succession in 1543 to make it law that all three of his children - Edward, Mary and Elizabeth - had a right to become King or Queen. Edward was first in line to the throne, as he was Henry's male heir. Mary was second in line to the throne, as she was the eldest of the two sisters: Mary and Elizabeth. And, Elizabeth was last in line to the throne as she was the youngest of the two sisters. All three siblings ruled England. Mary Tudor's reign of England wasn't a long one, she was only Queen of England between the 1st of October 1553 until her death on the 17th of November 1558. Mary was only 42 years old at the time of her death, and only was Queen for around five years. Despite only being Queen for five years, Mary I of England did make her mark on history. Her reign started off with Mary executing her distant cousin - Lady Jane Grey - on grounds of treason. She then made a notable mark in history for becoming England's first ever female monarch. Perhaps most infamously, Mary I of England is and was known for her persecution of Protestants. As a Catholic, Mary was determined to restore Catholicism in England after her father - King Henry VIII, had turned England into a Protestant country. Mary's attempt to restore Catholicism in England and turn England back into a Catholic country is why she became infamous. Mary became infamous for the way that she went about trying to restore Catholicism to England: she persecuted Protestants and had them executed for nothing more than their faith. Mary's persecution of Protestants was cruel, and can be seen as a persecution of Protestants just because of their faith. She had hundreds of Protestants killed in a brutal way: Mary I of England had Protestants executed by being burnt at the stake, which is why she got the name 'Bloody Mary'. Although burning at the steak was a common method of punishment at the time for those who committed acts of 'heresy' in Europe, it's undoubtful that her primary motivation for burning people at the stake was due to the fact that they were Protestant, and not Catholic. Mary's reign may have been short, but she made her mark in history, more so for being, seemingly, blood-thirsty of those who didn't agree with her, rather than being more remembered for being England's first female monarch. Mary I of England was born on the 18th of February 1516,
On this day in history, Catherine Howard was executed.
Catherine Howard was executed on the 13th of February 1542. She was executed on the orders of King Henry VIII. Who Was Catherine Howard? Catherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. Catherine Howard and King Henry VIII married on the 28th of July 1540, at Oatlands Palace in London. Therefore, Catherine and Henry were only married for less than two years. Perhaps it could be said that their marriage got off to a bad omen, as one of Henry VIII's closest men - his Chancellor, Thomas Cromwell, was executed on the same day that Catherine Howard and King Henry VIII got married. Thomas Cromwell was also executed on the 28th of July 1540. Cromwell was responsible for choosing Henry VIII's fourth wife - Anne Of Cleeves. The marriage between Anne of Cleeves and the King only lasted around six months before the King decided to annual the wedding. Henry blamed his failed marriage on Cromwell. The marriage between Anne Of Cleeves and Henry VIII was annulled on the 9th of July 1540, just several weeks before the execution of Thomas Cromwell. It didn't take Henry that long to marry again after his annulment - he married Catherine Howard just a few weeks after he annulled his marriage to Anne.
Catherine Howard wasn't just anyone, she was the cousin of Henry VIII's second wife: Anne Boleyn. Ironically, they both suffered the same fate at the hands of Henry, as both of them were executed on Henry's command.
Why Was Catherine Howard Executed? Catherine Howard was executed by Henry VIII on charges of treason: she had committed adultery with Thomas Culpeper - Thomas Culpeper was a gentleman of King Henry VIII's Privy chamber, he was also close to the King. Both Catherine and Culpeper admitted to the adultery between them. Thomas Culpepper was executed before Catherine Howard was - he was executed on the 10th of December 1941. Catherine was executed just a few months later, on the 13th of February 1542. Henry VIII had six wives, he executed two of them, both of them cousins - Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn - on charges of adultery.
On this day in history in 1554, Lady Jane Grey - the 'Nine Days Queen' - was executed. Lady Jane Grey was executed on the 12th of February 1554.
Lady Jane Grey was executed on that day within the Tower of London, on Tower Green. Tower Green had previously seen some notable executions. Two of Henry VII''s wives - Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn - were both executed at Tower Green on the orders of Henry the VIII himself. Henry VIII did not order the execution for Lady Jane Grey, as he was long dead at this point. It was his daughter - Mary (I) Tudor, or sometimes known as Bloody Mary, who ordered the execution of Lady Jane Grey.
Why Did Mary I Order The Execution of Lady Jane Grey?
Upon the death of Henry VIII's only son - Edward VI, on the 6th of July 1553, England needed a new monarch. A few days later, on the 10th of July 1553, Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed to be Queen of England. The Duke of Northumberland had proclaimed Lady Jane Grey as Queen, and she accepted. It is thought that the young King Edward VI gave blessing for Lady Jane Grey to become Queen of England upon his death. Part of Edward's decision may have been the Duke of Northumberland persuading King Edward VI to name Lady Jane Grey as the King's successor - there's a good reason why Northumberland would want Lady Jane Grey to become Queen of England, he was her father-in law, it is possible that he exploited the situation for his own benefit, as it would mean that if Lady Jane Grey became Queen of England, then the Duke would retain being in a powerful position in England, and probably in a more powerful upon the crowning of Lady Jane Grey as Queen of England. Lady Jane Grey never had a coronation. Lady Jane Grey's claim to the English throne was that she was the previous King - Henry VII's great-grandaughter - therefore, Lady Jane Grey was Mary Tudor's cousin. Although Lady Jane Grey could be viewed as having a strong claim to the English throne, it could be argued that Mary I had an even stronger claim to the throne. Mary Tudor had several strong claims to the throne of England: 1) She was the last King's sister and oldest of the siblings 2) She was legally entitled to have the throne. Mary Tudor was legally entitled to have the throne of England because of a law that was passed during the end of King Henry VIII's reign. This law is known as the 'Third Act of Succession 1543' which named all of Henry's children - Edward, Mary and Elizabeth - as successors to the throne of England. When Edward died, Mary was the older of the two sisters, therefore, the throne was her right. Mary won her right to the English throne, even though it wasn't smooth sailing: after nine days of Lady Jane Grey being de facto Queen of England, Mary had successfully overthrown her and became Queen of England. Mary Tudor became Mary I when she was crowned Queen and Lady Jane Grey was deposed just nine days after she was proclaimed Queen, on the 19th of July 1553 - Mary Tudor had Lady Jane Grey executed about a half a year after she deposed Grey; Lady Jane Grey was executed on the 12th of February 1554, resulting in Lady Jane Grey becoming the shortest-reigning monarch that England has ever had to this day.
On this day in history, Henry VIII became the leader of the Church of England.
On the 11th of February 1534, Henry VIII became the Supreme Head of the Church of England. King Henry VIII became the legal Supreme Head of the Church of England in 1534 with the passing of the 1534 Act of Supremacy. The 1534 Act Of Supremacy was passed by Henry VIII's parliament, the act granted Henry the legal right to rule the Church of England. But, it was not an act that solely was about giving Henry VIII the legal right to rule the Church of England, it was also an act that forced England's people to see Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn (the King's second wife) as his legitimate wife.
The Act of Supremacy in 1534 resulted in the English church breaking away from the Vatican. This resulted in the English Reformation - the English Church was no longer part of the Catholic Church when the Reformation happen, the Church of England became a Protestant Church and broke away from the Pope's authority.
The English Reformation resulted in the dissolution of England's monasteries and resulted in Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn becoming official.
The Tudors were one of the most interesting royal households to ever rule England and Wales. The Tudor period lasted from 1485 - when Henry VII became King of England and Wales after defeating King Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth - until 1603, when Elizabeth I died. King Richard III was the last English and Welsh king to die in battle. Henry VIII became the second Tudor King in 1509 - following the death of his father King Henry VII. The reign of Henry VIII was a colourful one; he changed the course of history forever, both on the British Isles, and in Europe.
All three of Henry VIII’s children became ruling monarchs in their own right. His son, Edward, became King Edward VI in 1547 and reigned until 1553. When Edward VI died in 1553, the crown went to Mary Tudor. Mary Tudor (Queen Mary I), became the first female monarch to rule England, she reigned from 1553 to 1558. After the death of Mary I, the crown went to her half sister, Elizabeth Tudor (Queen Elizabeth I). Elizabeth I has become one of England’s longest serving monarchs to this day, she reigned from 1558 to 1603. The Tudor house and period was over with the death of Elizabeth I, she was the last of Henry VIII’s children to take the throne but never had any children herself. The Tudor era lasted over 100 years. It was an era that resulted in tyranny, bloodshed, political scandals, the breakup of the Catholic church in England which resulted in the country adopting Protestantism as its main religion, and an era which saw England having its first two Queens ruling in their own right. The Tudors themselves were as interesting as the historical events which took place during the Tudor era. In this list, we are not just going to include Kings and Queens who ruled in their own right during this era, we are also going to include Queen consorts and those who married into the Tudor household. Let's get started with number 10, with Catherine Parr!
10. Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr was Henry VIII’s last Queen and wife. He was married five times previously. Catherine Parr was fortunate enough to keep her head, unlike two of Henry’s other wives. She was one of two of Henry’s wives who outlived him, which was an achievement in itself - the other wife of Henry VIII who outlived him was Anne of Cleeves.
Catherine may seem like a minor Tudor, however, her role in history was important. She helped restore Henry’s children - Elizabeth and Mary - to the line of succession, through influencing Henry VIII to restore his two daughters to the line of succession through the Third Succession Act 1543. If it wasn’t for the Third Succession Act 1543 then history may have looked very different, it could have resulted in Mary I and Elizabeth I never becoming Queens. 9. Lady Jane Grey
If the Third Succession Act 1543 hadn’t been passed, then perhaps Lady Jane Grey would have succeeded in becoming Queen of England. Or, those who pushed her to become Queen of England would have been successful in making her Queen of England. It was through the Third Succession Act 1543 that gave the next heir to the English throne - Mary Tudor - solid ground to become the next ruling monarch of England after her brother Edward died.
Mary’s transition to becoming the ruling monarch wasn’t an easy one though, as Lady Jane Grey laid claim to the throne. Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen by others upon Edward’s death because she was the great-great granddaughter of Henry VII. However, the Third Act of Succession meant that the throne belonged to Mary Tudor. In short, Lady Jane Grey was never coronated, she was de facto Queen for nine days after the death of Edward VII and was later executed as a traitor by Mary Tudor. 8. Henry VII
Henry VII was the first Tudor monarch. He reigned from 1485 to 1509. Henry VII gained the throne of England after he had defeated Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth - King Richard III was the last English King to die in battle, and his death drew an end to the War of the Roses; the War of the Roses stopped in 1487, just two years after Henry VII came to the throne.
Henry VII is best known for defeating King Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth and being the last King to ascend the English throne through battle. Richard III was defeated by Henry VII’s men during the battle, his defeat paved the way for the House of Tudor to rule England. Henry VII’s ascension to the throne of England started the 118 year reign of the Tudors. He is best known for defeating Richard III and being the first Tudor monarch. 7. Edward VI
Edward VI succeeded his father, King Henry VIII, to become King of England and Ireland in 1547. He was only a child when he became and ruled as King, therefore, a regency council ruled on Edward’s behalf. This regency council included men like Edward’s uncle - Edward Seymour. The regency council was only meant to rule for Edward VI until he became an adult - something which never happened, as the King died a premature death at the age of 15.
In many ways, King Edward VI was King in name alone, due to his lack of maturity to rule as King. However, he wasn’t completely powerless - Edward first opposed his sister, Mary Tudor, becoming Queen of England because of her catholic religion, he therefore named his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his successor, this created a succession crisis after his death. Edward VI is best known for the succession crisis that he left behind upon his death. 6. Jane Seymour
Edward’s short reign couldn’t have happened without his mother: Jane Seymour. Jane Seymour was Henry VIII’s third wife, and is best known for giving Henry VIII the son he so desperately wanted. However, Jane Seymour also suffered a premature death, she died soon after giving birth to Edward and was only 28 years old when she died.
Out of all of his Queens, Jane Seymour seems to have made the biggest impact on Henry VIII’s heart - he wore black for the first few months after the death of Jane Seymour, he also said that Jane was his true wife and love, wanted (and was) buried next to Jane Seymour, and of course - gave Henry VIII the son that he wanted. Henry likely loved Jane the most out of all of his Queens. Jane Seymour was Queen consort from 1536 to 1537. 5. Anne Boleyn
From the most loved, to perhaps the most despised by Henry VIII, we have Anne Boleyn. Certainly in the beginning, Henry did have affection for Anne Boleyn, but perhaps his time with Anne can be said to be more lust and passion, than love. Henry seemed to tire quickly of Anne when he was finally with her. He courted Anne Boleyn for eleven years, and was only married to her for three years - perhaps it could be said that Henry was more interested in the chase with Anne, than anything else.
In saying that though, he must have felt something for her in the beginning, as he broke apart the Catholic church in England to marry Anne. Anne gave Henry a daughter - Elizabeth I. But she failed to give Henry the son and heir that he so desperately wanted, it was perhaps this that resulted in Henry tiring of Anne. Anne Boleyn was Queen consort of England from 1533 to 1536. She had one of the most spectacular downfalls of any monarch in history - Anne was beheaded on the 19th of May 1536 for adultery, witchcraft and incest. It’s unclear who exactly was responsible for Anne’s downfall, although, one of the prime suspects is Thomas Cromwell (Henry VIII’s chief minister). 4. Jane Boleyn
Another prime suspect for Anne Boleyn's downfall was her sister-in-law: Jane Boleyn. Jane Boleyn has had an infamous role in history - she was thought to have accused her husband George Boleyn (Anne’s brother) and Anne herself of having an affair, it’s thought that this was one of the damning things that brought about the downfall of both George Boleyn and Anne Boleyn (as both of them were executed).
Jane’s accusation towards her brother and sister-in-law isn’t believed to be based on anything which happened between George and Anne, rather, it seems more to have been motivated by vengeance. It is because of this that Jane Seymour has been regarded as infamous in history. Jane faced her own downfall several years later, when she was executed by Henry VIII in 1542 for helping Henry’s fifth wife - Catherine Howard - have an affair. 3. Mary I
Mary I was the first Queen of England. The reign of Mary I (Mary Tudor), Henry VIII’s daughter, lasted from 1553 to 1558. The succession to the throne wasn’t easy for Mary I, she had to overthrow the ‘nine day Queen’ Lady Jane Grey to become Queen.
Her succession to the throne is one of the things that Mary Tudor is known for, but it is not the only thing: she is also known for her re-establishment of the Catholic religion in England during her reign and her cruel persecution of Protestants. Her cruel persecution of Protestants resulted in Mary burning hundreds of Protestants at the stake, which gave her the nickname of ‘Bloody Mary’. Henry VIII’s first daughter is most infamously known as Bloody Mary. Mary had a phantom pregnancy, but she didn’t have any children. Therefore, she had no heirs to succeed her. After three short, but ruthless years as Queen, Mary died, naming her sister Elizabeth as her successor. 2. Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I became the second Tudor Queen to rule in her own right, she ascended the throne in 1558. Like her sister Mary, Elizabeth never had any children, and therefore, never had her own heir to succeed her. Unlike her sister, Elizabeth I never married, where Mary did, and Elizabeth’s reign was a long one lasting almost 50 years.
Due to the length of her reign, Elizabeth I has been one of the longest and most successful monarchs to every sit on any British throne. She succeeded in restoring the Protestant religion to England after her sister Mary had died. Although the two sisters did have different beliefs and upbringings, it appears that Mary had at least some affection for her sister, as she named Elizabeth as her successor - she could have killed Elizabeth like she had done with Lady Jane Grey, but she didn’t. Although, probably not overwhelming affection, as Mary had Elizabeth under house arrest for some of Mary’s reign. It is, however, another Mary that Elizabeth I is most well-known for: Mary Queen of Scots. Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I were cousins. Mary and Elizabeth’s relationship with one another wasn’t as straightforward as is often assumed. What we do know is that they never met, their relationship with one another was always from a distance. Elizabeth I was the second daughter of Henry VIII. 1. Henry VIII
Our top Tudor monarch is of course King Henry VIII himself. Henry VIII had quite a reign, he reigned as King of England for over 30 years, from 1509 to 1547.
His reign was quite the eventful one. He was married a record six times. His wives, in the order he married them, were: 1) Catherine of Aragon, 2) Anne Boleyn, 3) Jane Seymour, 4) Anne of Cleeves, 5) Catherine Howard, and 6) Catherine Parr. He had two of them - Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard - beheaded. Catherine of Aragon was banished. Jane Seymour died after giving birth to Henry VIII’s son; Edward VI. And two of his wives outlived him: Anne of Cleeves and Catherine Parr. Henry also had three legitimate children. He had Mary I to Catherine of Aragon, Elizabeth I to Anne Boleyn, and Edward VI to Jane Seymour. All three of his children became King and Queens of England, however, Mary I and Edward VI's reign didn’t last long. Henry is mostly known for his six wives. However, he is also known for his ruthlessness as King - he had many people close to him killed, including two of his wives, Thomas Cromwell and Thomas More. Henry spared no one his wrath if he thought they crossed him. Finally, King Henry VIII is known for establishing the Protestant religion in England. |
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