Tudor dynasty - Definition


Tudor dynasty - Definition

The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor (Welsh Twdwr) is a series of five monarchs of Welsh origin who ruled England from 1485 until 1603. The three main monarchs (Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I) each played an important part in turning Britain from a European backwater still immersed in the Middle Ages into a powerful Renaissance state that would soon dominate most of the planet.

The Tudor dynasty ended when Elizabeth died childless. Her successor was James VI of Scotland, a descendant of Henry VII through his daughter Margaret Tudor. He became the first of the Stuart Kings of England.

Contents

1 The Tudor Period

2 Monarchs of England

3 Tudor Family Tree

4 See also

The Tudor Period

The Tudor historical period usually refers to the period 1485 - 1558, especially in relation to the History of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England, with the exception of Elizabeth I. Occasionally the term is used more broadly to capture Elizabeth's reign as well, though in general 1558 - 1603 is treated separately as the Elizabethan era.

Monarchs of England

Allegory of the Tudor dynasty, (detail), attributed to Lucas de Heere, ca 1572: left to right, Philip II of Spain, Mary, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Elizabeth

The five Tudor monarchs were:

King Henry VII (1485-1509)
his son, King Henry VIII (1509-1547)
his son, King Edward VI (1547-1553)
his elder half-sister, Queen Mary I (1553-1558)
her younger half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

Henry VIII's grand-niece, Lady Jane Grey also served as Queen for nine days before Mary I deposed her.

Tudor Family Tree

Owen Tudor (c. 1400-1461) descendant of Rhys ap Gruffydd
& Catherine of Valois (1401�1437) widdow of Henry V mother of Henry VI 
|
+-Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond (c. 1430-1456) ... and siblings   
  m Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509) great-great-granddaughter of Edward III
  |
  +-Henry VII (1451-1509) 
    m Elizabeth of York (1466-1503)
    |
    +-Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486-1502) 
    | m Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536)
    |
    +-Margaret (1489-1541) 
    | m James IV of Scotland (1473-1513)
    | |
    | +-James V of Scotland (1512-1542)
    |   m Mary of Guise (1515-1560)
    |   |
    |   +-Mary I of Scotland (1542-1587)
    |     m Francis II of France (1544-1560) 
    |     m Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley (1545-1567)
    |     |
    |     +-James VI of Scotland and I of England (1566-1625)
    |       |
    |       +- ... Stuart and Hanover etc. monarchs to present day.
    |
    |     m James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
    | 
    | m Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (1490?-1557)
    | |
    | +-Margaret (1515-1578) 
    |   m Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (1516-1571)
    |   |
    |   +-Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley (1545-1567) 
    |   | m Mary I of Scotland, see above
    |   |
    |   +-Charles Stewart, 6th Earl of Lennox 
    |     m Elizabeth Cavendish (-1581)
    |     |
    |     +-Arbella Stewart (1575-1615) 
    |       m William Seymour, Duke of Somerset (1587-1660)
    |
    +-Henry VIII (1491-1547) 
    | m Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536)
    | |
    | +-Mary I (1516-1558) 
    |   m Philip II of Spain (1527-1598)
    | 
    | m Anne Boleyn (1501?-1536)
    | |
    | +-Elizabeth I (1533-1603)
    | 
    | m Jane Seymour (1508?-1537)
    | |
    | +-Edward VI (1537-1553)
    | 
    | m Anne of Cleves (1515-1557)
    | m Catherine Howard (1525?-1542)
    | m Catherine Parr (1512?-1548)
    |
    +-Mary Tudor (1495-1533)
      m Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk (1484-1545)
      |
      +-Frances (1517-1559) 
      | m Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk (1517-1554)
      | |
      | +-Jane, Queen of England (1537-1554) 
      | | m Guilford Dudley (1536-1554)
      | |
      | +-Catherine (1580-1568) 
      | | m Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford (1539-1621)
      | | |
      | | +-Edward, Lord Beauchamp (1561-1612)
      | |   m Honora Rogers
      | |   |
      | |   +-William Seymour, Duke of Somerset (1587-1660) 
      | |   | m Arbella Stewart, see above.
      | |   |
      | |   +-Thomas 
      | |     m Isabella Onley
      | |
      | +-Mary, (1545-1578) 
      |   m Thomas Keyes (-1571)
      |
      +-Eleanor (1519-1547)
        m Henry Clifford, Earl of Cumberland (1517-1570)
        |
        +-Margaret 
          m Henry Stanley, Earl of Derby (1531-1593)
          |
          +-... Earls of Derby