Tudor facts

Introduction On a summer’s day in 1487, the clatter of arms and the war cries of German mercenaries echoed across the fields of Nottinghamshire as Henry VII faced what would prove to be his greatest military test. The Battle of Stoke Field on June 16, 1487, was far more than a domestic rebellion – it … Read more

Introduction On a misty September morning in 1547, the thunder of cannons and the crash of naval bombardment forever changed the nature of warfare on British soil. The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, fought on 10th September 1547, represents a pivotal moment when medieval warfare gave way to early modern military tactics, marking the first major … Read more

Introduction Picture this: it’s 1544, and England’s most infamous monarch, Henry VIII, is personally leading over 40,000 troops across the Channel into France. At 53 years old, overweight, and struggling with painful leg ulcers, the aging king still insisted on commanding what would become one of the largest English armies ever assembled during the Tudor … Read more

Introduction In the annals of British history, few events carry the dramatic weight and lasting consequences of the Battle of Flodden, fought on 9th September 1513. This wasn’t merely another medieval skirmish, but a catastrophic turning point that would see Scotland’s King James IV become the last reigning monarch to die in battle on British … Read more

Introduction On a fateful August morning in 1485, the course of English history turned on a single moment of betrayal that would echo through the centuries. At the Battle of Bosworth Field, as King Richard III charged desperately towards his rival Henry Tudor, Lord Stanley made a decision that would topple a dynasty that had … Read more

Introduction In the dead of night at Hampton Court Palace, a desperate man crept through the royal apartments with kidnap on his mind. The year was 1549, and that man was Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley, uncle to the boy king Edward VI and one of the most ambitious men in Tudor England. His … Read more

Introduction In the summer of 1545, whilst England trembled under the iron rule of King Henry VIII, something unprecedented occurred in the Tudor court. Catherine Parr, the king’s sixth and final wife, achieved what no English queen had dared before: she published a book under her own name whilst still married to the monarch. Prayers … Read more

Introduction In the summer of 1554, Queen Mary I of England made one of the most controversial decisions of her five-year reign. Her marriage to Philip II of Spain on 25th July would spark unprecedented civil unrest, fundamentally alter England’s position in European politics, and create tensions that would persist long after both monarchs had … Read more

Introduction In the dramatic saga of Henry VIII’s six wives, one woman achieved something none of the others managed: she survived her marriage to England’s most notorious monarch and thrived long after. Anne of Cleves, often dismissed as Henry’s ‘ugly fourth wife’, not only outlived all her fellow queens but secured the most generous divorce … Read more

Introduction When we think of Henry VIII’s marriages, the dramatic stories of Anne Boleyn’s execution or Catherine Howard’s downfall often capture our imagination. Yet the most remarkable statistic about the Tudor king’s matrimonial history is surprisingly overlooked: his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon lasted an extraordinary 24 years, from 1509 to 1533. This union … Read more