Curso Online de INGLÊS AVANÇADO

English Renaissance History

The Tudor (and Stuart) Monarchs

Henry VII

Henry Tudor married Elizabeth of York (daughter of Edward IV).
Henry had defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses.
Henry VII went on to forge international relationships through the marriages of his children.

Henry VIII

Second son of Henry VII
After his elder brother Arthur died, Henry became heir to the throne.
Spain and England wanted to keep their alliance, even w/ Arthur’s death
So Henry married Catherine of Aragon, Arthur’s widow - no papal dispensation was given, and the marriage was even done by proxy; Henry was only permitted to consent at canonical age (which he never did)

Later he tried to annul this marriage so he could marry Anne Boleyn.
Henry claimed that God punished him by denying him a legitimate male heir – in Leviticus, God does threaten childlessness if a man marries his brother’s widow…so Henry came to see this marriage as cursed…

I need a son. I have been married for 20 years and my wife, Catherine of Aragon is too old to have any more children. Who will inherit my throne when I die?

I spy an attractive lady – in-waiting called Anne Boleyn. If only I could marry her instead. Will the Pope give me a divorce?

The Church is very rich. I need money for my luxurious court. If only I could get my hands on it.

The new Protestant ideas are spreading in Germany. Princes there are reforming their churches and throwing out the Catholic Church.

Some people in England like the new Protestant ideas. They believe that the Bible should be in English not Latin.

The Church takes money out my country in taxes to help build St Peter’s in Rome. What do I get in return?

Catharine of Aragon

Catharine was the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain.
She was married to Arthur, Henry VII’s heir, but he died, apparently before the marriage was consummated.
Later she married Henry VIII, but they only had one living child, Mary. (They had a son who died in infancy).

Henry wanted to find a husband for Mary, so that she would be unchallenged as his heiress (women were not banned from the throne, but it was untraditional).
Some suitors worried that Mary could not be a legitimate queen as Henry had married his brother’s widow…

All of these issues reached the boiling point after 20 yrs. b/c of constant succession worries, Catharine’s diminishing looks, and the appearance of Anne Boleyn…
Catharine’s later years were ones of persecution where Henry tried to make her sign annulment papers.

Henry VIII (cont.)

When he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, Henry created the Church of England and banned the Catholic Church from his nation. He also seized all of the property of the Catholic Church, thereby increasing the wealth of England.

Anne Boleyn

Anne became Henry VIII’s second wife. But since his first, Catharine of Aragon, was still living, many Catholics, felt that her child Elizabeth was illegitimate.
When she failed to produce a male heir, there were rumours that she was infertile…and by that time Henry had met Jane Seymour.
Anne tried to woo Henry back, but he had her charged with adultery and incest and beheaded…

Elizabeth and Mary were raised together
Queen Jane Seymour showed favour to Mary but treated Elizabeth well
And the Queen did finally have that male heir, Edward VI; this ended the sisters’ succession argument
When Jane Seymour died (a fever), the 3 siblings were raised together