24th June 1509 - Henry VIII
Inheriting a golden era of prosperity from his father, Henry VII, the famed king had a religious personality streaked with astute intelligence. Henry was an appreciator of art and sports, a keen musician and jouster, he held great events and hugely contributed to the cultural image of Tudor England. Having an apathy towards administration, King Henry VIII expanded his government, granting ministerial duties that he did not wish to work on himself. The warmongering monarch also ran successful campaigns in France and Scotland, cementing English power in this new age. Henry married a succession of wives, six in total, of which two were executed by his command. Henry dissolved English ties to Rome in order to form his own version of the church. This was mainly so he could legitimise a divorce to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. It also however granted great new powers to the English church establishment. Henry VIII oversaw the ruin of most of the old order monasteries and abbeys throughout the land, claiming their wealth and relics for the crown and his new church. Henry ruled for thirty-eight years, and died of syphilis in 1547.
1554 – Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey was Queen of England for nine days. She was brought up in a very strict household and was manipulated from a young age into being a pawn for the establishment. A pretty and learned young Lady with familial connections to the ruling elite, she made the perfect route to power for her controlling family. When Henry VIII's first son died at a very young age, Jane Grey was able to succeed him. Because Henry's first daughter Mary was a catholic the church had a strong will to keep her from the throne. This allowed Jane an easy route to power, as she was a protestant and also had royal connections. Mary rallied support and was able to over-throw Jane from the throne very quickly. Many wished to see things go back to how they were with a Catholic Queen. Jane was then executed for treason at the age of seventeen outside the Tower of London.
19th July 1553 – Bloody Mary
Because Mary's father, Henry VIII, had divorced her mother, Mary was declared illegitimate and was stripped of her titles. However in 1544, a political agreement was reached where Mary and her half-sister Elizabeth were restored to their royal statuses. Mary was married to King Philip II of Spain, also a Catholic monarch, and together they reformed the old church in England. Many leading protestant figures were executed for heresy by beheading or burning. This caused Mary to receive the word Bloody before her name.
15th January 1559 - Elizabeth I
Reigning for forty-four years, Elizabeth I was the second daughter of Henry VIII. She rebuilt the Church of England under a moderate and culturally tolerant institution which retained elements of Roman Catholicism. England enjoyed a period of great cultural relevance during her reign, which includes the work of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Spenser. The naval fleet on one hand explored many new lands, including the Americas, which brought many new trade resources to the land. There were two major attempts on her crown, both of which she foiled. First was that of Mary Queen of Scots, who as a Catholic had a strong support. Being the cousin of the Queen, there was a claim to the throne, which Mary reluctantly attempted after several years under house arrest. Mary was then executed for treason although Elizabeth is said to have always regretted the decision. The second attempt was from Bloody Queen Mary's widower, Philip II of Spain. He brought an armada of ships to invade Britain, however they were defeated by the navy in the English Channel.
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