A Journey Through Tudor Times
Welcome, Time Traveller!
Let’s journey back over 500 years ago to the Tudor era (1485-1603). Before the Tudors, England was torn apart by the Wars of the Roses. A brave leader, Henry Tudor, won a great battle and married a rival princess to bring peace. He created a new symbol, the Tudor Rose, mixing the red and white roses of the two families to show they were now united. Use the navigation buttons above to explore this exciting time. Your adventure starts now!
The Tudor Rose, a symbol of peace.
The Tudor Royals
The Tudor dynasty ruled England for 118 years, a time of great change and drama. Click a monarch in the timeline to learn more and see their reign highlighted on the chart. Below, you can find out about the “great succession,” when the throne passed rapidly between Henry VIII’s children.
Henry VII
Henry VIII
Edward VI
Mary I
Elizabeth I
How Long Did They Rule?
Henry VIII and His Six Wives
Henry VIII famously married six times! Click each queen to learn her fate. Remember the rhyme: “Divorced, Beheaded, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived”.
The Great Succession & The “Nine-Day Queen”
After Henry VIII died, England went on a religious rollercoaster as his three children took the throne. In the middle was a tragic story of a girl forced to be queen.
Lady Jane Grey
When the Protestant King Edward VI was dying, he was convinced to name his Protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey, as his heir to stop his Catholic sister Mary from ruling. For just nine days, Jane was Queen of England. But the people supported Mary. Jane was imprisoned and tragically executed. She is known as the “Nine-Day Queen”.
A Tale of Two Tudors: Rich vs. Poor
Life was completely different depending on whether you were wealthy or poor. Click the buttons below to compare their homes, food, and daily lives.
A Rich Tudor’s Life ✨
A Poor Tudor’s Life 🛖
The Tudor World: Adventure & Art
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I is often called a “Golden Age”. It was a time of confidence, culture, and daring adventure. Explore England’s greatest victory at sea and meet its most famous playwright.
Victory! The Spanish Armada
Step 1: The Plan
In 1588, King Philip II of Spain sent a huge fleet of 130 warships, the “Invincible Armada,” to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth. The English were terrified.
Step 2: The Fireships
The English used a clever trick. They set eight of their own ships on fire and sent them drifting towards the anchored Spanish fleet. The Spanish panicked, cut their anchors, and scattered in chaos!
Step 3: The “Protestant Wind”
After the English attacked the scattered ships, a huge storm, which the English called the “Protestant Wind,” blew the damaged Armada north, wrecking many ships on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. England was saved!
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Did you know Shakespeare invented over 1,700 words we still use? Click below!
Crazy Tudor Rules & Punishments
The Tudor world was a place of strict laws, strange beliefs, and scary punishments designed to frighten people into behaving. Explore the grim and goofy side of Tudor life!
Public Punishments
The Pillory & Stocks
For minor crimes, you were locked in a wooden frame. People would throw rotten food and mud at you!
Scold’s Bridle
A punishment for women who gossiped. It was an iron cage locked over the head with a metal piece to hold down the tongue.
Hanging
The most common death sentence. It was a public event that huge crowds would gather to watch.
Hanged, Drawn & Quartered
The most gruesome punishment, saved for traitors. It was designed to be the ultimate warning to others.
Crazy Cures & Weird Laws
A Tudor has jaundice (yellow skin). What’s the cure?
Drink ale mixed with nine lice every morning!
Fashion Police!
A law in 1571 said most men had to wear a woollen cap on Sundays. This was to help the English wool industry!
Top 10 Tudor Facts!
The Tudor era was full of strange, surprising, and amazing things! Here are some of the most curious facts to finish your journey back in time.
No Forks Allowed!
Tudors ate with knives, spoons, and their fingers. Forks were seen as strange and unnecessary.
Fashionable Black Teeth
Sugar was a luxury. Queen Elizabeth I loved it so much her teeth turned black! Some rich people then blackened their teeth on purpose to look wealthy.
Sports Were Banned
King Henry VIII banned ordinary people from playing sports like tennis. The only time they were allowed to play was at Christmas!
The First Fireworks
The first fireworks in Britain were recorded in 1486, at the wedding celebration of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.
The Tower of London Zoo
The Tower held a Royal Menagerie of animals, including a polar bear that was allowed to swim in the River Thames to catch fish!
The Whipping Boy
A young prince couldn’t be punished by his teacher. Instead, he had a “whipping boy,” a friend who took the beatings for him!
A Musical King
Henry VIII was a talented musician who owned a huge collection of instruments, including 78 recorders and 5 bagpipes!
Ale For Everyone
Everyone, even children, drank weak beer or ale. Water from rivers was often polluted and unsafe to drink, but the brewing process made ale safe.
Wattle & Daub Houses
Poor people lived in houses made of a wooden frame with walls of woven sticks (wattle) covered in a paste of mud, straw, and dung (daub).
A King’s Crazy Cure
King Henry VIII had his own book of remedies, which included strange ointments made from things like crushed earthworms.
Tudor Era Quiz
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