Who was Elizabeth I? What was her part in the Spanish Armada?
Queen Elizabeth I presided over an age of discovery that saw the establishment of the English Protestant church, the defeat of the Spanish Armada and the flourishing of the arts. She reigned from 1558-1603
The...
Who was Henry VIII? What did he think of his six wives?
King Henry VIII staged six royal weddings, became Ireland's first English monarch and sowed the seeds for a multicultural Britain. He reigned from 1509-1547
We all know King Henry VIII because of his six wives....
Who was Mary, Queen of Scots? Why was she imprisoned?
Mary Stuart became queen of the Scots when she was six days old, was widowed at 18 and was executed aged 44. She ruled from 1542 to 1567
Mary Queen of Scots was born in 1542,...
Tudor John Knox: Scottish minister, writer and leader of the Reformation
This month Melita Thomas of Tudor Times explores the life and times of Tudor John Knox, a Scottish firebrand who lived through during the reigns of King Henry VIII, Edward VI, Bloody Mary and...
Hidden Tudor castles and palaces
Discover the little-known castles and manors in the Heart of England that were visited and specially granted by the notorious Tudor king, Henry VIII
Grimsthorpe Castle
Granted to to William Willoughby, 11th Baron Willoughby de Eresby,...
Tudor of the month: John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland
How did a traitor’s son rise to become the most powerful man in Tudor England? Melita Thomas of Tudor Times investigates...
John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland is one of the Tudor villains we all love to...
January: Tudor of the Month – Bess of Hardwick
With Tudor Times we profile a different figure every month. Here, Melita Thomas looks at Elizabethan entrepreneur Bess of Hardwick, one the era’s most formidable women.
We explore the lives of Tudor women
Historian Elizabeth Norton’s new book, The Lives of Tudor Women, explores the seven ages of woman in the turbulent Tudor era. Here, she takes some time to answer our questions on this fascinating subject.
10 things you might not know about Bloody Mary
Discover the turbulent life of England’s first queen in her own right, Queen Mary I, and how she got her fearsome reputation…
January: Tudor of the Month – Lady Margaret Beaufort
Together with Tudor Times we profile a different figure every month. Here, Melita Thomas tackles Lady Margaret Beaufort, the mother of the Tudor dynasty.