Tudor Monarchs Fact File:

1. Henry VII (1485-1509) - First Tudor monarch - Defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field - Established the Tudor dynasty - Married Elizabeth of York to unite the Houses of Lancaster and York - Established the Court of Star Chamber to enforce law and order

2. Henry VIII (1509-1547) - Second Tudor monarch - Known for his six marriages and break with the Catholic Church - Established the Church of England and became its head - Dissolved the monasteries and seized their wealth - Oversaw the English Reformation and the translation of the Bible into English

3. Edward VI (1547-1553) - Third Tudor monarch - Succeeded his father at the age of nine - Reigned for only six years before his death at age 15 - Was a devout Protestant and oversaw further reforms of the Church of England - His reign was marked by political instability and religious conflict

4. Mary I (1553-1558) - Fourth Tudor monarch - Known as “Bloody Mary” for her persecution of Protestants - Attempted to restore Catholicism as the official religion of England - Married Philip II of Spain, which was unpopular with the English people - Died childless, ending the Tudor line

5. Elizabeth I (1558-1603) - Fifth and final Tudor monarch - Known as the “Virgin Queen” for never marrying or having children - Oversaw a period of cultural and economic growth known as the Elizabethan era - Defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, securing England’s naval dominance - Established the Church of England as a compromise between Catholicism and Protestantism.