Copyright © 2015 by Barb Alexander and Lisa Graves All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gi�s, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to speci�cations. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [email protected]. Skyhorse® and Skyhorse Publishing® are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on �le. Cover design by Anthony Morais Print ISBN: 978-1-63450-402-7 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63450881-0 Printed in China When I was a child and would spend the night at my grandmother’s house, I’d ask her to tell me a “true story,” a tale of her days growing up in South Philadelphia, before I went to sleep. �is book is dedicated to her, Gertie Presti, my most beloved part of my own history. ILLUSTRATION KEY BY PAGE NUMBER Pear door entrance, Hampton Court �e Tudor Rose Henry VII Richard III Princes in the Tower Elizabeth of York Elizabeth Woodville Margaret Tudor Mary Tudor Louis XII Charles Brandon Henry VIII, middle-aged Coronation crown of Henry VIII Henry VIII, teenaged Henry VIII, middle-aged Bessie Blount Henry Fitzroy Cardinal �omas Wolsey �omas Cromwell �omas More �omas Cranmer �omas Seymour �omas Howard Six wives of Henry VIII Catherine of Aragon Prince Arthur Greenwich Palace Anne Boleyn �e forgotten tile, Hampton Court Palace George Boleyn �e Tower of London Jane Seymour Anne of Cleves Marie de Guise Katherine Howard �omas Culpeper Hampton Court Catherine Parr Anne Askew Edward VI Lady Jane Grey Dynastic Dysfunction family tree Mary I Philip II Elizabeth I at coronation Westminster Abbey Robert Dudley Mary Queen of Scots Francis Walsingham Robert Devereaux William Cecil Nicholas Bacon Elizabeth and Mary with tomb inscription James I Ceiling pattern, Hampton Court Palace CONTENTS Welcome! In a Hurry? Just the Basics 1. Henry VII: Who Died and Made Him King? 2. Henry VIII: �e Notorious HRH 3. �e Wives: Henry’s Half Dozen 4. Edward VI: Here Comes the Son! 5. Lady Jane Grey: Blink and You’ll Miss Her 6. Mary I: Bringing Catholic Back 7. Elizabeth I: �e Grand Finale 8. Full Circle: Life A�er Tudors Who, What, and When: A Tudor Timeline �ank You Notes Sources Welcome! You are about to enter the ��eenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries. Take care not to judge this time period by our twenty-�rst-century standards. �is includes conventions on religious tolerance, crime and punishment, adultery, and parent-child relationships. Please leave your desire for indoor plumbing, antibiotics, and good dental care behind. Enjoy your journey!