The Tudors

Illustrations in this book include; - Henry VII & the Barons, Henry VIII's wives, Changes in Religion, Virginals, Tudor Plough, Mining, Ore-Crusher, Roasting Spit, Tudor Costume, Hornbook, Printing Press, Ducking Stool, Theatre Diagrams, Tradesmen, Vehicles, Ships, Voyage map, Mary Queen of Scots family tree, Route of the Armada, Union Flag of 1606.

From Chapter Two Henry VIII

He then married Jane Seymour, who satisfied his longing for a son by giving birth of Edward VI, but she died soon after and in 1537 Henry was once again seeking a wife. This time he was persuaded to marry Anne of Cleves, a German princess, for political reasons, but she did not suit Henry at all. He found her very ugly and said she reminded him of a "fat Flanders mare".

As soon as he could he divorced her and married Catherine Howard, a young English noblewoman. By this time Henry himself was getting old and fat and it is perhaps not surprising that Catherine was unfaithful to him and was executed in 1542. In July 1543 Henry married for the last time. His new wife was a widow, named Catherine Parr, who appears to have kept the old king's affections until his death in 1547.

From Chapter 6 Queen Elizabeth I

Because of Queen Elizabeth's success as a ruler it is sometimes forgotten that there were two sides to her character. On the one hand she was a strong, determined queen who could crush her rivals, but on the other she was a woman who enjoyed womanly things. She was fond of jewels and bright clothes and owned over a thousand dresses by the time of her death. She enjoyed making up, she was very vain and she loved the company of handsome and gallant men like Sir Walter Raleigh who knew how to flatter her. Like her father Henry VIII she was very artistic. She inherited his love of poetry and his skill as a musician, being an expert player of the virginals, an early piano- like keyboard instrument.

From Chapter 14 Entertainment

In Elizabethan times plays were performed without scenery and with all the women's parts played by boys so that the audience needed plenty of imagination! The three separate stages were a great help of course. If a scene was set in a cave or a tomb as in "Romeo and Juliet" then the inner stage was used.If a some action was supposed to be taking place on a town wall or on the deck of a ship then the balcony was employed. Action out of doors or in a large area was played on the apron stage.