As promised following my post on basic facts about the Tudors monarchs, a post on the basics of the Tudor consorts, including the six wives of Henry VIII, Elizabeth of York and Phillip II of Spain. Enjoy!
Elizabeth of York
Nicknames: None
Reigned: 18 January 1486 – 11 February 1503
Coronation: 25 November 1487
Born: 11 February 1466
Died: 11 February 1503
Parents: Edward IV of England d. 1483 & Elizabeth Woodville d. 1492
Married: Henry VII of England d. 1509
Children: Arthur d. 1502, Henry VIII of England d. 1547, Mary d. 1533 & Margaret
Importance of Marriage: Her marriage to Henry VII united the houses of York and Lancaster and ended the Wars of the Roses
Key Events: Marriage of Prince Arthur to Katherine of Aragon, defeat of pretenders like Perkin Warbeck and Lambert Simnel & the end of the Wars of the Roses
Katherine of Aragon
Nicknames: None
Reigned: 11 June 1509 – 23 May 1533
Coronation: 24 June 1509
Born: 16 December 1485
Died: 7 January 1536
Parents: Ferdinand II of Aragon d. 1516 & Isabella I of Castile d. 1504
Married: Arthur of England d. 1502 & Henry VIII of England d. 1547
Children: Mary I of England d. 1558
Importance of Marriage: Her first marriage to Prince Arthur was intended to be an alliance to cement the rule of Henry VII. Her second marriage to Henry VIII was essentially a whim on the part of Henry VIII
Key Events: Henry VIII’s great matter, break with Rome, Battle of the Spurs, Battle of Flodden Field &the birth of the future Mary I
Anne Boleyn
Nicknames: the Conbubine, the ‘goggle-eyed whore’, Nan & the Great Whore
Reigned: 28 May 1533 – 17 May 1536
Coronation: 1 June 1533
Born: c. 1501
Died: 19 May 1536
Parents: Thomas Boleyn d. 1539 & Elizabeth Howard d. 1538
Married: Henry VIII of England d. 1547
Children: Elizabeth I of England d. 1603
Importance of Marriage: Anne’s marriage to Henry VIII was the result of the king’s great matter and the break with Rome, and it was very unpopular. It ended in the very first execution of a queen of England
Key Events: the king’s great matter, the break with Rome, the Act of Supremacy, the birth of future Elizabeth I & the executions of Cardinal Fisher and Thomas More
Jane Seymour
Nicknames: None
Reigned: 30 May 1536 – 24 October 1537
Coronation: None
Born: c. 1508
Died: 24 October 1537
Parents: John Seymour d. 1536 & Margery Wentworth d. 1550
Married: Henry VIII of England d. 1547
Children: Edward VI of England d. 1553
Importance of Marriage: Jane replaced Anne Boleyn, and was the opposite of her in every way. She was legally Henry VIII’s first wife
Key Events: Pilgrimage of Grace, birth of future Edward VI & the future Mary I accepted back at court in her father’s good graces
Anne of Cleves
Nicknames: the Flander’s Mare, King’s beloved sister
Reigned: 6 January 1540 – 9 July 1540
Coronation: None
Born: 22 September 1515
Died: 16 July 1557
Parents: John III of Cleves d. 1538 & Maria of Julich-Berg d. 1543
Married: Henry VIII of England d. 1547
Children: None
Importance of Marriage: The marriage was intended to nullify the threat to England from France and the Empire by making an alliance with the Protestant League
Key Events: Fall and execution of Thomas Cromwell, Henry’s wooing of Katherine Howard & the falling apart of the alliance between France and the Empire
Katherine Howard
Nicknames: Rose without a Thorn
Reigned: 28 July 1540 – 23 November 1541
Coronation: None
Born: c. 1523
Died: 13 February 1542
Parents: Edmund Howard d. 1539 & Joyce Culpeper d. 1531
Married: Henry VIII of England d. 1547
Children: None
Importance of Marriage: This marriage was unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Henry merely lusted after Katherine and chose to replace Anne with her
Key Events: The execution of Thomas Cromwell, her affair with Thomas Culpeper & the great progress to the North
Katherine Parr
Nicknames: None
Reigned: 12 July 1543 – 28 January 1547
Coronation: None
Born: c. 1512
Died: 5 September 1548
Parents: Thomas Parr d. 1517 & Maud Green d. 1531
Married: Edward Burgh d. unknown, John Neville d. 1543, Henry VIII of England d. 1547 & Thomas Seymour d. 1549
Children: Mary Seymour d. unknown
Importance of Marriage: Her marriage to Henry VIII was largely contracted so that Katherine could support Henry as he got older. Her marriage to Thomas Seymour had been a long time coming, since before she married Henry VIII
Key Events: The reinstatement of Mary and Elizabeth in the succession, the execution of the Earl of Surrey & war with France
Phillip II of Spain
Nicknames: the Prudent, the Sap & the Silent
Reigned: Spain 16 January 1556 – 13 September 1598, England 25 July 1554 – 17 November 1558
Coronation: None
Born: 21 May 1527
Died: 13 September 1598
Parents: Charles V Holy Roman Emperor d. 1558 & Isabella of Portugal d. 1539
Married: Maria of Portugal d. 1545, Mary I of England d. 1558, Elisabeth of Valois d. 1568 & Anna of Austria d. 1580
Children: By Maria: Carlos d. 1568, by Elisabeth: Isabella d. 1633, Catherine d. 1597 & by Anna: Ferdinand d. 1578, Charles d. 1575, Diego d. 1582, Phillip III of Spain d. 1621 & Maria d. 1583
Importance of Marriage: For Mary I, marriage to Phillip II of Spain was a love affair, but not for Phillip. He barely spent any time in England and engaged in wars which led to the loss of Calais
Key Events: Loss of Calais for England, independence for the Netherlands & England again comes under Papal authority
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