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was known as the Old Style and

    is important only because continental Europe adopted a New Style or

    Gregorian calendar from 1582. This new calendar was ten days ahead, and

    so the Spanish dating of the Armada, for example, was ten days later than

    the English version. The year also began on 25 March, so that February 1587

    by modern-day reckoning would have been February 1586 by the Tudors'

    calendar. This situation can be confusing, and so in this book we adopt the

    modern convention of starting the year on 1 January: therefore, the year 1586

    runs from 1 January to 31 December.

Introduction 3
    We haven't changed money at all. No paper money existed in Tudor England,

    and certainly no cheques or plastic! Coins included groats, angels and

    crowns, but the value of money has changed so much � and historians are

    still arguing about exactly how much � that we've left the original round fig-

    ures with no attempt to update to today's currency values.

    Foolish Assumptions

    We assume that you've heard of the Tudors and know roughly when the 16th

    century was � but not very much more.

    Many people studied the period 1485 to 1603 at school and acquired vague

    impressions of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I but little understanding of the other

    three Tudor rulers.

    You may have watched The Tudors series on television (in which case the

    facts may well surprise you), or seen David Starkey's documentary pro-

    grammes that whetted your appetite to know more. David tells it like it was,

    but only some of it: the rest is here.

    How This Book Is Organised

    The parts of the book flow chronologically, and so Part I is (mainly) about

    Henry VII and his origins, and Part IV focuses on Elizabeth I. Within these

    parts, the chapters are thematic, allowing you to pick and choose. For exam-

    ple, if you want to know about Henry VIII's love life, go to Part II, Chapter 5; if

    Elizabeth I's war with Spain grabs you, go to Part IV, Chapter 15.

    Part I: Encountering the Early Tudors

    Henry VII didn't just spring out of the grass � he had a family and back-

    ground. This part looks at who he was, his Welsh roots and the civil war that

    gave him his opportunity. We also lead you on a quick tour of 15th-century

    England � its social structure, religion and beastly habits � to provide some

    context. The culture of the Court was a thing apart, and education struggled

    with an illiterate population. If you think things are bad now, look at the

    England of Henry VI! When the Crown was weak, the nobility dominated

    and fought its private quarrels under the cover of the houses of York or

    Lancaster. This situation created the challenge that greeted Henry VII after

    the Battle of Bosworth. On the whole, he made a pretty good job of getting

    and keeping his crown. 4 The Tudors For Dummies

    Part II: Handling Henry VIII

    Henry VII became monarch in 1485 and married within six months. His wife

    Elizabeth bore at least five children, three of whom were sons. Nevertheless,

    by 1502 the future Henry VIII, whom we meet in this part, was the only son

    left � a crisis situation. Henry VIII was brought up and educated most carefully

    as the heir to the throne. As a young man he was very athletic, hunting and

    jousting with great enthusiasm. He ran his kingdom with a light touch, prefer-

    ring his hobbies, but he also yearned to prove himself by war, taking Henry

    V as his role model. As he aged, he became short-tempered, particularly on

    the subject of sex; he famously married six times and fathered one illegitimate

    son. His ego also developed to gigantic proportions. He eventually took on the

    papacy in Rome and changed the direction of English religion forever.

    Part III: Remembering the Forgotten

    Tudors: Edward VI and Mary

    The focus in this part is on Edward and Mary, who are notoriously the two

    little Tudors between the two big ones. They're often passed over, particu-

    larly by popular