The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor is a series of five monarchs of Welsh origin who ruled England from 1485 until 1603. The three main monarchs (Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I) each played an important part in turning Britain from a European backwater still immersed in the Middle Ages into a powerful Renaissance state that would soon dominate most of the planet.

The Tudor dynasty ended when Elizabeth died childless. Her successor was James VI of Scotland, a descendent of Henry VII through his daughter Margaret Tudor. He became the first of the Stuart Kings of England.

Table of contents

1 Monarchs of England 2 Portrait 3 Tudor Family Tree

Monarchs of England

The five Tudor monarchs were:

• King Henry VII (1485-1509)
• his son, King Henry VIII (1509-1547)
• his son, King Edward VI (1547-1553)
• his elder half-sister, Queen Mary I (1553-1558)
• her younger half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

Henry VIII's grand-niece, Lady Jane Grey also served as Queen for nine days before Mary I deposed her.

Portrait

From left to right, Philip II of Spain, Mary I of England, Henry VIII of England, Edward VI of England, Elizabeth I of England.

Tudor Family Tree

Henry VII (1451-1509) 
m Elizabeth of York (1466-1503)
|
+-Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486-1502) 
| m Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536)
|
+-Margaret (1489-1541) 
| m James IV of Scotland (1473-1513)
| |
| +-James V of Scotland (1512-1542)
|   m Mary of Guise (1515-1560)
|   |
|   +-Mary I of Scotland (1542-1587)
|     m Francis II of France (1544-1560) 
|     m Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley (1545-1567)
|     |
|     +-James VI of Scotland (1566-1625)
|       |
|       +- ... Stuart and Hanover etc. monarchs to present day.
|
|     m James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell
| 
| m Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (1490?-1557)
| |
| +-Margaret (1515-1578) 
|   m Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox (1516-1571)
|   |
|   +-Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley (1545-1567) 
|   | m Mary I of Scotland, see above
|   |
|   +-Charles Stewart, 6th Earl of Lennox 
|     m Elizabeth Cavendish (-1581)
|     |
|     +-Arbella Stewart (1575-1615) 
|       m William Seymour, Duke of Somerset (1587-1660)
|
+-Henry VIII (1491-1547) 
| m Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536)
| |
| +-Mary I (1516-1558) 
|   m Philip II of Spain (1527-1598)
| 
| m Anne Boleyn (1501?-1536)
| |
| +-Elizabeth I (1533-1603)
| 
| m Jane Seymour (1508?-1537)
| |
| +-Edward VI (1537-1553)
| 
| m Anne of Cleves (1515-1557)
| m Catherine Howard (1525?-1542)
| m Catherine Parr (1512?-1548)
|
+-Mary (1495-1533)
  m Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk (1484-1545)
  |
  +-Frances (1517-1559) 
  | m Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk (1517-1554)
  | |
  | +-Jane, Queen of England (1537-1554) 
  | | m Guilford Dudley (1536-1554)
  | |
  | +-Catherine (1580-1568) 
  | | m Edward Seymour, 2nd Earl of Hertford (1539-1621)
  | | |
  | | +-Edward, Lord Beauchamp (1561-1612
  | |   m Honora Rogers
  | |   |
  | |   +-William Seymour, Duke of Somerset (1587-1660) 
  | |   | m Arbella Stewart, see above.
  | |   |
  | |   +-Thomas 
  | |     m Isabella Onley
  | |
  | +-Mary, (1545-1578) 
  |   m Thomas Keyes (-1571)
  |
  +-Eleanor (1519-1547)
    m Henry Clifford, Earl of Cumberland (1517-1570)
    |
    +-Margaret 
      m Henry Stanley, Earl of Derby (1531-1593)
      |
      +-... Earls of Derby