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Niccolò Machiavelli is best known for writing The Prince, a handbook for unscrupulous politicians that inspired the term "Machiavellian" and established its author as the "father of modern political theory." Niccolo Machiavelli influenced Tupac who also called himself Machiavelli.  proving that his philosophy are time less.

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One thing about Bloody Mary was that she was a strong believer in Catholicism because it's what legitimized her right to the throne.

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What I learned from my research is that as a women in her time period Elizabeth I was highly respected and honored.

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http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/queen-mary.html
Mary was the only child from her parents to survive infancy.

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The Spanish Armada fought by boarding, instead of the usual cannon fire, and it didn't help them at all

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http://www.royal.gov.uk/historyofthemonarchy/scottish%20monarchs(400ad-1603)/thestewarts/maryqueenofscots.aspx

http://www.biography.com/people/mary-queen-of-scots-9401343

Girls or young ladies tend to become queens at a young age if their father had died when they were young. No matter what they had to become queen and they were also betrothed to some else from another "kingdom"

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http://www.royal.gov.uk/historyofthemonarchy/scottish%20monarchs(400ad-1603)/thestewarts/maryqueenofscots.aspx

http://www.biography.com/people/mary-queen-of-scots-9401343

Girls or young ladies tend to become queens at a young age if their father had died when they were young. No matter what they had to become queen and they were also betrothed to some else from another "kingdom

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Queen Elizabeth I loved the arts, especially theater. She was specifically fond of the works of William Shakespeare. She also loved to dance and let talented artist paint pictures of her.
http://www.biography.com/people/queen-elizabeth-i-9286133

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Bubonic plague was air bound and one could be attacked via a sick person'S breath.  A devastating outbreak of the Elizabethan plague occurred in 1563 claiming 80,000 people in England. The cause of the Bubonic plague (Black Death) was unknown during the Elizabethan era so people were not in the position to take proper care or adequate precautions. Inadequate hygiene standards added to the problem and spread of the disease

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World and Medieval History of the Black Death and Bubonic Plague - How the disease spread and Nationalities affected
Black Death and Bubonic Plague - Modern day symptoms, cure and medical treatment Black Death or the Bubonic Plague?
William Shakespeare and the Black Death / Bubonic Plague
William Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan era when the bubonic plague, sometimes referred to as the Black Death, was virulent. He was known to have a terrible fear of the deadly disease and its consequences and this is hardly surprising as it touched so many areas of his life including his life as an actor at the Globe Theater. There were high mortality rates amongst Elizabethan children and this was true of the brothers and sisters of Shakespeare some of whom were struck down by Bubonic plague (Black Death)

In the Elizabethan era there was pestilence and repeated outbreaks of the Bubonic plague (Black Death) and these were not just confined to highly populated towns such as London. The country area and villages were not exempt from the either - there was no hiding place. Information regarding the handling of the Bubonic plague (Black Death), symptoms, medical treatment and cure used during the Elizabethan era are fully described below.
Black Death or Bubonic Plague?
The Picture depicting life during the Elizabethan Black Death or the Bubonic Plague
The Picture at the top of the page shows the bodies of Bubonic Plague or Black Death victims thrown on to the death cart. In the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries victims of the Bubonic plague (Black Death) would be sealed in their houses. The houses would be locked and bolted from the outside. The victims were not allowed to leave and neither was anyone else allowed to enter. This action was tantamount to signing a death warrant for the whole family and one of the terrible consequences of the Any victim of the Bubonic Plague or Black Death would have to obtain a ' Certificate of Health ' to resume normal life - if they recovered...
The workers depicted in the picture are the death cart labourers and the watchman. The following description and information about their roles will clarify the significance of the picture and the consequences and its relationship with the Bubonic plague (Black Death) .

Information about the Role of the Watchmen and Death Cart Labourers - see the above picture
Watchmen were allocated to watch the ' plague houses ' and the only means of sustenance was for the victims to lower baskets from an upper window for the watchman to put food into it. Plague Pits were rapidly dug. These pits were approximately 20 feet deep - the width of the pit would continue to be extended as the outbreak of the Bubonic plague (Black Death) spread. A consequence of continued outbreaks was that even old Plague Pits were re-opened. The death cart labourers generally undertook their gruesome work at night and the bodies were hurried out of the house wrapped in any kind of improvised shroud.

The often resorted to stealing from the dead bodies. The penalties for this were varied and severe. Many such thieves were thrown into the pits, dead or alive, with their victims. Elizabethan Watchmen and the death cart labourers were, not surprisingly, very well paid. But their gruesome job entitled them to receive a good supply of alcohol. Their jobs were clearly life-threatening and there was a high mortality rate. There was no town cleansing department in the Elizabethan era. Month after month people were employed in this work, which became more and more difficult to accomplish as the plague spread and carried off one after another of the workers. When, despite the high wages, no new men for this job could be found women and boys, especially those who had recovered from the Bubonic plague (Black Death) , were forced to carry out this work. Threats of imprisonment were made as encouragement to undertake these tasks and this consequence was suffered by anyone who refused the role. In later years houses containing victims were sometimes indicated with a red cross painted on the door with the words "God have Mercy". The red cross acted as a warning as there was a time when the victims of the illness were not carried away to be buried or burnt. The same deadly labour shortage continued until a medieval Physician had the idea was that the disease would be better contained by not throwing the bodies into the streets and into the approximation of other people. These corpses were left rotting in the houses until they were dragged out, weeks later, to be thrown on a cart and finally disposed of. Due to the food shortages and closure of businesses those who were not struck down by the Bubonic plague (Black Death)

Information about the Spread of the Elizabethan Black Death or the Bubonic Plague in Elizabethan England
There were repeated outbreaks of the during the Elizabethan era and these outbreaks were often transmitted by the fleas that lived on rodents and animals, especially rats. Contrary to popular belief it was not just the people who lived in the towns who were at risk of catching the could also be air bound and transmitted from an infected person's breath. A devastating outbreak of the Elizabethan plague occurred in 1563 claiming 80,000 people in England. The cause of the Bubonic plague (Black Death) was unknown during the Elizabethan era so people were not in the position to take proper care or adequate precautions. Inadequate hygiene standards added to the problem and spread of the Black Death or Bubonic Plague . Elizabethan farmers and retailers of farm produce, such as animal hides, were in constant danger of contracting the Bubonic plague (Black Death) and this was a deadly consequence of their job. The

Information about the Spread of the Black Death / Bubonic Plague in Elizabethan London . This particular epidemic claimed between a quarter and a third of the total Elizabethan London population. Statistics show that 1000 people died weekly in mid August, 1600 per week in September, and 1800 per week in October. The Elizabethan City of London was filthy. It's population was growing continuously with poor people moving from the country to London in search of work. There was a total lack of a structured sewage system in Elizabethan London. All of the waste was just dumped into the River Thames. The River Thames is a tidal river and, as such, it would have acted like a natural sewer. But even so terrible epidemics of Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) during the Elizabethan period still occurred. The spread was aided by the River Thames and its boats which were used as the major form of transport in Elizabethan London. The London streets were dark, narrow and dangerous and slow to travel through. Everyone used the river to move about and each London Elizabethan would have come into contact with the everyday presence of the dirt and the rats. A perfect vehicle for ensuring the spread of the disease in Elizabethan London. An Elizabethan London who did not understand how the Bubonic plague (Black Death) was spread...
In 1563, in London alone, over 20,000 people died of the

Queen Elizabeth - Information about containing the Spread of the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague during the Elizabethan era There was nowhere to hide from the disease and no one was safe, not even the monarch. Queen Elizabeth was terrified of the
disease and implemented quarantine measures to try to ensure the safety of herself and her courtiers. When the Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) broke out in London in 1563, Queen Elizabeth I moved her court to Windsor Castle where she erected gallows and ordered that anyone coming from London was to be hanged - so great was the fear of the plague and avoiding any spread of it to her court. Queen Elizabeth I also prohibited the import of foreign goods as a measure to prevent the spread of the disease to the Elizabethan court.

Information about the Closure of the Elizabethan Globe Theater due the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague
There were three very serious outbreaks of the disease which led to the closure of all places of Elizabethan entertainment, including the Globe Theater. These occurred Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) itself. There would have been no money coming into Theater companies and therefore no money for the Elizabethan actors. It would not have been certain when it would be safe for Theaters to re-open. And there would have been the constant fear of contacting Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) or seeing friends and family dying from the deadly disease. The Elizabethan era was truly a dangerous time. The spread of in 1593 , 1603 and 1608. The impact of closure must have been extremely frightening, not to mention the threat of continued.
the disease

Information about the Elizabethan Cure for the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague
In the Elizabethan era various concoctions of herbs were given and used for the medical treatment of different parts of the body and the varying symptoms of the disease. Elizabethan medical treatment for head pains was with sweet-smelling herbs such as rose, lavender, sage, and bay. Medical treatment for stomach pains and sickness was with wormwood, mint, and balm. Lung problems given the medical treatment of liquorice and comfrey. Vinegar was widely used as a cleansing agent as it was believed that it would kill disease. Bloodletting, or cutting open the vein nearest the infected part of the body, was commonly thought to be one of the best ways to treat the illness. The blood that exuded was black, thick and vile smelling with a greenish scum mixed in it. The Bubonic plague (Black Death) was the greatest fear of people living during the Elizabethan era from the Queen herself to the lowliest of her subjects.

World and Medieval History of the Black Death and Bubonic Plague - How the disease spread and Nationalities affected
Black Death and Bubonic Plague - Modern day symptoms, cure and medical treatment Click here for more information on Elizabethan England Information about t he Black Death & Bubonic Plague
Symptoms, effects, consequences, cure and medical treatment

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Bubonic Plague - Black death in the Elizabethan Era and medical treatments

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Visit this site providing information about the Bubonic Plague and Black Death in the Elizabethan era. Spread, symptons,cure and medical treatment of the Elizabethan era Bubonic Plague and Black Death. Facts about the consequences of the Bubonic Plague and Black Death in the Elizabethan era

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When Queen Elizabeth ascended to throne, there were violent clashes throughout Europe between Protestant and Catholic leaders and Their Followers.

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word search mask definition crossword crossword online

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Free Crossword Assistant Online - Crossword Puzzles

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Assistant to the crossword man: search words by mask, and definition, assistant cruciverbalist, online dictionary crossword. Free crosswords puzzles.

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Elizabeth had her cousin Mary executed in 1587

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Elizabeth's 45-year reign - referred to as the Elizabethan era or the Golden Age of Elizabeth - was one of the more constructive periods in English history.

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http://www.biography.com/people/henry-viii-9335322#english-reformation
1533, Henry's mistress Anne became pregnant and he eventually married her

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Henry the 8th often warred with Francis the 1st of France and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles the 5th.

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Henry VIII, king of England, was famously married six times and played a critical role in the English Reformation, turning his country into a Protestant nation. Learn more at Biography.com.

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Mary Queen of Scots was first cousins with Queen Elizabeth of England and also executed by her because she was seen as a threat when she entered into England.

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Citation: C N Trueman "Mary Queen of Scots"
historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 17 Mar 2015. 3 Aug 2018.

Mary, Queen of Scots, was born in 1542 and was executed on 1587. It is generally believed that Mary's execution - ordered by Elizabeth I - was the final reason Philip II needed to launch the Spanish Armada. There are few other figures in Tudor England who had such an eventful life, though for Mary, Queen of Scots, it was to end in tragedy.

Mary was Elizabeth I's cousin. Mary had been brought up as a strict Catholic which put her at odds with the Protestant Elizabeth. Mary's father, James V of Scotland, died when she was one. At such a young age, the Scottish lords found it difficult to respect her and by 1548, Mary was sent to France for her own safety.

As a young girl, Mary lived in France where she had married the king of France - Francis II. She was fifteen and he was fourteen. Her father-in-law, Henry II, king of France, said of her

While in France, Mary lived in luxury travelling from one palace to another. She developed a love of animals - especially dogs - and spent a lot of time learning. She could speak French, Latin, Spanish and some Ancient Greek. Mary could also play the lute with some skill. Her religious teacher was a monk from the priory at Inchmahome in Scotland and she developed very strong views on religion.

Her doting father-in-law, Henry II, had been killed in a jousting accident in 1559. Her mother had died in Scotland in 1560. Her husband, Francis had always been a sickly youth and his death aged sixteen in 1560 surprised no-one but it left Mary a widow at the age of seventeen. Within just six months she had lost three close members of her family. many say that she never really recovered from this sad period in her life.

After the death of Francis, she wrote a poem about him. One verse is as follows:

She returned to Scotland as Queen of the Scots aged eighteen in 1561.

In 1565, she married her cousin, Lord Darnley, when she was 22. He was very unpopular with the people of Scotland as he was a violent, bad-tempered drunkard. During their marriage, Mary's secretary was an Italian called David Rizzio. Darnley got it into his head that they were spending too much time together and in 1566, while Mary was entertaining some of her friends in her private rooms, Rizzio, who was a guest at Mary's supper party, was attacked by a gang including Darnley and stabbed over 50 times. Mary was horrified.

However, in June 1566, Mary gave birth to a baby boy called James. He was to become the king of England when Elizabeth died in 1603. Mary's marriage with Darnley remained full of stress and she became more and more attracted to the Earl of Bothwell.

On February 9th 1567, Mary and Darnley was at a house called Kirk O'Field. Late in the evening she remembered that she had to see some friends and rode off. Scotland was a very dangerous country in the Sixteenth Century and it would have needed a very brave person to venture out at night without being fully guarded. That night, Kirk O'Field was blown up. Darnley's body was found in the garden of the house. The explosion had not killed him - he had been strangled. Just three months later, Mary married Bothwell. He was as disliked as Darnley by the Scots lords and they rose up against Mary. Bothwell escaped to Europe where he died an alcoholic and all but insane. Mary was arrested and held prisoner at Lochleven Castle.

She was made to give up the throne for James, her son. Mary later escaped from her prison and she fled to England where she hoped her cousin, Elizabeth, would look after her. Mary's logic was twofold. First, Mary was a queen and so was Elizabeth. Mary expected a queen to help a queen. Secondly, Mary assumed that their family ties would prove strong. She could not have been more wrong. At the age of 25, the former queen of Scotland started a lengthy spell in a number of manor houses or castles that were her prison.

Simply by being in England, Mary represented a threat to Elizabeth. Why?

Elizabeth had brought what might have passed as religious stability to England. Certainly the religious discord under her half-sister Mary I, had greatly weakened. Elizabeth had a belief that if someone was a Catholic and practiced their beliefs privately and represented no threat to the queen, then she was willing to tolerate their religion. If the Catholics were respectful to the queen and obedient, then Elizabeth could see no reason why they should not be tolerated. The nation greatly benefited from religious stability. Mary, Queen of Scots, threatened this stability. As a Catholic, she might become a focus for all the Catholics who existed in England and a leader for them. In this sense, Mary was a very real threat to Elizabeth.

Another major reason is as follows: there were some who believed that the marriage between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn had been illegal. Catholics certainly did not recognise Henry's divorce from the Catholic Catherine of Aragon and there were rumours that Henry had married Anne before his divorce had actually come through. Therefore, if the marriage was illegal, Elizabeth was illegitimate and had no right to the throne. If Elizabeth had no right to the throne, the nearest legal heir to the English throne was.........Mary, Queen of Scots. Though most people would have found this an absurd idea, it could have acted as an incentive for the Catholics in England to rebel against Elizabeth and put Mary onto the throne. It may also have been a reason for Elizabeth's advisors to decide that England was better off with Mary dead - though they would need proof to convince a court of law about her guilt.

Elizabeth now hit a problem. Her cousin quite clearly posed problems for her. If Mary was sent back to Scotland, from where she had escaped, she may well have been killed and Elizabeth would not accept that a queen (and family) should be treated in such a way. But by being in England, Mary might act as a spur for Catholics to rebel.

Elizabeth's solution was to keep Mary, Queen of Scots, in prison. For the next 19 years, Mary was kept in safe custody in various castles and manor houses. In all this time, Mary never met Elizabeth.

Mary, Queen of Scots, did not help herself. She made it clear to anybody who would listen, that she felt that she should be the queen of England. In 1570, she received the backing of the pope. This meant that there was no reason why a Catholic should not assassinate Elizabeth because it would not be a sin as the pope had said that Mary should be queen of England. Mary was clearly becoming a major problem for Elizabeth and her advisors.

It took many years for the government to build up a case against Mary - even if such a case actually existed! This work was carried out by Sir Francis Walsingham. His spy network kept a close eye on Mary.

In 1586, a man called Anthony Babington devised a plot to kill Elizabeth, rescue Mary and then see her as the next queen of England. Babington wrote in code to Mary to explain what he was doing. Mary wrote back, stating that she agreed with what he was doing. Walsingham's spies intercepted both letters. Babington was arrested and charged with treason. In September 1586, Babington was executed. Now the government had a case against Mary. She was put on trial in October 1586.

Mary defended herself well but the judges found her guilty of treason. To the judges, who would not listen to her arguments, she said "You are indeed my enemies". The reply was "We are the enemy of the enemies of our queen." The trial lasted just 2 days.

Mary was found guilty of plotting to kill Elizabeth. She was sentenced to death. In February 1587, Mary was given just 24 hours notice that she would be executed the next day.

How strong was the evidence against Mary?

by 1587, she was in poor health and was frail. Was she in any fit state to become involved in a plot against her cousin?

how did Walsingham's men manage to find the letter by Mary that was hidden in a beer barrel? Did they know where to look? Did they write it?

locked up in a castle, how could Mary know what others were doing or have any way of influencing their movements?

Regardless of this, Babington admitted his part in the plot and he admitted that Mary knew about the plot against Elizabeth all along. However, it is almost certain that his confession was as a result of torture.

Elizabeth hesitated about signing Mary's death warrant. Eventually she did and Mary was executed at Fortheringhay Castle, 70 miles north of London, on February 8th, 1587. Mary was not allowed to have her chaplain present at her execution.

Mary's execution was a curious affair. She dressed in scarlet, the colour of martyrdom. She had to be helped onto the scaffold as she was so frail. She spoke her last words in Latin and then putting her head onto the block said "Into your hands, O Lord" three times, again in Latin. It took two goes with the axe to remove her head. When the executioner lifted up her head, he found that he had a wig in his hand and the actual head was still on the scaffold. No-one had known that she had lost her hair. Then her body moved. Underneath her skirt, a small dog, a Skye terrier, was seen. Mary had brought her dog to her own execution..........

In 1612, her son and the now king of England, James, brought his mother's body to Westminster Abbey where she was buried in a magnificent tomb.

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Mary Queen of Scots - History Learning Site

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Mary, Queen of Scots, was born in 1542 and was executed on 1587. It is generally believed that Mary's execution - ordered by Elizabeth I - was the final reason Philip II needed to launch the Spanish Armada. There are few other figures in Tudor England who had such an eventful life, though for Mary, ...

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Ten facts about Queen Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603)

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Ten facts about Queen Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603)

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Henry VIII made his entire country Protestant

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1533, Henry's mistress Anne Boleyn became pregnant and eventually marrying her.

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Henry 8th often warred with Francis I of France and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V

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Henry VIII turned his entire country into a Protestant nation

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The spanish armada was supported by the pope, who was promised a money reward if they were successfully. http://primaryfacts.com/2861/spanish-armada-facts-and-information/

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Who ever this john knox is, is one serious dude for her was able to convert scotland from catholicism to protestantism.
http://www.biography.com/people/mary-queen-of-scots-9401343

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Queen Elizabeth I could understand many languages including French, Italian, English, Spanish, Greek, and Welsh

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I learned that Henry VII succeeded in ending the Wars of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York to find the highly successful Tudor House.
http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensofEngland/TheTudors/TheTudors.aspx

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By act of Parliment (1544) and his own will and testament Henry VIII left the crown to his three children in turn- Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.
http://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Tudor

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The 5 sovereigns  the Tudor
family are among the most well known figures in Royal history. This is interesting because nothing many families are well known throughout history. Most times, only one member of the family is well known but it's very unlikely for a whole family to be known.

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Mary Tudor was the only child of Henry VIII and Catherine to live into adulthood. http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tudor-9401296

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Niccolo Machiavelli was jailed and tortured for years because of his involvement with the florentine republic. www.bwww.biog.cwww.biography.comeraphy

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Henry the eighth played a prodiminent role in the English reform

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Henry VIII, king of England, was famously married six times and played a critical role in the English Reformation, turning his country into a Protestant nation. Learn more at Biography.com.

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In the days of the apostles and the first century church, false teachers were a significant problem
https://www.quora.com/Why-did-Protestants-split-from-Catholicism

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The spanish armada was supported by the pope, promising a money reward if they returned successful.

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I learned that the elizabethan era was very brutal

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The Spanish Armada sailed from Spain in 1588 to overthrow Protestant England lead by Queen Elizabeth I. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/tudor-england/the-spanish-armada/

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Queen Elizabeth could understand many different languages from different cultures such as:

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Martin Luther said the Elizabethan Age was "an age in dreaded spiritlesness" http://www.existentialchristianity.net/catholicprotestant.html

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Elizabeth I had over 2,000 Pairs of gloves

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Bloody Mary burned over 300 protestants during her rule.
http://www.biography.com/people/mary-tudor-9401296

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The spanish armada used a strict crescent formation
http://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/spanish-armada

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http://englishhistory.net/tudor/relative/mary-queen-of-scots/ At one point in time, Mary claimed the crowns of 4 countries; England, Scotland, France, and Ireland.

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http://scotlandsmary.com/  Mary, Queen of Scots father, James V died six days after her birth and with his death Mary became the infant Queen.

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Martin Luther was a very prominent leader in the Catholic and Protestant Church split. He believe in a forgiving God father than a vengeful God.

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Queen Elizabeth was educated as well as any legitimate prince was because Katharine Parr (her mother) arranged for her to have the most distinguished tutors, at the age of 10 years old.

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Henry VII, Henry VIII and his three children ruled for 118 years

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Tudor court played a prominent role in the cultural renaissance taking place in Europe

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Queen Bloody Mary was actually very nice to her low paid subjects

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Elizabeth I was fluent in many different languages including English, Latin, Greek, Italian, French, Spanish, Welsch, and Cornish
http://www.tenfactsabout.co.uk/0033elizabethi.htm

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Many believe that Henry VIII had type II diabetes.
Source: http://www.biography.com/people/henry-viii-9335322#related-video-gallery

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Henry VIII, king of England, was famously married six times and played a critical role in the English Reformation, turning his country into a Protestant nation. Learn more at Biography.com.

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Mary queen of scots at one point claimed the crown of four countries; England, Scotland, France, and Ireland.

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Elizabeth I committed to preserve peace and stability in England above all else.
Source: http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/queen-elizabeth-i/

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Mary Queen of Scots lost her father 6 days after her birth

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Mary, Queen of Scots father, James V died six days after her birth and with his death Mary became the infant queen.

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Mary Tudor was the first female ruler of England.
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/queen-mary-1/

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Edward VI succeeded his father at the age of nine

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King Henry built up the British Navy during his time as

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Niccolo was a diplomat and writer
http://www.biography.com/people/niccolò-machiavelli-9392446

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Britian the Monarch is both the head to state and the head of the church.
http://whynotcatholicism.net/view/differences-between-christians-catholics-protestants-and-orthodox

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Mary Tudor persecuted hundreds of Protestants and earned the nickname Bloody Mary

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Elizabeth I was the third Queen to rule in her own right after her cousin Lady Jane Gray and her half-sister Mary I.

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Mary was crowned queen when she was only 6 days old.

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I learned that the Roman Catholic Church was initiated by Martin Luther who disagreed with the ways of a Protestant.

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One interesting fact that I learned was that Elizabeth I owned more than 2,000 dresses. They were all very bright, elegant, beautiful gowns. She had a maid of honor that came in one time wearing a gorgeous dress. She loved the dress so much that she TOOK IT from her maid of honor and danced around the court room in it.

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1) The Tudors should never have got anywhere near the throne

When Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the battle of Bosworth in 1485, the vast majority of his subjects saw him as a usurper - and they were right. There were other claimants with stronger blood claims to the throne than his.

Henry's own claim was on the side of his indomitable mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, who was the great granddaughter of John of Gaunt, fourth son of Edward III, and his third wife (and long-standing mistress), Katherine Swynford. But Katherine had given birth to John Beaufort (Henry's great grandfather) when she was still John's mistress, so Henry's claim was through an illegitimate line - and a female one at that.

Little wonder that he was plagued by rivals and 'pretenders' for most of his reign.

2) School was for the 'lucky' few

Education was seen as something of a luxury for most Tudors, and it was usually the children of the rich who received anything approaching a decent schooling.

There were few books in Tudor schools, so pupils read from 'hornbooks' instead. Pages displaying the alphabet and religious material were attached to wooden boards and covered with a transparent sheet of cow horn (hence the name).

Discipline was much fiercer than it is today. Teachers would think nothing of punishing their pupils with 50 strokes of the cane, and wealthier parents would often pay for a 'whipping-boy' to take the punishment on behalf of their child. Barnaby Fitzpatrick undertook this thankless task for the young Edward VI, although the two boys did become best friends.

3) Tudor London was a mud bath

Andreas Franciscius, an Italian visitor to London in 1497, was horrified by what he found. Although he admired the "fine" architecture, he was disgusted by the "vast amount of evil-smelling mud" that covered the streets and lasted a long time - nearly the whole year round.

The citizens, therefore, in order to remove this mud and filth from their boots, are accustomed to spread fresh rushes on the floors of all houses, on which they clean the soles of their shoes when they come in."

Franciscius added disapprovingly that the English people had "fierce tempers and wicked dispositions", as well as "a great antipathy to foreigners".

4) Edward VI's dog was killed by his uncle

Edward was just nine years old when he became king, and his court was soon riven by faction. Although the king's uncle, Edward Seymour, had been appointed Lord Protector, he was undermined by the behaviour of his hot-headed and ambitious brother, Thomas.

In January 1549, Thomas Seymour made a reckless attempt to kidnap the king. Breaking into Edward's privy garden at Westminster, pistol in hand, Thomas tried to gain access to the king's bedroom, but was lunged at by the boy's pet spaniel.

Without thinking, he shot the dog dead, which prompted a furore as the royal guard rushed forward, thinking that an assassin was in the palace. Thomas Seymour was arrested and taken to the Tower. He was found guilty of treason shortly afterwards, and his own brother was obliged to sign the death warrant.

5) Elizabeth I owned more than 2,000 dresses

When her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed, Elizabeth was so neglected by her father, Henry VIII, that she soon outgrew all of her clothes, and her servant was forced to write to ask for new ones.

Perhaps the memory of this humiliation prompted Elizabeth, as queen, to stuff her wardrobes with more than 2,000 beautiful dresses, all in rich fabrics and gorgeous colours.

But despite her enormous collection, she always wanted more. When one of her maids of honour, Lady Mary Howard, appeared in court wearing a strikingly ostentatious gown, the queen was so jealous that she stole it, and paraded around court in it herself.

If you enjoyed this article, why not subscribe to the print edition of BBC History Magazine? Alternatively, subscribe to the magazine digitally - on iPad and iPhone, Kindle and Kindle Fire, Google Play and Zinio. Our September issue, out now, includes a feature on the fall of Thomas Cromwell, plus an exclusive interview with Wolf Hall author Hilary Mantel, who claims Cromwell has been a victim of "intellectual shoddiness". In September 2017, Countryfile Magazine is inspiring readers to walk with the Tudors, with features on Britain's top Tudor experiences and walks around Levens Hall, Montacute House, Stirling Castle and more. Find out more at countryfile.com/days-out

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5 things you (probably) didn't know about the Tudors

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The Tudor dynasty is one of the best known in history, popularised by the likes of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Edward VI. But do we really know all there is about this turbulent period?

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One interesting thing I learned is that Henry VIII got married six times.
http://www.biography.com/people/henry-viii-9335322

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One interesting thing I learned about the Tudors is that King Henry viii created his own church not because he wanted a new religion but because he wanted to be able to divorce his wives. Divorce was not allowed in the Catholic religion which was the state religion at the time. Henry wanted a son and because his wives could not provide him with one he wanted to divorce them. Funny thing is. It is not the women but the man who decides the sex of the baby. Henry just couldn't seem to get it right.

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Niccolo was born into a time when Italy was divided into 4 rival city-states

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Elizabeth had her cousin Mary executed in 1587

Www.history.co.uk/biographies/queneelizabeth

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I learned that there was a lot of different conflicts going on. From

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Drake, second in command, was playing a game of bowling when the Spanish attacked. He said that he would have enough time to finish his game and defeat the Spanish Armada as well. http://www.elizabethi.org/contents/armada/

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The Catholic Church more closely resembled a business than a place of worship, with people actually giving priests money to be granted access into heaven.
http://www.existentialchristianity.net/catholicprotestant.html

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English Reformation culminated in the establishment of the Anglican Church under Elizabeth I.
http://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Tudor

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Queen of England - Mary Tudor was most known for her religious persecutions of Protestants and the executions of over 300 subjects.

ttp://www.biography.com/people/Mary-Tudor-9401296#synopsis

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Niccolò Machiavelli was buried in the church of Santa Croce in Florence, of which he had been banned from entering during the last years of his life.

http://www.biography.com/people/niccolò-machiavelli-9392446

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Niccolò Machiavelli Full name was
Niccolò di bernado dei Machiavelli

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Spain promised the pope money if he supported the invasion of England.

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Niccoló Machiavelli was banned from the church of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy, for the last few years of his life. he is currently buried here. http://www.biography.com/people/niccolò-machiavelli-9392446

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Queen Elizabeth I was fluent in six different languages. http://www.royal.gov.uk/historyofthemonarchy/kingsandqueensofengland/thetudors/elizabethi.aspx

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Pope John Paul II was the first non Italian pope in over 400 years
http://www.biography.com/people/john-paul-ii-9355652

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Mary Queen of Scots had married her second cousin Lord Darnley after her first husband died of an ear infection.

http://www.royal.gov.uk/historyofthemonarchy/scottish%20monarchs(400ad-1603)/thestewarts/maryqueenofscots.aspx

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Elizabeth I became queen in 1558 when she was only 25 years old. She ruled alone for nearly half a century, until she died in 1603.
source: http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/queen-elizabeth-i/

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Girls or young ladies tend to become queens at a young age if their father had died when they were young. No matter what they had to become queen and they were also betrothed to some else from another "kingdom

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Duke of Medina Sidonia was the commander of the fleet

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Mary, Queen of Scots officially became the queen at just 6 days old

http://www.royal.gov.uk/historyofthemonarchy/scottish%20monarchs(400ad-1603)/thestewarts/maryqueenofscots.aspx

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Elizabeth I. Was named Bloody Mary after having 300 Protestants executed

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King Henry VIII was the only male heir

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an interesting thing I learned about Elizabethan culture was that Henry the 8th enjoyed writing books and music

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Henry the VIII had brain damage from a jousting accident http://www.biography.com/people/henry-viii-9335322

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Mary I suffered from pseudocyesis which is a biological and psychological condition where a women exhibits various symptoms of pregnancy yet is carrying no child

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Pope John Paul II was the first non Italian pope in over 400 years

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Elizabeth 1 was famous for her virginity and a cult grew around her.

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The Spanish Armada had about 160 ships in comparison to England's  200

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Mary, the Queen of Scots claimed the crowns of four different nations during her lifetime, including Scotland, France, England, and Ireland. She was accused of trying to murder Queen Elizabeth, and was eventually sentenced to death and executed for it. Another interesting fact is Mary was announced the Queen of Scots before she turned a year old.

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Mary, queen of Scots was one of the most fascinating and controversial monarchs of 16th century Europe. At one time, she claimed the crowns of four nations - Scotland, France, England and Ireland. Her physical beauty and kind heart were acknowledged even by her enemies. Yet she lacked the political skills to rule successfully in Scotland. Her second marriage was unpopular and ended in murder and scandal; her third was even less popular and ended in forced abdication in favor of her infant son. She fled to England in 1568, hoping for the help of her cousin, Elizabeth I. Her presence was dangerous for the English queen, who feared Catholic plotting on Mary's behalf. The two queens never met and Mary remained imprisoned for the next nineteen years. She was executed in 1587, only forty-four years old. By orders of the English government, all of her possessions were burned. In 1603, upon Elizabeth's death, Mary's son became king of England as James I.

'As a sinner I am truly conscious of having often offended my Creator and I beg him to forgive me, but as a Queen and Sovereign, I am aware of no fault or offence for which I have to render account to anyone here below.' Mary, queen of Scots to her jailer, Sir Amyas Paulet; October 1586

In November 1542, King James V of Scotland, lay dying at his beloved Falkland Palace, built just five years earlier. He was devastated by his army's defeat by the English at Solway Moss and saw little hope for the future. At Falkland, he was told that Mary of Guise, his French-born wife once wooed by Henry VIII, had given birth to a daughter at Linlithgow Palace on December 8. This was a feast-day in honor of the Virgin Mary and many took it as a good omen for the princess; for her father, however, it was otherwise. Upon receiving news of Mary's birth, he reportedly said, 'Woe is me. My dynasty came with a lass. It will go with a lass.' James's ancestor, Robert II, had become King of Scots in 1371. The son of Robert the Bruce's daughter Marjorie and Walter, the High Steward of Scotland, Robert was nearest in succession to the throne. He called his new dynasty 'Stewart,' a variation on his father's title; in France, it was spelled Stuart. Mary's father, James V, believed this lineage had ended with his daughter's birth. He certainly never contemplated that his grandson would one day rule both Scotland and its old enemy, England. James died within a week of Mary's birth and, before she was even a year old, the child was crowned queen of Scots.

The regents of Scotland made a treaty with Henry VIII in which Edward, Henry's long-awaited and precious son, would wed Mary. But Henry VIII became increasingly erratic and despotic in his later years and continued to send his army north. In 1546, Henry also encouraged the murder of Cardinal Beaton, a great Scots patriot; the proof - shortly before the murder, he had offered one thousand pounds for expenses associated with a plot to murder Beaton. After this, the Scots were determined to avoid the proposed English marriage. In July 1548, they sent the five-year-old Mary to France, her mother's homeland. The Scots Parliament had agreed to her marriage with Francis, the heir of Henry II, king of France from 1547 to 1559. Mary sailed from Dumbarton Castle to France, using this route to avoid English ships patrolling the English Channel. According to most contemporary reports, Mary was exceptionally lovely (even in an age when most noble women were accorded the title of 'fair' or 'beautiful'), intelligent and full of vitality. One French observer wrote admiringly: 'It is not possible to hope for more from a Princess on this earth.' From this vantage point, Mary's life seemed to be set on a glorious course; but like a later foreign queen of France, Marie Antoinette, Mary's life was not destined to be peaceful and happy.

When Mary left for Scotland, she travelled with the children of Scotland's nobility, including the 'Four Maries,' the women who would stay with her throughout her later imprisonment and execution. They were Mary Fleming, Mary Seton, Mary Beaton and Mary Livingstone. Mary Seton was the only one to die unmarried and lived on until 1615, praying for Mary's soul and giving alms in her memory. The group arrived in France in August 1548.

France, 1548-61

Mary was given a royal welcome in France by King Henry II. He ordered that she would have precedence over his own daughters as she was sovereign of an independent country and also because she was to wed his heir, the Dauphin. The king also became very fond of the child, saying, 'The little Queen of Scots is the most perfect child I have ever seen.' While in France, Mary's maternal grandmother, Antoinette de Guise, wrote to her daughter in Scotland that Mary was 'very pretty, graceful and self-assured.'

Mary was 5 when she first met the four-year-old Dauphin, her betrothed husband. According to most contemporaries, they were close and affectionate with one another even as children. They traveled from one royal palace to another - Fountaineblea to Meudon, or to Chambord or Saint-Germain. They were always attended to by a retinue of servants and, even then, Mary had developed a fondness for animals, especially dogs, which was to continue throughout her life. Mary was also educated in the traditional manner of French princesses; she spoke French and learned Latin, Italian, Spanish and a little Greek. She learned to dance, sing, play the lute as well as converse on religious matters. Her religious tutor was the prior of Inchmahome, a Scottish priest. When she was seven, her mother came to France to visit her; when Mary of Guise returned to Scotland, neither realized that they would never see each other again.

By the age of eleven, Mary was deemed to be as intelligent and well-spoken as a woman of twenty-five by her doting father-in-law. It is worth noting that the Guise family regarded Mary as one of their own; not only was betrothed to the heir to the throne but her mother was a Guise as well. Her uncle, Cardinal Guise, taught her about statecraft, perhaps encouraging her natural feelings of clemency and mercy. In fact, Mary was to be remarkably free from bigotry during her short reign in Scotland, even towards her subjects of a different religion.

In 1555, Mary sent back letters to her mother in Scotland to be used for administrative purposes and it is from these that we first see her royal signature 'MARIE R'. In 1558, she married the Dauphin in an incredible celebration in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Exceptionally tall for a woman in the 16th century, Mary was every inch the regal Queen; she had an oval face, shapely chin, and small mouth which were set off by her golden-red hair, her large forehead, and hazel eyes. Many considered Mary to be the most beautiful princess in Europe, much as they had thought of her relative, Henry VIII's sister, Mary, who had also come to France as queen for a short while. Mary was not always in the best of health but, unlike her husband, there were no immediate concerns for her life.

In 1558, Queen Mary I of England passed away and Henry II of France encouraged his daughter-in- law to assume the royal arms of England. In his opinion - and that of most of Catholic Europe - Mary of Scotland was the next heir to the English throne. This belief, of course, would have serious repercussions throughout Mary's life. Elizabeth I never forgot this first offense and never rested easily while her Catholic relative was alive. But the matter was smoothed over when Elizabeth was persuadd the assumption was due more to Guise ambitions than Mary's actual wish. In 1559, Henry II of France, died at the age of 40. Mary and her husband were crowned Queen and King of France. But in June of 1560, Mary's mother died in Scotland at the age of 45. And just six months later, her young husband also died of an ear infection. Mary was understandably devastated by this chain of tragic events. Thockmorton, the English ambassador, commented that Francis had left 'as dolorous a wife as she had good cause to be. By long watching with him during his sickness and painful diligence about him' she had become exhausted and made herself ill. She wrote a poem, in French, about her grief at his death; this is a translation of one verse:

By day, by night, I think of him/ In wood or mead, or where I be/ My heart keeps watch for one who's gone./ And yet I feel he's aye with me.

What was Mary to do next? She left for Scotland, a land rife with religious and civil discord. Without waiting for a safe-conduct pass from Elizabeth, whose ships were patrolling her route, Mary set out for Scotland on 14 August 1561 and, five days later, reached Leith, the port of Edinburgh.

Scotland, 1561-68

Mary knew very well that she was succeeding to a most troubled heritage. But after her recent years of loss and grief, she was determined to make a bright future. Also, in an age of religious persecution which earned her cousin Mary Tudor the nickname 'Bloody Mary,' Mary was determined that every one of her Scottish subjects should worship God as their conscience bade; there would be no religious persecution under her rule. In this, she resembled her cousin Elizabeth I.

The Scots received their new queen with great joy and celebration. At once, she began to try and help them; within a year of her arrival, one-sixth of all Church benefices was given to the Protestant ministers to relieve their poverty. She also attempted to strengthen the power of the Crown against Scotland's notoriously difficult-to-control nobles. Of course, such a strategy would lead to more peace and stability within the realm. As a result, she was popular with the common people but not the nobility; she played croquet, golfed, went for hunts and archery practice, sung, danced, and, in general, showed an admirable zest for life. In 1562 the English ambassador reported to Elizabeth, 'When the soldiers came back from the night's sentry-duty, she said she was sorry she was not a man to be all night on the fields and to walk the causeway with buff-coat, steel-helmet, buckler, and broadsword.'

In 1563, Mary began the traditional 'royal progress' throughout Scotland. In 1564, the fourth Earl of Atholl organized a great hunt in honor of the queen and, yet again, Mary charmed all who met her. Yet she also treaded dangerous ground with her policy of non-discrimination and desire to unify the nation, taking power away from the independent nobles. Though a Catholic, Mary became friends with one of the most learned Protestants of the time, George Buchanan. In the political realm, Mary kept up peaceful relations with France, Spain, and England, though she never met Elizabeth face-to-face. But, in 1566, her patience was tried by the English ambassador's persistent and obvious spying; she ordered him out of the kingdom and declared him persona non grata. And her peace with France and Spain was kept without a treaty, though a treaty would have given Scotland some measure of protection against England in the possibility of conflict. However, Mary was aware that any treaty could compromise her subjects, involving them in yet another war and causing strife. Above all, she wanted peace and prosperity, and she kept Scotland safely distanced from political machinations. When the threat to Mary's reign finally came, it was not from one of these outside powers; indeed, it came from within her own nation.

As queen, Mary was more than aware that she should marry and provide heirs to the throne. In July of 1565, she wed a cousin named Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, a weak, vain, and unstable young man; like Mary, he was also a grandchild of Henry VIII's sister Margaret. Why Mary wed Darnley remains a mystery. He was superficially charming and, unlike most men, taller than the queen. He was also fond of courtly amusements and thus a nice change from the dour Scottish lords who surrounded her. But he never seemed to care for Mary and sought far more power than she was willing to give him. When she was six months pregnant in March of 1566, Darnley joined a group of Scottish nobles who broke into her supper-room at Holyrood Palace and dragged her Piedmontese secretary, David Riccio, into another room and stabbed him to death. They claimed Riccio had undue influence over her foreign policy but, in reality, they probably meant to cause Mary, from watching this horrific crime, to suffer a miscarriage, thus losing her child and her own life as well since one usually meant the other in the 16th century. Mary certainly believed that Darnley, angry because she had denied him the crown matrimonial, wanted to kill her and the child, thus becoming King of Scots. But it is unlikely that, had he been successful, Darnley would have long survived his wife.

After Riccio's death, the nobles kept Mary prisoner at Holyrood Palace. Entering the later stages of her pregnancy, she was desperate to escape and - somehow - won over Darnley and they escaped together. Three months later the future James VI of Scotland was born and congratulations came from all over Europe. Still young and healthy after the birth, Mary now had an heir. This was the apex of her reign, her greatest and happiest moment. In December 1566 James was baptized in the Chapel Royal of Stirling Castle. Mary, once the fragile last hope of the Stewart dynasty, was just 23 years old and had fulfilled one of a monarch's greatest duties - providing a healthy son and heir. Elizabeth of England, ten years older, watched these events with interest for, even then, she knew her own future would be - by choice - unmarried and childless. She could well imagine that Mary's son would be her heir as well.

But this future soon seemed perilous for James's birth provided only a temporary calm. The nobles who had plotted with Darnley now felt betrayed by him; after all, they had captured the queen and her potential heir, murdered her dear friend, and were in a position to demand anything. But Darnley's decision to help Mary escape infuriated them. In February of 1567 they had Darnley's house, Kirk o' Field, blown up; Darnley's strangled body was found in the garden. Many nobles were implicated, most particularly James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell. Certainly Bothwell's later life (imprisoned in Denmark, he died in 1578, virtually insane) was a degree of punishment for this crime. However, in the immediate aftermath of Darnley's murder, he met with Mary about six miles outside of Edinburgh. He had 600 men with him and asked to escort Mary to his castle at Dunbar; he told her she was in danger if she went to Edinburgh. Mary, unwilling to cause further bloodshed and understandably terrified, followed his suggestions. Bothwell's noble friends had previously pressed her to marry him and he, too, had told her she needed a strong husband who could help unify the nobles behind her. Mary had refused the proposal then, preferring to marry Darnley, but now she knew herself to be powerless. She also had an infant son to consider. So she consented to wed Bothwell, hoping that this would finally stabilize the country. Also, Bothwell showed Mary an agreement the nobles had signed which indicated they were prepared to accept him as their overlord. In May 1567 they wed at Holyrood and Mary wrote to the foreign courts that it was the right decision for her country.

But the nobles were still not to be trusted. Now, they were angry that Bothwell would be all-powerful and they decided to wage war against him. Barely a month after the marriage, rebel nobles and their forces met Mary's troops at Carberry Hill, 8 miles south-east of Edinburgh. The nobles demanded that Mary abandon Bothwell, whom they had earlier ordered her to wed. She refused and reminded them of their earlier order. To avoid the bloodshed of battle, she turned herself over and the rebels took her to Edinburgh while Bothwell struggled to rally troops of his own. Mary was taken to Lochleven Castle and held prisoner in that island fortress; fearing for her own life, she became desperately ill. She was forced to sign a document abdicating the crown in favor of her year-old son. At the end of that month, July 1567, James was crowned king and James Stewart, the Earl of Moray, Mary's bastard half-brother, became Regent. Moray wasted no time in repaying Mary's earlier kindness to him by stealing her son and jewels. Of course, Scottish history reveals that all these nefarious nobles came to a bad end - Moray was murdered just 3 years later and the next regents were also killed; in fact, her son James had one of the traitors executed in 1580, when he was just a teenager.

Mary's cause was aided in 1568 when John Hay, before his execution, made a statement from the scaffold that told how the nobles had murdered Darnley. Before this, the nobles had attempted to make the people believe Mary was responsible. Now, she was able to win sympathy and friends. George Douglas, one of the brothers of her keeper at Lochleven, helped her escape. After 10 months of captivity, she was free to fight for the throne. Her supporters gathered an army and, on their way to Dumbarton Castle, a battle was fought at Langside, Glasgow. Mary's forces lost and she was forced to flee with her supporters. Against all advice, she was determined to go south and ask Elizabeth I for support. As James's godmother and Mary's cousin as well as a fellow independent Queen, Mary felt certain Elizabeth would help her. As most know, this was the beginning of yet another chapter of suffering and misery for Mary.

The Final Years, 1568-87

Mary set sail for England on 16 May 1568. She soon arrived in Workington, Cumbria; Elizabeth did not know what to do and kept Mary guarded in the north. After all, without Mary's knowledge, she had been helping her enemies, promising money and sanctuary in return for their treacherous behavior against their queen. Elizabeth's motives for this were obvious - Mary was the closest Catholic claimant to the English throne and Elizabeth knew some of her subjects were not above hoping she could be deposed and Mary made queen of both Scotland and England. So she had determined to keep her cousin's kingdom in continual strife; if Mary was busy at home, she would have less chance to plot against Elizabeth. But Elizabeth's conscience was determined to be clear so she appointed commissioners to look into the matter; they met throughout 1568 and 1569. In December of 1569, the so-called Casket Letters were first presented at Westminster. They were supposedly letters and other papers belonging to Bothwell and found in his casket (letter box). They disappeared soon afterwards and only translations and copies remain. However, few believed they were either real or important at the time for Elizabeth, in January 1569, released a statement that 'Nothing had been sufficiently proved, whereby the Queen of England should conceive an evil opinion of her good sister.' Everyone took this to mean that Mary was not guilty of any conspiracy alleged in the letters.

But in this same year, conservative nobles in England supported an idea that Mary should wed the Duke of Norfolk. This also indicated that Elizabeth, and most English nobles, believed Mary innocent of Darnley's murder and any charges in the Casket Letters. But Elizabeth did not consent to the marriage and kept Mary under lock and key. Soon, this arrangement had settled into stone; Mary was moved from prison to prison, eventually ending up at Fotheringhay Castle, about 70 miles north-west of London and as close to Elizabeth as she ever came. Of course, Mary plotted from the very beginning to escape. She felt justified in doing so since she was being held against her will. However, as the years passed, the plots grew more outlandish and murderous. Mary's imprisonment was only to end with her execution.

Read a more detailed account of Mary's arrival in England and the plots which led to her trial and execution at the Queen Elizabeth I website.

In October of 1586, Mary was put on trial at Fotheringhay for plotting to kill Elizabeth and claim the English throne. Elizabeth's last letter to Mary was delivered at the start of the trial:

You have in various ways and manners attempted to take my life and to bring my kingdom to destruction by bloodshed. I have never proceeded so harshly against you, but have, on the contrary, protected and maintained you like myself. These treasons will be proved to you and all made manifest. Yet it is my will, that you answer the nobles and peers of the kingdom as if I were myself present. I therefore require, charge, and command that you make answer for I have been well informed of your arrogance.
Act plainly without reserve, and you will sooner be able to obtain favour of me.
Elizabeth.

Mary defended herself admirably though she had no friends or supporters at the trial and, essentially, the verdict had been decided before the proceedings had begun. Mary admitted her desire to escape but stated, 'I have not procured or encouraged any hurt against Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.' And she appealed for mercy, mentioning her own reputation for tolerance and kindness: 'My subjects now complain they were never so well off as under my government.' But she also accepted the inevitable, telling the assembled nobles, 'May God keep me from having to do with you all again.' When the verdict was read to her, she said, 'I do not fear to die in a good cause.'

The trial lasted just two days and was over on 16 October 1586 but it was not until 7 February 1587 that she was told she would be executed the next morning. She asked for her chaplain but was refused this last comfort. The Earl of Kent said: 'Your life would be the death of our religion, your death would be its life.' In fact, Mary had been a tolerant ruler in Scottish religious matters. But such was the extreme religious upheaval of the time, tolerance itself was a sign of weakness. The death-sentence was signed by Elizabeth who later argued that her secretary Davison had deceived her as to its contents; she said she would not have signed it otherwise. Her letter to Mary's son James about the execution, written on 14 February, is a remarkable document:

My dear Brother, I would you knew (though not felt) the extreme dolor that overwhelms my mind, for that miserable accident which (far contrary to my meaning) hath befallen. I have now sent this kinsman of mine, whom ere now it hath pleased you to favour, to instruct you truly of that which is too irksome for my pen to tell you. I beseech you that as God and many more know, how innocent I am in this case : so you will believe me, that if I had bid aught I would have bid by it. I am not so base minded that fear of any living creature or Prince should make me so afraid to do that were just; or done, to deny the same. I am not of so base a lineage, nor carry so vile a mind. But, as not to disguise, fits not a King, so will I never dissemble my actions, but cause them show even as I meant them. Thus assuring yourself of me, that as I know this was deserved, yet if I had meant it I would never lay it on others' shoulders; no more will I not damnify myself that thought it not.
The circumstance it may please you to have of this bearer. And for your part, think you have not in the world a more loving kinswoman, nor a more dear friend than myself; nor any that will watch more carefully to preserve you and your estate. And who shall otherwise persuade you, judge them more partial to others than you. And thus in haste I leave to trouble you: beseeching God to send you a long reign.
Your most assured loving sister and cousin,
Elizabeth R.

A year later, the Catholic Philip V of Spain invaded England with his Armada, perhaps - to some degree - urged on by Mary's execution.

Mary did not retire until two in the morning on the last day of her life. She spent her final hours making a will and generously providing to those who had served her faithfully. Early on the morning of 8 February 1587, dressed in black satin and velvet, she entered the Great Hall of Fotheringhay Castle. She commanded her servant, Melville, to go to her son and tell him that she had never done anything to compromise their kingdom of Scotland. Mary was calm and composed before the several hundred spectators present; she listened while the execution warrant was read and then prayed aloud in English for the Church and her son. She also mentioned Queen Elizabeth and prayed for her to continue to serve God in the years to come.

Mary comforted her weeping servants, her friends and supporters to the last. They helped her undress; beneath her all-black gown, she wore a red petticoat and bodice. Her women helped her attach the long red sleeves. Mary thus died wearing the liturgical color of Catholic martyrdom. She gave them her golden rosary and Agnus Dei, asking them to remember her in their prayers. Her eyes were covered with a white cloth. While her servants wept and called out prayers in a medley of languages, she laid her neck upon the block, commended herself to God and received the death-stroke. But the executioner was unsteady and the first blow cut the back of her head; Mary whispered, 'Sweet Jesus', and the second blow descended.

When the executioner lifted her head and cried out, 'God save the Queen,' a macabre surprise occurred. Mary, queen of Scots had worn an auburn wig to her execution. It was left in the executioner's hand as her head, with its short, grey hair, fell to the floor.

Mary had always loved animals and her little Skye terrier had brought her great comfort during the years in prison. It had curled itself around her feet while she knelt at the block and died just days after the queen. As queen of Scots, Mary's motto had been 'In my end is my beginning'. And certainly the end of her life marked the beginning of her legend. The Catholic nations which had condemned her behavior during Darnley's murder and the marriage to Bothwell now celebrated her as a martyr. Her former brother-in-law, Henri III of France, held a funeral mass at Notre-Dame, where Mary had wed Francis almost thirty years before. Accounts of her execution, illustrated by crude woodcuts, were sold throughout Europe. She was now the sympathetic heroine; the past could be forgotten.

Sixteen years later, Mary's son became King of England and Scotland. In 1612, he moved her body to Westminster Abbey, London, constructing a magnificent tomb which rivaled Elizabeth I's. In her Essay on Adversity, written in 1580 while she was imprisoned, Mary had written of rulers: 'Tribulation has been to them as a furnace to fine gold - a means of proving their virtue.' It was a fitting epitaph for her own infamous life.

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Mary, Queen of Scots: Biography, Facts & Information

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Mary, queen of Scots was one of the most fascinating and controversial monarchs of 16th century Europe. At one time, she claimed the crowns of four nations - Scotland, France, England and Ireland. Her physical beauty and kind heart were acknowledged even by her enemies.

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Mary I, or Bloody Mary, as many knew her, is buried BENEATH Queen Elizabeth I. Geez talk about favorites...

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During the Tudor dynasty's reign, England became one of the leading European colonial powers. From exploring new land to trade, etc.

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Henry VIII had six wives!

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Henry VIII was a hypochondriac

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Henry VIII hadn't expected to become king, his brother Arthur had suddenly died, and he ascended the throne and age 17

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One thing i learned was that during Queen Elizabeth 45-year reign, London became a cultural and commercial center where learning and literature thrived.

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One reason the English defeated the Armada was because of the weather. The strong winds and terrible rain forced many of their ship onto rocks.

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Spanish armada's task was to overthrow protestant England lead by Queen

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One cool thing I learned about the Tudor dynasty was how ruthless its leaders were and the lasting impact they had on British society. http://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Tudor

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Elizabeth I was the last of the Tudors monarchs. She never married and didn't have any children to carry on the dynasty

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One cool thing I learned was about the split of the Catholic and Protestant Church of England. One of the reasons it split was because the King wanted a son to take his crown, so he wanted to divorce his wife and remarry a young woman. The Pope wouldn't allow his request for divorce and that is one of the main reasons that the church split.
http://classroom.synonym.com/caused-england-catholic-church-separate-6935.html