The Late Tudors

Join us for a lively dive into one of the most iconic and transformative periods in English history—the Tudor Dynasty. From sweeping religious upheavals to dazzling displays of royal power, the Tudors reshaped the English state and its identity. We’ll explore the dramatic personal and political decisions of Henry VIII—his six marriages, his break with Rome, and the birth of the Church of England—as well as the deft rule of his daughter, Elizabeth I, who navigated religious divisions, foreign threats, and internal plots to usher in a Golden Age.

Topics for Discussion

• The Field of the Cloth of Gold
• The Break with Rome and the Dissolution of the Monasteries
• The Pilgrimage of Grace
• The Execution of Anne Boleyn
• The Birth of Edward VI and the Succession Crisis
• The Spanish Armada
• Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement
• Mary, Queen of Scots and the Babington Plot
• The Rise of the Elizabethan Theatre
• The Cult of Gloriana
• Exploration and the Age of Drake and Raleigh
• The Essex Rebellion and the End of the Tudor Line