Who were the Tudors?
The Tudors were a Welsh-English family that ruled England and Wales from 1485 to 1603.
It was one of the most exciting periods in the British history and they were famous for many things!
Let's find out some information about the most brutal dynasty in the English history.
Read about the most famous Tudor king, King Henry VIII.
Put the bolded verbs into the past simple form.
King Henry VIII
In 1509 Henry Tudor ___________ (become) King of England under the name Henry VIII. He ___________ (be) only 18 years old and he ___________ (love) singing, reading and writing. After his brother's death he ___________ (marry) his brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon. He ___________ (want) a son, but they___________ (have) only one daughter Mary. Therefore, he ___________ (decide) to divorce Catherine but the Pope, the Head of the Catholic Church, ___________ (not let) him. However, Henry ___________ (not listen) to the Pope, so he ___________ (break) off relations with the Catholic Church and ___________ (start) the Church of England.
Not long after that he ___________ (marry) again. His second wife was Anne Boleyn. She ___________ (give) birth to a daughter named Elizabeth. Henry and Anne's marriage ___________ (not go) well. Anne Boleyn was put in prison and was soon ___________ (behead) at the Tower of London.
Jane Seymour became Henry's third wife but she ___________ (die) soon after she had a baby son.
He ___________ (get) married 3 more times. He married Anne of Cleves but he divorced her in less than a year.
At the age of 49 he got married for the fifth time. Catherine Howard was 30 years younger than him and when he ___________ (see) her with a younger man his soldiers ___________ (kill) her.
Catherine Parr was his last wife and she was still alive when King Henry dies in 1547.
Now do the reading comprehension tasks about the text.
1. Choose the correct answer.
In 1509, Henry Tudor became King of England at the age of:
a) 25 b) 18 c) 30
Henry VIII's first wife was:
a) Jane Seymour b) Anne Boleyn c) Catherine of Aragon
Which institution did Henry VIII break off his relations with?
a) Church of England b) Anglican Church c) Protestant Church
Anne Boleyn was executed at:
a) Windsor Castle b) Buckingham Palace c) The Tower of London
2. Are the statements true or false? Circle the correct answer.
Henry VIII's desire for a son led to his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. T F
Jane Seymour, Henry's third wife, outlived him. T F
Catherine Howard was executed after being caught with a younger man. T F
Henry VIII divorced Anne of Cleves after only a year of marriage. T F
Catherine Parr was alive when he passed away. T F
Henry VIII had six wives.
Here are some more information about them.
Read and watch!
What happened to Henry's children?
Watch the video and find out.
All three of Henry VIII's legitimate children – Mary, Elizabeth and Edward – became queens or kings of England. They played an important role in both British history and the history of the royal palaces.