1. English Monarchs in Shakespearean England
Tudors and Stuarts
English Monarchs in Shakespearean England

2. King Henry VIII Third monarch from the House of Tudor
Created the Church of England and Anglicanism when the Pope refused to grant him an annulment
Could divorce and marry who he pleased as the head of the church
Married six times: 2 divorces, 2 beheadings, 1 died, and 1 outlived him

3. Catherine of Aragon Annulled Devout Catholic
Married Henry’s older brother, Arthur
Married Henry after Arthur died
Refused to grant Henry a divorce or annulment
Daughter, Mary

4. Anne Boleyn
Henry broke from Rome and created a religion so he could marry her
Daughter, Elizabeth
Son, stillborn
Beheaded for adultery

5. Jane Seymore Third wife Son, Edward Died two weeks after child birth
Henry was devastated because of her death

6. Anne of Cleaves Advisors convinced Henry to marry a protestant German
After seeing her for the first time, Henry said, ‘She looks like a horse.’
Annulled
Given title of ‘The King’s Beloved Sister’
Remained close friends

7. Catherine Howard Beheaded Teenager when she married Henry, who was 49
Had an affair with Henry’s courtier, Thomas Culpepper
Both were executed for adultery

8. Catherine Parr Was twice a widow when Henry married her Outlived Henry
Married once more
Close friend to all Henry’s children

9. King Edward VI Henry’s only living son Anglican
Became king at the age of 9
Died from an illness at age 15
Rumoured he was poisoned

10. Queen Mary Henry’s eldest daughter Became queen after Edward’s death
Devout Catholic
Tried to restore Catholicism in England
Nickname ‘Bloody Mary’
Died of cancer

11. Queen Elizabeth Anglican
Reigned for 42 years during England’s Golden Age
Never married
No children
Nicknamed ‘Virgin Queen’
Named her 2nd cousin, King James VI of Scotland, a protestant, her successor
Was monarch when Shakespeare arrived in London

12. King James I Son of Mary Queen of Scots, a Catholic
Queen Elizabeth, her cousin, signed Mary’s execution warrant for treason
James was raised as a protestant
First English monarch from the House of Stuart
Helped prevent the “Gunpowder Plot” by Catholics who tried to assassinate him and blow up Parliament
Secured his place on the English throne

13. King James and Macbeth
Play was written shortly after he took the throne
Setting is Scotland
Banquo, a major character, is a distant relative of King James
James was a self-proclaimed expert on witchcraft
Witches and magic are prominent in the play
James liked short plays
Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest play
King James gave Shakespeare a royal commission as a playwright