On 24 March 1603 Queen Elizabeth I breathed her last and – left with no legitimate heir – the House of Tudor came to an end after more than 100 years on the English throne.
Beginnings
The House of Tudor was founded in 1485 when Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III in battle, ending the War of the Roses and capturing the throne as King Henry VII. His claim was then reinforced when he united…
Queen Elizabeth I’s long-lost skirt to go on display after being found in a Herefordshire church
8th January 2017
A piece of fabric that was used as an altar cloth will now become one of the star attractions of Hampton Court Palace after it was identified as the only surviving piece of clothing worn by Queen Elizabeth I. The pattern of the cloth is very similar to the bodice worn by…
Queen Elizabeth I – known also as ‘The Virgin Queen’, ‘Gloriana’ or ‘Good Queen Bess’ – ruled as Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Tall, slender and with the characteristic Tudor red hair Elizabeth was a woman of…
Britain has two months to raise £10m to save most famous Armada portrait of Elizabeth I
23rd May 2016
The famous Armada portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, which was once owned by Sir Francis Drake, is to be sold for the first time in 400 years, as a £10m campaign is launched to save it. It has been privately held by the Tyrwhitt-Drake family for generations and it is now up for sale. The Art Fund and Royal Museums Greenwich has launched a fundraising campaign to save it for the nation and needs to…
A group of friends in the town of Sandwich have written to The Queen asking her to honour a 444 year old debt, which is now thought to be in the region of £8 billion.
The debt comes after Queen Elizabeth I made a promise back in 1572; where she agreed to pay for dredging…
Shakespeare exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of his death held at Windsor Castle
13th February 2016
With the 400th anniversary of playwrighter William Shakespeare’s death, Queen Elizabeth is marking the occasion with a display at Windsor Castle.
The event that starts Saturday will display treasures demonstrating the link between her family and Shakespeare, such as a…
It is The Queen’s weekend home and is apparently her favourite royal residence. But did you know that Windsor Castle is also the home of many royals from years and centuries gone by. In this piece we explore the ghostly goings on at Windsor Castle and just who haunts the 1000 year old fortress.
King Henry VIII
The ghost of the second Tudor King is said to be Windsor Castle’s most famous…
Alexandrina Victoria chose to reign as Queen Victoria
There are few circumstances in which one may pick their name, ascending the throne is one such. Upon becoming Sovereign, the new King or Queen may choose to use a new name to reign in. This is known as a regnal…
