Tudor London begins with Henry Tudor, who seized the English throne as Henry VII in 1485. London played a prominent role in his activities. The relative stability of the Tudor kingdom helped the city to grow rapidly during the 16th century. Henry VIII would go down as one of England's most notorious kings, and Queen Elizabeth I one of its most famous queens. The Tudor period is considered to have ended in 1603 upon the death of the childless Elizabeth.
With the throne passing to King James VI of Scotland, and I of England, Stuart London got off to a challenging start, with a severe plague epidemic that may have killed over thirty thousand people (and was a forerunner to a worse plague epidemic to come). A few years after the king's coronation, it almost finished with a bang, with the Gunpowder Plot of November 1605. Forty four years later, in 1649, the English Civil War would lead to the beheading of King Charles I in Whitehall, London.
If that wasn't enough, a Great Plague of 1665, followed by the Great Fire of 1666, just about brought Londoners to their knees, but their indomitable spirit still managed to shine through...
Learn about London in the Tudor and Stuart periods through the Britannica website...
This piece provides 10 suggested places to see examples of Tudor London...
A great piece in The Londonist of an imaginary Tube map of Tudor times...
Life for ordinary people in London in Stuart times was not easy - it was hard, and full of risk and uncertainty...
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 to blow up the Houses of Parliament is an infamous part of British history...
It's always useful to consult Wikipedia for facts and information...
Samuel Pepys was an English diarist and naval administrator. He kept a rich and detailed diary from 1660 to 1669, which offers us a rich insight into this turbulent decade in London...
The team at London Walks are renowned for the excellence of their walking tours, with highly knowledgeable guides...
Visit the permanent gallery about the 1550s to 1660s at the Museum of London, as well as their Tudor and Stuart collection...
Find out more about Tudor London through this 20-minute podcast offered by the team at London Guided Walks...
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