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Chapter Text

 16 May 1511

Westminster Abbey, England 

  Catherine sat on the throne and watched as the archbishop placed the crown on her head. At that moment she realized - she was already anointed Queen of England. She looked to the other throne and there she saw Arthur - her loving husband, with whom she had been on the verge of death 9 years ago. Both had contracted the sweating sickness and it was feared that they wouldn't survive and the Tudors would be left with only one male heir. But in the beginning of April, the Prince and Princess of Wales recovered and with them the hope of a peaceful reign and a Golden Age. 

  It took them a year for Catherine to become pregnant, but when she did it, the joy was great and everyone, especially the king and Queen, hoped to have a healthy grandchild. Her pregnancy was easy and in January 1504 she gave birth to her first daughter, who named Elizabeth. At first Catherine was worried about Arthur's reaction to them having a daughter, but he fell in love with their red haired baby girl and proudly showed her off to people. King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York were happy to welcome their first granddaughter and hoped boys would follow. 

  They didn't have to wait long, because in November 1505 the long-awaited male heir was born and was named Henry. His birth celebrations were more lavish than his sister's, but Catherine and Arthur loved their children equally. After three years, the Spanish princess gave birth to her second son, Prince Arthur. She and her husband were only 22 and 21 at the time, but they had already produced two healthy male heirs for the dynasty. With this birth, the old king could rest easy, knowing that the succession was now more secure. He was proud of his firstborn son and his daughter inaw and that his life's work would be continued. 

  Unfortunately, after these happy events, the Tudors had to experience one loss - Henry VII died in March 1511 at the age of 54. His death ended the reign of the first Tudor monarch and his son Arthur and his wife ascended the throne. 

  When he saw her looking at him, Arthur smiled at his wife, and during the celebration he surreptitiously placed a hand on her stomach. They hadn't shared the news with others, but they were soon to announce that the second Queen of the Tudors was pregnant for the fourth time. 

 Arthur I (1486-1532)

m. 14 November 1501 for

Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536)

1. Elizabeth b. January 1504

2. Henry VIII b. November 1505

3. Arthur b. May 1508

4. Mary b. December 1511

5. Margaret b. June 1514

6. John b. September 1516

Chapter Text

  Elizabeth of York was a Queen of England from 16 years. She was married for Henry VII and they were happy with each other and she did her duty and gave birth six children. Unfortunately, only four survived – her second daughter Elizabeth (b.1492) died in 1495 and her third son Edmund (b.1499) died in 1500. Elizabeth was very upset, but the Tudor dynasty was still insured with two male heirs – her sons Arthur (b.1486) and Henry (b.1491). They also have two daughters, Margaret (b.1489) and Mary (b.1496). 

 In November 1501, their heir Arthur was married for the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon. This unite with Spain was a victory for Henry VII and the newly created dynasty. Elizabeth hoped that her son and his bride will have a lovely marriage like she and Henry. After one month the new couple  were sent in Ludlow castle, when Arthur studied hard for his future role as king. Everything lined up well for his parents. But only five months of marriage, the Prince of Wales died of the sweat sickness. This was the personal hit for Elizabeth. She couldn’t believe that her dearly son was dead. Arthur was a blessing, because was born only eight months after their wedding. But now he wasn't here. 

  Despite her health after previous births, Elizabeth decided to try again for her husband and England. After two months of Arthur’s death, she was pregnant again. This seven pregnancy was very hard and she pried to have easy birth. 

  On 02.02.1503 in Tower of London, the Queen gave birth a premature daughter, who named Katherine. The Princess died after 8 days, but the worst news was that Elizabeth also got sick. She started to get worse and on her 37^th birthday had a fear that she will died, but she recovered. Henry VII was grateful and decided to not take a risk again to sleep with her. They still had one son, who was healthy and will continue the line succession. 

  In June, their daughter Margaret travelled to Scotland to get married for James IV. Elizabeth was very proud with her daughter, who become Queen of Scotland. Her other daughter Mary was engaged in 1506 for Catherine of Aragon’s nephew, Charles V, and they were married in May 1514. Mary become Empress of HRE in 1519.

  Their son Henry was married for his brother’s widow. In the beginning, the king wanted another bride for his son, especially after Catherine’s mother death in November 1504, but Elizabeth said him that Catherine was already ready to have a children. So in July 1505 Henry and Catherine were married. They fall in love with each other and soon Catherine become pregnant. In May 1506 she gave birth a son, who named Henry. Everyone was happy and Henry VII and Elizabeth were relieved. In the following years the princess gave birth five children, but only three survived – one son and two daughters. 

  Henry VII died in August 1512 at the age of 55. Elizabeth follow her husband in November 1514 at the age of 48. They were buried together. Their son Henry and his bride Catherine was one of the best Tudor monarhs.

 Henry VII (1457-1512)

m. 18 January 1486 for

Elizabeth of York (1466-1514)

1. Arthur, prince of Wales (1486-1502) m. November 1501 for Catherine of Aragon

2. Margaret, Queen of Scotland (1489-1541) m. August 1503 for James IV (1473-1521)

     - James (1507-1508)

     - Margaret b. January 1509

     - Arthur (1509-1510)

     - James V b. April 1512

     - Alexander, Duke of Ross b. April 1514

     - Elizabeth b. October 1517

3. Henry VIII (1491-1547) m. July 1505 for Catherine of Aragon (1485-1539)

    - Henry IX b. May 1506

    - Elizabeth b. September 1508

    - stillborn son 1510

    - Edward, Duke of York b. October 1511

    - stillborn daughter 1513

    - Mary b. February 1516

4. Mary (1496-1538) m. May 1514 for Charles V, HRE (1500-1558)

    - Mary b. May 1515

    - Juana b. October 1516

    - Philip b. August 1519

    - miscarriage 1521

   - Maximilian b. January 1523

   - Isabel b. April 1525

Chapter Text

  Edmund never thought he could become King of England. He was the third son and always knew that his brothers would have children early and so he would be further down the line of succession. 

  But the things are not as he imagined - his brother Arthur died of sweat illness at just 15 years of age, leaving the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon a widow. It was a personal blow to his parents, but at least they had two more sons, Prince Henry and Prince Edmund. At first, King Henry VII was going to marry his second son to his brother's widow, but after her mother's death and her father's refusal to pay the rest of the dowry, he decided to find him another princess. So he settled on Catherine's niece, Eleanor of Austria. She was seven years younger than Prince Henry, but would bring a larger dowry and have more time to bear children. The contract was concluded in the spring of 1506 and Eleanor would come to England in 1513. 

   Unfortunately, his father's plan wasn't to be carried out, because after his death in April 1509, the new king Henry VIII took his Catherine as his wife. Edmund knew that his brother secretly liked her, but he was surprised that he had acted bravely and defied their father's wishes. Catherine quickly did her duty and was pregnant just two months after their wedding, but went into labor prematurely in January 1510. The child was a stillborn daughter. Everyone was upset, but just four months later the Queen was pregnant again. She carried the child to term and on 1 January 1511, gave birth to the long-awaited son. Edmund was happy for his brother and sister in law and hoped one day to teach his nephew martial arts.

  But at the happiest moment, tragedy struck - the king fell from his horse during the festive tournament for the birth of his son and died. Everyone was devastated and their new king was only a month old. Unfortunately, the little prince died in February, leaving Edmund as the new Tudor king. It was a shock to him, because he never wanted to be the center of attention like his brother. He wanted to live a quiet life with in the countryside, but now he had to rule England and get married quickly. 

  He settled on his brother's ex-fiancée Eleanor, who was only 4 months older than him. Maximilian I quickly agreed and the contract was signed by the end of the year. Eleanor would have sailed for England in early 1514, because she had to wait until Edmund was 15 and ready to live with his wife. They were married at Richmond Palace in May of that year. Edmund and Eleanor quickly like each other and their marriage is good from the start. The new king follows his father's example and is faithful to his wife, much to everyone's delight. The new Queen of England became pregnant at the beginning of the summer and in February 1515 gave birth to a son, who was named Henry. They had five more children and only one dying shortly after birth. 

  The two rule England successfully, bringing peace and tranquility. When Edmund died in 1544, he was succeeded by his son, Henry IX. Eleanor lived until 1558 and was buried next to her husband in Westminster Abbey. 

    Edmund I Tudor (1499-1544)

m. May 1514 for 

Eleanor of Austria (1498-1558)

1. Henry IX b. February 1515

2. Elizabeth b. October 1516

3. Margaret b/d August 1519

4. Edmund, Duke of York b. December 1521

5. Mary b. April 1524

6. Edward, Duke of Somerset b. June 1527

Chapter Text

  On 1 January 1511, Catherine of Aragon gave birth to her first living child at Richmond Palace. The Queen's previous pregnancy ended in a stillborn daughter and she and Henry were devastated by the loss, but they wasted no time and soon announced to the court that she was pregnant again. And after a long labor that began on the last day of 1510, the Tudors had a male heir. All of England began to celebrate with the happy parents who were over the moon to have a boy. In a lavish ceremony, the prince was christened Henry after his father and grandfather and given the title Duke of Cornwall. His godparents were King Louis XII of France and Catherine's former sister-in-law, Margaret of Austria. The king created a large household for his heir, and at the queen's request, Margaret Pole and Margaret Bryan became governesses to the future king. And when all was ready, Catherine and Henry left their son in Richmond. At the end of February they had received the news that the prince had fallen ill, but, fortunately, had recovered quickly. Then his parents decided that he should live in Eltham Palace, in the fresh air and away from disease. 

  Prince Henry was the only child of his mother and father for three years. In early 1513, Catherine became pregnant for the third time, but because of her regency and her riding to encourage the English before the battle with Scotland, she gave birth prematurely to a son who survived only a few hours. Returning from France, Henry was slightly saddened and was inseparable from his wife. Months later, Catherine conceived again and on 14 December gave birth to a second son, named Edward. In the spring of 1515, the ceremony took place at which Prince Henry became Prince of Wales, early the following year, his sister Mary was born.

  As their firstborn son grew into a tall and athletic Renaissance prince, the king and queen had the important task of finding him a bride. They didn't have to look long as they both agreed to ask for the hand of the Portuguese Infanta Maria. She was the third daughter of King Manuel I and his wife Maria of Aragon, sister of the Queen of England. Under the influence of their wives, Manuel and Henry quickly formed an alliance and it was agreed that the princess would come to England after her 15th birthday. Catherine was overjoyed that her niece would succeed her as Queen.

  In May 1528, Mary arrived at the port of Southampton, and from there, together with Prince Edward, she made her way to Greenwich Palace. The King and Queen quickly accepted her as a second daughter, and when she and the Prince of Wales saw eye to eye, they fell in love. After the wedding on the 17th, the two headed to Ludlow, where they trained together for their future roles and raised a large family.

  After a 42-year reign, King Henry died on 5 April 1551 at age of 59. Catherine outlived him by three months and witnessed the coronation of her son and daughter-in-law. Henry IX and Queen Mary reigned long and peacefully.

Henry IX (1511-1575)

m. 17 May 1528 for

Maria of Portugal (1513-1580)

    1. Katherine b. July 1529

    2. Mary b. April 1531

    3. Henry X b. November 1533

    4. Edward b. February 1536

    5. Elizabeth b. September 1538

    6. John b. December 1540

Chapter Text

  From a young age, Eleanor dreamed of being a great Queen like her grandmother, Isabel I of Castile, and caring for the country she would reign over. When her aunt Margaret told her that she was engaged to Prince Henry Tudor, the heir to the throne of England, she was over the moon with joy and began to imagine herself sitting next to him on the throne, helping him through the difficult times of his reign and creating together big family. She had even thought of some names she wanted to use for her future children. But when the old king died and Henry took the throne, he broke off his betrothal to her and married her Spanish aunt, Catherine of Aragon. At first Eleanor thought it was a joke and that he wouldn't refuse her, an Austrian archduchess and granddaughter of an emperor for a woman five years his senior, but the ambassadors confirmed it. When they said that they were very much in love with each other and already expecting their first child, Eleanor shut herself up in the chambers she cried for days. Her sister Isabel visited her every day and reassured her that he was not the only king in the world and in the future she would receive many offers from other countries who would be proud to make her their queen. Her words somewhat comforted her older sister and made her look at the situation positively.

  While Eleanor gradually forgot about her grief, the situation in England was not rosy for her ex-fiancé and her aunt. Catherine's first pregnancy ended with a dead daughter at six months, and the second with a live son, who lived for one month. The lack of rest between pregnancies took its toll on her health, and her regular fasts further complicated her recovery. Before Henry left to campaign against France, Catherine conceived a third time, but her son was born in the eighth month and survived only a few hours. The inability to give him an heir disappointed Henry and their marriage was no longer as happy and harmonious as in the first months after the wedding, but the need for a son made him continue to sleep with her regularly. In the summer of 1514, Catherine announced that she was expecting a fourth time. Everyone is praying that this time she will carry the child to term and give birth to a healthy prince, but in November, shortly before she stepped down, the Queen gave birth to a stillborn son. She failed to recover properly and on November 22nd she died. Her death devastates Henry, but he has no time to waste and after the funeral begins his search for a new wife. On the advice of Thomas Wolsey, he decided to renew the alliance with Burgundy.

  Eleanor was slightly surprised, but secretly pleased that she would become Queen of England after all. Her grandfather agrees to give her to Henry, and during preparations for her departure, she begins to study English customs and language. On March 27, 1515, Eleanor set foot on English soil, and three days later she and Henry met for the first time. On April 5, in a spectacular ceremony at Westminster Abbey, she became his second wife. Both were fascinated by each other and willingly performed their duty. In early September, after they had settled in Greenwich, Eleanor proudly announced that she was pregnant. The news delighted Henry, and throughout her pregnancy he kept showering her with gifts and poems extolling her beauty.

  After their first New Year celebration together, Eleanor enters the darkened rooms in February with some of her close English ladies. Weeks before their first wedding anniversary, The Tudors are blessed with a healthy and well-built prince. The kingdom and the people were elated and celebrated for a long time with the royal family. The prince was named Edward, and when his mother was purified, she was crowned as Queen in the abbey. The following Christmas, Ned, as everyone called him, got a brother named Henry.

  Eleanor and Henry ruled together for 35 years, and when her husband died in 1553, the Dowager Queen retired to his beloved Greenwich Palace, where she resided until her death in 1558.

Henry VIII (1491-1553)

m. 5 April 1515 for

Eleanor of Austria (1498-1558)

1. Edward VI b. March 1516 

2. Henry, Duke of York b. December 1517

3. Mary b. July 1520

4. Elizabeth b. October 1522

5. Edmund, Duke of Somerset b. April 1525

6. Margaret b. January 1528

Chapter Text

  April 9th ​​is the date Elizabeth of York lost a loved one, but also gained another. On this day in 1483, her father, Edward IV, died and left his family devastated, as the king of the York dynasty was 40 years old and his heir was only 12 years old and had to rule with a regency council. But while their uncle Richard assured them that he would take care of his two nephews by lodging them in the Tower of London, the Dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville was wary and she and her daughters sought refuge in Westminster. From there they learned from trusted servants that the Duke of Gloucester had declared his brother's marriage invalid, their children bastards, and proclaimed himself king. The former royal family spent about a year in the dark rooms of their asylum.

  In early 1484, the king publicly swore that he wouldn't harm his nephews and even intended to marry them off. Elizabeth and her sister Cecily returned to court as courtiers to Queen Anne Neville, while their mother and their other sisters, Anne, Katherine and Bridget, remained at Westminster. The two former princesses quickly realized that they had nothing to worry about and begin to relax and enjoy their life at court more and more. But then two misfortunes happened - the son of their uncle and Anne, their cousin Edward, died and at the end of the year and his mother.

  After Queen's death, rumors spread that Richard would marry Elizabeth, because for a year he had secretly loved her and she loved him too. Elizabeth was outraged. Her uncle denied these lies, which most people didn't believe, as the king had been negotiating a double marriage with the sister of King John II of Portugal, Joanna, and their cousin Manuel for Elizabeth since the beginning of the new year. The treaty was signed on February 6th, 1485, and a month later Elizabeth left for Portugal, where she married 16-year-old Manuel on April 9th. Joanna and Richard married on the 24th.

  Her new life as Duchess of Viseu appeals to Elisabeth and she fulfills her duties with ease, much to the delight of her husband and the royal family. Manuel gradually falls in love with his beautiful and gentle wife and even helps her learn Portuguese. In England, Richard was also happy with his new wife, and after defeating the challenger Henry Tudor on August 22, who had promised to marry Cecily if he wins and becomes king, he receives news that Joanna is pregnant and a letter from Portugal that his niece too. On January 3, 1486, the York dynasty gained a new male heir, named Richard. In Portugal, on the 21st, Elizabeth gave birth to a daughter named Isabel to her and her mother. In the following years, the two couples continued to expand their families. 

  On July 13, 1491, Manuel's nephew and heir to the throne of Portugal, the Infante Afonso, died riding, and four years later so did his father, the king himself. And thus Elizabeth, who was once a princess, a bastard and a duchess, became the Queen of one of the rich countries of Europe. She and her husband have enjoyed a harmonious life for years till her death in 1520 and his a year later.

Elizabeth of York (1466-1520)

m. 9 April 1485 for

Manuel I of Portugal (1469-1521)

1. Isabel b. January 1486

2. John III b. August 1487

3. Beatrice b. December 1489

4. Ferdinand, Duke of Beja b. March 1492

5. Duarte, Duke of Guarda b. October 1494

6. Maria b. June 1497

Richard III (1452-1503)

m. 24 April 1485 for 

Joanna of Portugal (1452-1505)

1. Richard IV b. January 1486 

2. Cecily b. May 1488

3. Edmund, Duke of York b. November 1490

4. Mary b. December 1492

Chapter Text

  Mary Tudor, daughter of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, knew deep down that she would one day become Queen, but she not assumed it would happen so soon. Her dear mother had experienced four losses before giving birth to her, and two years after her appearance she suffered another premature birth, ending any hope of a male heir. Her father was disappointed and, according to those close to him, intended to annul his marriage to Catherine and marry the lady Anne Boleyn, but even if it was true, this did not happen, because during one of the jousting tournaments in May 1526, the king was seriously wounded and died a few hours later at Greenwich Palace. His death shocked everyone in the country, especially his advisers, who took it upon themselves to organize a regency council for his daughter. Although the people adored the princess, they were not happy with a girl ascending the throne, fearing a repeat of the Empress Matilda story, but since the king's bastard, Henry Fritzroy, had died two years earlier, there were no other alternatives.

  On October 15th, Mary was crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey in a lavish but small ceremony. The Dowager Queen Catherine sat at the front and watched with tears in her eyes as her daughter sat on the throne and took the scepter and orb. It was hard on her that Mary had to take up the rule of England so early instead of enjoying her childhood. But she was also proud that she would be the ruler of her country like her grandmother Isabel I of Castile.

  After the coronation, Catherine and the regents began looking for a husband for her. The first proposal was for Mary to marry an English nobleman, but it was quickly rejected as most didn't want an Englishman to rise to such a high position and others to resent and rebel. The second proposal was for her to marry her cousin, James V of Scotland, and for them to unite the two kingdoms, but James refused the marriage, as he wanted to keep the old alliance with France and marry one of the daughters of Fransoa I. Finally, Catherine directed the counselors to Duarte of Portugal, the sixth son of her late sister, Maria of Aragon. The Infante was a year older than Mary, and given the five brothers before him, he had no chance of becoming king and the country meddling in England's politics, so the men agreed to negotiate with his brother João III.

  On November 6, 1527, the Anglo-Portuguese union was concluded. Due to the minors of both, Duarte didn't come to England until the spring of 1530, when he and Mary were married on 23 May. The marriage was consummated after the Queen's 15th birthday. After the wedding, her husband becomes Prince Consort.

  Mary and Duarte (called by the English version of his name Edward) take a quick liking to each other and take great pleasure in fulfilling their duties. On their first wedding anniversary, Mary announced that she was pregnant and the court fervently prayed that the royal couple would have a healthy child. Their wish comes true shortly before Christmas, when the Queen gave birth to a son who was named Henry after his father and grandfather. All over England bells are rung and bonfires are lit to let everyone know that the Tudors have an heir. Catherine was delighted with her grandson and spends as much time with him as possible, while his parents tour their estates and run the country. The Dowager Queen welcomed two more grandchildren before she died on 7th January 1536 at the age of 50. Mary was devastated by the loss of her mother, but with the support of Duarte and the care of her children and the people, she gradually recovered.

  Reigning peacefully for 41 years, Mary I died on 17 November 1567 at the age of 51. Duarte took her death hard and at the beginning of the new year he died and was buried next to her in Westminster Abbey. Their son Henry IX continued his mother's politics with his lovely wife Maria of Austria.

Mary I Tudor (1516-1567)

m. 23 May 1530 for

Duarte of Portugal (1515-1568)

1. Henry IX b. December 1531

2. John, Duke of York b. September 1533

3. Katherine b. February 1535

4. Arthur, Duke of Somerset b. July 1538

5. Miscarriage (1540)

6. Mary b. April 1542