May 31st 1533: Henry VIII is King of England. His former wife Catherine of Aragon has been banished from court. Suzannah Lipscomb, Henry VIII & Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History I & II, Channel 5 2014
To have her as his Queen, Henry had moved Heaven and Earth. ibid.
When Anne became Queen she was already pregnant. ibid.
Henry had passed controversial new laws designed to remove the Pope’s authority in England. ibid.
Such a severe head injury could be partly responsible for the marked change in Henry’s personality. He became an increasingly brutal and cruel king. ibid.
It was a relationship of sunshine and storms. ibid.
Anne’s final downfall was swift and sudden. ibid.
Henry VIII is the most infamous monarch in English history … The six Queens were phenomenal individuals. Suzannah Lipscomb & Dan Jones, Henry VIII & His Six Wives, Channel 5 2016
So why did Henry choose Catherine? … She was ready to fight to defend her husband’s crown. ibid.
She captivated King Henry VIII and together they destroyed the Queen – Catherine of Aragon. But Anne grew too confident, and she paid for the Crown with her life. Suzannah Lipscomb & Dan Jones, Henry VIII and His Six Wives II
Henry VIII had a terrifying jousting accident. He still had no male heir. ibid.
Her whole world collapsed in just three weeks. Anne knew she was innocent. But at last she chose to accept her fate with dignity. ibid.
Henry made his most disastrous marriage yet to Anne of Cleves. Suzannah Lipscomb & Dan Jones, Henry VIII and His Six Wives III
Not everyone shared Henry’s high opinion of Jane. ibid.
Henry had fallen for the beautiful Catherine Howard, Anne’s teenage lady in waiting. ibid.
He got rid of Anne in less than three weeks. ibid.
After four failed marriages, Henry VIII wed the ravishing Catherine Howard – the ravaging teenage wife of his dreams. Suzannah Lipscomb & Dan Jones, Henry VIII and His Six Wives IV
His final wife, Catherine Parr, appeared to be more obedient. But she wasn’t all that she seemed. ibid.
Henry believed he had finally found his perfect wife; but he didn’t live long enough to enjoy it. ibid.
Elizabeth I was England’s greatest Queen. She was strong-willed, passionate and brave. But beneath the image of a magnificent ruler was a vulnerable woman surrounded by danger. Dan Jones & Suzannah Lipscomb: Elizabeth I s1e1: Battle for the Throne, Channel 5 2017
Elizabeth survived assassination attempts, rebellions and a blood feud with her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots. ibid.
Thomas Seymour had his eyes on someone else: the 14-year-old Elizabeth. ibid.
In 1554 Princess Elizabeth was implicated in a plot to overthrow her sister Queen Mary. ibid.
Saying she was married to the country sounded fantastic but it was just words. Dan Jones & Suzannah Lipscomb: Elizabeth I s1e2: The Enemy Within
Mary had done what Elizabeth had failed to do: given her country an heir. James was now another threat to Elizabeth’s crown: he was a King in waiting. ibid.
‘The pretended Queen of England, a slave of Wickedness … We do declare here to be deprived of her pretended title to the Kingdom …’ ibid. Papal Bull
From the moment Elizabeth was born she was thrust into a blood game in which the stakes were life and death. Dan Jones & Suzannah Lipscomb: Elizabeth I: Death of a Dynasty s1e3
Philip worked hard to keep his massive invasion fleet secret but Elizabeth had spies everywhere. In February 1587 intelligence reports reached Elizabeth’s chief spy Sir Francis Walsingham and adviser William Cecil. ibid.
Elizabeth had beaten the most powerful empire in the world. ibid.
When Essex saw the cannon being wheeled into position he knew the game was up. He had no choice but to surrender. ibid.
Nearly six hundred years ago England was torn apart by a series of bloody battles for the throne. In just thirty years the Crown changed hands seven times. Tens of thousands were slaughtered. It was one of the most turbulent and violent periods in British history: it’s known as the Wars of the Roses. Dan Jones, Britain’s Bloody Crown I, Channel 5 2016
Henry [VI] gave another of his cousins the job of managing England for him – Lord Somerset. ibid.
York’s absolutely certain that he should be in charge; Margaret’s absolutely certain she should be in charge … York storms out of London and begins to gather troops. ibid.
Richard Duke of York has come to London expecting to be made Lord Protector of England. He has accused the Queen’s man Somerset of treason and demanded to take his place in charge of England. ibid.
Henry VI has woken after a year in a catatonic stupor. Queen Margaret’s ally Somerset is immediately released from the Tower. It’s a disaster for the Duke of York. ibid.
Margaret’s troops march north … Margaret outnumbers York two to one … She brings the King along for legitimacy. ibid.
Less than a year later, his great ally Warwick attacks the royal army at Northampton. Queen Margaret escapes … York has made his decision – he’s going to take the Crown … They take the Queen’s revenge. ibid.
1461: Britain’s weakest King, Henry VI, is barely clinging to power. Richard Duke of York has been killed trying to snatch the throne from him. Three months later, York’s son Edward takes his revenge on the King. Dan Jones, Britain’s Bloody Crown II
In May 1465 Elizabeth Woodville is crowned Queen of England. All the great Nobles attend except one. The Earl of Warwick. The Kingmaker. It’s a direct snub to the King and his new Queen. ibid.
Redesdale demands the Queen’s family, the Woodvilles, are removed from power. King Edward heads north to crush him. ibid.
After ten years in captivity, Edward releases Henry VI from the Tower. ibid.
The most infamous story in the entire blood-soaked era happens twenty years after the Wars of the Roses begin – the slaying of two innocent young boys – the Princes in the Tower. Dan Jones, Britain’s Bloody Crown III: The Princes Must Die
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, plans to become Protector of England and take control of the young King, Edward V. He claimed he wanted to work with the King’s guardian, Earl Rivers. Instead, Richard arrests Rivers for treason. ibid.
With his main opponents dead or neutralised the throne is Richard’s for the taking. ibid.
Henry VI is back on the throne of England. It’s not going well. In March 1471 Edward IV lands in Yorkshire claiming that he only wants his Dukedom returned. ibid.
Henry died … Edward has had him killed. ibid.
Henry Tudor, a minor noble and rank outsider beats the infamous Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth and becomes Henry VII, the first Tudor king. Dan Jones, Britain’s Bloody Crown IV
Margaret Beaufort’s story spans the whole of the Wars of the Roses. She works in the shadows through three decades of turmoil to protect her only child … This woman ends the conflict. ibid.