Tudor England | 5. The wider world

Summary

History Extra Podcast: Tudor England | 5. The Wider World Release Date: December 26, 2024

Hosts and Guests:

• Emily Brifitts – Host
• Tracey Borman – Author, Historian, and Broadcaster

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Introduction

In the fifth and final episode of the History Extra podcast series on Tudor England, host Emily Brifitts engages in a captivating discussion with historian Tracey Borman. Titled "The Wider World," this episode delves into Tudor England's interactions beyond its borders, exploring voyages of discovery, international relations, and the profound impacts of exploration on both England and the wider world.

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Travel in Tudor England

Emily: "As we're traveling around the world in this episode, how far did the average person travel in the Tudor period?" [02:18]

Tracey Borman:

"Most people in Tudor times didn't travel very far from where they lived at all. And if they did, then it would be for a purpose... People tended to stay in their local communities, and it was only really the likes of the rich, the nobles, who were required to both administer their country estates and attend court, the merchants... the monarchs themselves, who were constantly moving between their palaces..." [02:28]

Overview: While the Tudor elite, including nobles, merchants, and monarchs, were frequently on the move for administrative, commercial, or ceremonial reasons, the average Tudor citizen remained largely stationary within their localities. Travel was generally limited to essential purposes such as commerce or familial visits.

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National Identity and Relations within the British Isles

Emily: "Before we venture off into the wide world, I want to talk a bit about the British Isles. But first, how solid was the idea of English national identity at this stage?" [08:52]

Tracey Borman:

"Henry VIII has to take some credit for that because he splits from Rome and it's all about England as opposed to just being part of Roman Catholic Europe... the Tudor period saw the development of a national bureaucracy and administration, a more absolutist monarchy, a more distinctive English culture..." [08:52]

Overview: The Tudor era was pivotal in shaping a distinct English national identity. Henry VIII’s break from the Catholic Church not only redefined religious affiliations but also fostered a sense of national pride and administrative cohesion. This period saw the emergence of a centralized bureaucracy, the establishment of the English navy, and cultural milestones epitomized by figures like Shakespeare.

Relations within the British Isles:

Emily: "Looking outwards, what was England's relationship like with other countries within the British Isles?" [10:18]

Tracey Borman:

"England was always the one trying to subjugate the other countries within the British Isles... England imposing itself on Welsh laws, customs, even language... the same was absolutely true of Ireland... Scotland remained independent despite the best efforts of Henry VIII..." [10:18]

Overview: England pursued a policy of domination over Wales and Ireland, implementing English laws and customs, often facing resistance and rebellions. In contrast, Scotland maintained its independence throughout the Tudor period, with relations marked by rivalry and occasional alliances.

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Age of Discovery and Exploration

Emily: "Let's venture out even further. This was an age of discovery. Could you tell us about some notable explorers of the era?" [12:34]

Tracey Borman:

"John Cabot... Walter Raleigh... Francis Drake... Francis Drake... circumnavigated the globe... played a prominent role in defeating the Spanish Armada..." [12:44]

Overview: The Tudor period was a golden age of exploration, marked by voyages that expanded England’s geographical knowledge and maritime prowess. Notable explorers included John Cabot, who ventured to North America; Walter Raleigh, instrumental in establishing colonies; and Francis Drake, renowned for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

Advancements in Mapmaking and Navigation:

Tracey Borman:

"There was increased investment during this period in navigation and in exploration, and technology was moving on... early Tudor maps... their view of the British Isles is recognizable to the maps we see today..." [14:27]

Overview: Technological advancements in navigation and cartography were critical in facilitating exploration. Enhanced mapping techniques allowed for more accurate voyages, laying the groundwork for England's future dominance at sea.

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The Dark Side of Exploration

Emily: "What impact did these discoveries... have on the populations they encountered?" [16:10]

Tracey Borman:

"England created colonies, it subjugated, enslave, even wiped out indigenous populations... the emergence of what would become known as the slave trade... a devastating impact of this English overseas exploration..." [16:57]

Overview: While exploration brought wealth and prestige to England, it also led to the brutal colonization and exploitation of indigenous populations. The period saw the rise of the transatlantic slave trade, resource plundering, and the spread of diseases, leaving a lasting and often tragic legacy.

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Impact on Daily Life and Social Mobility

Emily: "What key discoveries were made abroad?" [18:57]

Tracey Borman:

"Olive oil... sugar... the potato... spices like pepper and ginger... citrus fruits... new ingredients, new tastes to tickle the Tudor taste buds..." [19:05]

Overview: The influx of new goods such as olive oil, sugar, potatoes, spices, and citrus fruits transformed Tudor cuisine and daily life. These imports not only diversified the English diet but also stimulated trade and economic growth.

Social Mobility:

Tracey Borman:

"There was a huge rise of trade, which fuels the development of the merchant classes... a whole new section of society... port towns and cities start to rise to prominence..." [21:12]

Overview: Global exploration fueled the rise of the merchant and middle classes, altering the social landscape. Wealth generated from trade led to increased social mobility, empowering new economic players and contributing to the burgeoning prominence of port cities like London and Bristol.

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Multicultural England

Emily: "How multicultural was Tudor England then?" [22:22]

Tracey Borman:

"Hundreds, at least of black people lived in England during the Tudor period... John Blank... Jacques Francis... London was a melting pot of different cultures..." [22:22]

Overview: Contrary to common perceptions, Tudor England was more multicultural than often acknowledged. People from various backgrounds, including Africans, Italians, and others, resided in England, especially in cosmopolitan centers like London. This diversity contributed to the rich cultural tapestry of the period.

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International Relations: Allies and Rivals

Emily: "Tell us about England's key relationships with international powers, who were their main allies and who were their rivals." [24:44]

Tracey Borman:

"Spain and France were the two superpowers... Charles V... Francis I... England was like a bone, fought over by these two dogs... Elizabeth used her unmarried state to broker alliances..." [24:44]

Overview: England’s primary rivals during the Tudor period were Spain and France, both dominant European powers. Diplomatic maneuvers, such as marriage alliances and strategic negotiations, were employed to navigate these relationships. Queen Elizabeth I, in particular, leveraged her unmarried status to form alliances while maintaining England’s sovereignty.

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Security Threats and the Spanish Armada

Emily: "What were England's geopolitical priorities in this era and how did that influence their power?" [26:12]

Tracey Borman:

"Henry VII was a great diplomat... Henry VIII was a warmonger... Elizabeth was a diplomat... the Armada was the biggest threat... the Tudor navy was pivotal in repelling adversaries..." [26:12]

Overview: Geopolitical priorities shifted with each monarch. Henry VII focused on diplomacy and fiscal prudence, Henry VIII pursued aggressive military campaigns, and Elizabeth I emphasized diplomatic alliances and naval strength. The pinnacle of Tudor naval power was showcased in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, cementing England’s status as a formidable naval power.

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Key International Events

Emily: "Could you give us five major events in international affairs during the Tudor period?" [30:49]

Tracey Borman:

"1503: Margaret Tudor marries James IV of Scotland... 1534: The Act of Supremacy... 1546: Establishment of the Tudor Navy... 1554: Mary Tudor marries Philip of Spain... 1588: The Spanish Armada..." [30:49]

Overview:

1. 1503: Marriage of Margaret Tudor to James IV of Scotland, laying the foundation for the Stuart dynasty.
2. 1534: The Act of Supremacy, marking England’s break from the Catholic Church.
3. 1546: Establishment of the Tudor Navy, enhancing England’s maritime capabilities.
4. 1554: Mary Tudor’s marriage to Philip of Spain, strengthening Catholic ties.
5. 1588: Defeat of the Spanish Armada, a decisive naval victory.

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Ordinary People’s Experience

Emily: "How did ordinary people experience events like these?" [32:26]

Tracey Borman:

"Wars were expensive... Henry VIII taxed his subjects... enlisted his subjects... ordinary people bore the brunt of the expense... sailors became vagrants because they'd served and weren't paid..." [32:26]

Overview: Ordinary Tudor citizens often bore the economic and social burdens of national endeavors. Taxes and military conscriptions impacted daily lives, while victories like the defeat of the Armada instilled national pride. However, the costs of war, such as unpaid sailors becoming vagrants, also led to hardship and social instability.

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Transition and Transformation

Emily: "Was this period one of transition or continuity?" [34:18]

Tracey Borman:

"Transition and transformation... Henry VIII ushers in a new state religion... the growth of a distinctly English culture... the birth of England as a world power..." [34:18]

Overview: The Tudor era was marked by profound transformation, encompassing religious reform, cultural blossoming, administrative consolidation, and the emergence of England as a global power. These changes signaled a significant transition from medieval structures to early modern nationhood.

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Legacy and Continued Fascination with the Tudors

Emily: "Why are we still so obsessed with the Tudors?" [35:08]

Tracey Borman:

"A quite extraordinary time... the King who marries six times, the Virgin Queen, Shakespeare, overseas exploration... dazzlingly lifelike portraits... a sense of connection with this period..." [35:08]

Overview: The enduring fascination with the Tudor period stems from its dynamic and dramatic history, featuring larger-than-life personalities, significant cultural and political developments, and visually captivating artifacts. The rich narratives of power, romance, and exploration continue to captivate modern audiences, ensuring the Tudors’ lasting legacy in popular culture.

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Conclusion

As the History Extra podcast series on Tudor England concludes, the final episode encapsulates the era’s global dimensions and lasting impacts. Through insightful discussions, Tracey Borman illuminates how Tudor England navigated a complex web of exploration, international relations, and internal transformations, shaping the trajectory of British history.

Emily Brifitts:

"Can I say, long may it continue." [35:08]

Tracey Borman:

"It's a fascinating glimpse into what life was really like... thank you for having me." [36:15]

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For more in-depth explorations of Tudor England and other historical topics, visit the History Extra website.

Transcript

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[Emily Brifitts]

Extra Production from vicious court politicking and cultural innovation to global voyages of discovery and total religious upheaval, Tudor England was a turbulent and exciting place to be. In this History Extra podcast series, we're heading right to the beating heart of the era to uncover what life was like for those who lived through it. I'm your host Emily Brifitts, and I'm joined by author, historian and broadcaster Tracey Borman. In this fifth and final episode, we'll be venturing out in search of unknown lands and riches and coming face to face with Tudor England's main allies and rivals. Welcome back.

[Tracey Borman]

It's lovely to be here for the finale.

[Emily Brifitts]

Final Time so as we're traveling around the world in this episode, how far did the average person travel in the Tudor period?

[Tracey Borman]

It feels like we've travelled a long way already in this series, but we're gonna travel further than ever before, which is not something that you could say about the average Tudor. In fact, most people in Tudor times didn't travel very far from where they lived at all. And if they did, then it would be for a purpose. So to sell goods or to visit relatives, for example. They only really Traveled if they had to. And we'll go on to why. So, on the whole, people tended to stay in their local communities, and it was only really the likes of the rich, the nobles, who were required to both administer their country estates and attend court, the merchants. Travel was integral to their profession. And of course, the monarchs themselves, who were constantly moving between their palaces, going off on progresses and even leaving the country to fight a war.

[Emily Brifitts]

Just how aware was the average ordinary person of what was happening in the wider world?

[Tracey Borman]

It's so interesting to try to gauge, and it's difficult as well, how far people actually were aware. Now, news did travel didn't travel fast, but it did travel. It was brought by passing merchants. Sermons were preached in churches announcing, you know, key developments at the heart of power. There were town criers, there was gossip, gossip spread, just as it does today, but not quickly. You know, there could be a change of monarch, the break with Rome, something huge, and it might be several days before it had actually reached every part of the kingdom.

[Emily Brifitts]

Okay, so what forms of transportation were available for people to use, both inside England, but also internationally?

[Tracey Borman]

So within England, horse and cart, that was like your typical car, really. That was the most popular form of transport. Assuming that you're not just going to walk. People did walk long distances. If you didn't own or you couldn't hire or borrow a horse and cart, you could travel in a stage wagon. This is like getting the. Which were probably carrying goods somewhere. And so you would have to kind of hunker down among straw or other commodities that that wagon might be carrying. River was another method. And particularly in London, the River Thames was like the M25 of its day. It was the most congested as well as also the most efficient way to travel, actually, because even though it was very busy, it was pretty safe. It was a comfortable journey to go by boat. So the vast amount of London's citizens would travel on the river rather than by road. People affluent enough would own a horse, and then, of course, you could ride on your own, or sometimes people could hire horses. But the roads were not as we know them today. Some of them, in fact lots of them, were little more than dirt tracks. And so road was difficult to travel by, and particularly if you're in a horse and cart, which might constantly be jolted off the road or have a wheel broken off. And in winter, if it had been recently wet, then it was a quagmire and incredibly slow and pretty hazardous to travel. Now, international travel in Tudor times was primarily by sailing ships. Not surprisingly, this was an island, of course, this sceptered isle. We had to cross the seas to go abroad. And it's lucky that this was also the age of map making and also advances in navigation as well.

[Emily Brifitts]

Something we've definitely got to come onto in a moment. But first, I'm curious how dangerous travel was in this period. What were the common hazards for travellers?

[Tracey Borman]

So there are a number of ways that you could come a cropper if you had travelling. In Tudor England, accidents were incredibly common, especially during the summer months when the agricultural season was in full swing. If you're traveling by cart or harvesting or, you know, using farm equipment or transporting farm equipment, then those dirt tracks that passed as roads could lead to a very many carts were overturned and people would break legs. Other parts of their anatomies even die in these accidents. Water was pretty dangerous actually as well. There was various accidental deaths through drowning, usually more locally. In London, the River Thames was pretty safe, but elsewhere where there were fast flowing rivers, for example, then people came to grief there. And boats, they were great for fishing, ferrying and carrying cargo, but they could be unpredictable, as Henry VIII Learned when in 1545, he watched in horror when his great flagship, the Mary Rose, of course, sank in the Solent just off the Isle of Wight. So even the biggest and the best ships were not necessarily safe, coupled with just terrible roads, unreliable boats. People travelled through unfamiliar territories. They got lost quite a lot and sometimes would encounter extreme landscapes which carried dangers of their own. The climate as well caused dangers. This was the Little Ice Age. There was often pretty treacherous weather and the weather might suddenly turn as you are traveling and then add to this dangerous mix thieves, brigands, cutpurses and highwayme. And really it's little wonder that people generally stayed at home.

[Emily Brifitts]

Before we venture off into the wide world, I want to talk a bit about the British Isles. But first, how solid was the idea of English national identity at this stage?

[Tracey Borman]

So you really get the development of a sense of English identity, national identity during the Tudor period. And Henry VIII has to take some credit for that because he splits from Rome and it's all about England as opposed to just being part of Roman Catholic Europe. So it's a very self confident time and actually it's also epitomized in Shakespeare's plays, for example, I've already referenced this sceptered isle, for example, and there's the beginning of a distinctly English style of architecture, for example, particularly in Elizabeth's reign, with these great prodigy houses, as they're called, these sprawling country house est as well, the Tudor period saw the development of a national bureaucracy and administration, a more absolutist monarchy, a more distinctive English culture, thanks to that man Shakespeare. He's come up a few times in this series, but I think rightly so, and as well, the establishment of the English navy. All of this sort of contributes towards a growing confidence in the nation and a sense of being English. But we must be careful to distinguish. We're not talking British yet, we're talking strictly English.

[Emily Brifitts]

Looking outwards, what was England's relationship like with other countries within the British Isles?

[Tracey Borman]

Difficult, in a word, England was always the one trying to subjugate the other countries within the British Isles. Various acts of union were passed between England and Wales. That sounds all very harmonious, but actually this was England imposing itself on Welsh laws, customs, even language, and really trying to make Wales part of English administration. And there were rebellions. There was certainly resistance within Wales to this overbearing English presence. And the same was absolutely true of Ireland during the 16th century. The Anglo Normans had conquered swathes of Ireland in the late 12th century and brought it under English rule, and that then kind of receded and the Irish won back more of their original lands. But Henry viii, in typical fashion, launched an attempt to conquer Ireland, calling himself King of Ireland and trying to assimilate Irish customs and language into the English state, impose English laws, for example. And that was carried on throughout the Tudor period to varying degrees of success and actually sparked rebellion, major rebellion in the reign of Elizabeth I, the nine years war that began in 1594, which really tried to oust English authority from Ireland, ultimately without success. Now, the other kingdom, of course, Scotland, now that was independent and it remained independent despite the best efforts of Henry viii, who looked back to the glory days of the hammer of the Scots, Edward I, who'd conquered Scotland, but then it had rebelled and it remained independent. And so it did throughout the Tudor period. And so they were neighbours and they boarded each other. It was not always an easy relationship, but Scotland held firm and ultimately, in a way, Scotland conquered England because it was the Scottish King, James vi, who inherited Elizabeth I's crown.

[Emily Brifitts]

Let's venture out even further. This was an age of discovery. Could you tell us about some notable explorers of the era?

[Tracey Borman]

It was such an exciting age for exploration. It felt like people were literally charting new territories, new waters and discovering new lands. So it's during this period that the likes of John Cabot, who was in the early Tudor period, he was an Italian navigator and explorer who sailed on Henry VII's commission to the coast of North America, making the first European exploration there since the Vikings, incidentally. Then more famously, Walter Raleigh, of course, Elizabeth's great favourite. He, who apparently threw his cloak over a plashy place or a puddle so that Elizabeth would not get her feet wet. Whether he did that is debatable, but what he certainly did was to undertake many different voyages on Elizabeth's behalf. To South America, for example. And he also founded a colony in North America as well. Francis Drake, he was a great seafarer. He circumnavigated the globe, an incredible feat for the 16th century between 1577 and 1580. And he's also particularly renowned for the prominent role he played in defeating the Spanish Armada in 1588. And I have to say, for his various acts of, should we call it plunder or piracy of Spanish treasure ships. And he managed to bring back a lot of gold to his queen.

[Emily Brifitts]

How did tudum mapmaking and navigation advancements contribute to these exploration efforts?

[Tracey Borman]

They made a huge contribution to that. So there was increased investment during this period in navigation and in exploration, and technology was moving on. The mapping of new territories and the establishment of trade routes became absolutely possible during the Tudor period. So the idea of what the world looked like kind of came into focus. And when you look at these early Tudor maps, they're pretty accurate, actually, some bits more than others. Clearly there are territories that they're not as familiar with, but certainly their view of the British Isles is recognizable to the maps we see today. And so technology was both keeping pace with exploration, but also sparking, encouraging, enabling exploration and leading in the future to when England, of course, would rule the waves. And it really had its origins in the Tudor period. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Upgrade your business with Shopify, home of the number one checkout on the planet. Shop pay boosts conversions up to 50%, meaning fewer carts going abandoned and more.

[Emily Brifitts]

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[Tracey Borman]

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[Emily Brifitts]

What impact did these discoveries, and I'll put that in inverted commas, have on the populations they encountered?

[Tracey Borman]

Sadly devastating in many cases. So England created colonies, it subjugated, enslave, even wiped out indigenous populations. As well as that, they spread war and disease, they exploited natural resources. And meanwhile, Elizabeth, in particular her privateers, pirates, plundered and terrorized the seas. And as a result of these shifts, these explorations, these conquests, there was a shift in the distribution of power in Europe from the east to the West. And this wasn't just because of England, but there was this destructive clash of cultures and I think worst of all, of course, the emergence of what would become known as the slave trade.

[Emily Brifitts]

So this is of course quite a dark chapter in Tudor history.

[Tracey Borman]

It really is. And so often it's overshadowed by this swashbuckling tale of pirates seizing gold from treasure ships and Drake circumnavigating the globe. And it's all gung ho and marvellous, but it's actually far from that. There is a devastating impact of this English overseas exploration. The Tudors supported the establishment of trading companies such as the East India Company in 1600. Well, that was absolutely pivotal to the growth of slavery. That growth was inexorable for a couple of centuries more. And the monarchy was central to that in encouraging this because it was very profitable, the slave trade. And it wasn't just Elizabeth, it was her successors. They all played a very, very active role in this. So it's like the dark underbelly of what's seen as a golden age. And it's one that's so important to shine a light on.

[Emily Brifitts]

I think obviously this all came at such a huge cost. What key discoveries were made abroad?

[Tracey Borman]

Well, obviously new lands and the Americas, in particular, the colony of Virginia, well, it was only named that actually during the reign of James I in 1607, but that was founded in 1585. So on the one hand, of course, just more was understood about the geography of the world and the different Lands, the different peoples that these explorers were encountering. Encountering. But also it was pivotal for trade and the import of all sorts of goods that arrived back in England. And some pretty exciting things, actually, in terms of foods, in terms of, you know, precious metals. Olive oil came in from the Mediterranean. Sugar. Now, this was a real culprit of overseas exploration, because once we got a taste for it, we never lost it. It became very, very popular from the 1570s as a prized ingredient in Tudor kitchens everywhere. Most famously the potato. And Walter Raleigh is often credited with that. People didn't immediately eat potatoes, though they smoked them. They didn't quite understand what to do with them. But the potato was here, and it was here to stay still. Part of a good old British diet today. Bangers and mash and the like. Spices. Spices like pepper and ginger, they were still quite rare and expensive, and they could only be obtained through overseas voyages. And they were used to flavor and to preserve food. Citrus fruits as well, Completely new oranges and lemons from the Mediterranean. Almonds as well. So kitchens that could afford it now had a whole array of new ingredients, new tastes to tickle the Tudor taste buds. As a result of all of these.

[Emily Brifitts]

Voyages, were there any other ways that global exploration impacted this daily life in Tudor England?

[Tracey Borman]

One of the major impacts of this global exploration was in social mobility, because, of course, there's a huge rise of trade, which fuels the development of the merchant classes, or the middle classes, as they. They become known. And so this is a whole new section of society. It's not just now dominated by the nobility who've been born to privilege. Now it's the sort of nouveau riche, those who are earning their money from trade. These are the people who are now a force to be reckoned with in society. And port towns and cities start to rise to prominence, all of those that are accepting and processing these various goods that are coming in. So, of course, the Port of London has always been important. Now Bristol, for example, is coming into its own as a very prominent part of the Tudor kingdom. And as well, people are arriving, people from all different nations, different countries. They are starting their lives over again in England.

[Emily Brifitts]

How multicultural was Tudor England then?

[Tracey Borman]

I think a lot more than is commonly thought, because we don't always read about them in the records. And there aren't that many visual depictions of people from different countries shown in the art that survives from the Tudor period. But in fact, hundreds, at least of black people lived in England during the Tudor period. And they came from Africa, Europe, the Spanish, Caribbean, and they lived everywhere, from cities and towns to rural areas. And just some notable examples. John Blank was a trumpeter in the courts of both Henry VII and Henry viii. He's shown in the Westminster Tournament role. There's actually an image of him and Jacques Francis, who was a salvage diver, actually, who gave evidence in an English court of law. And it's when they do something like that, when they appear in a court and they therefore leave a paper trail, otherwise it can be quite hard to pin them down. And there were probably many, many more than just hundreds. It's just they're the ones that we know about.

[Emily Brifitts]

It's a really fascinating glimpse into what life was really like.

[Tracey Borman]

It really is. And there is a little more evidence as well, in the form of skeletons actually found on the Mary Rose. They're not just white Englishmen, born and bred. There was a gentleman from southern Italy, for example, a carpenter, who was from the Mediterranean. And migrants came England for a variety of reasons, including not just negative ones like conquest and enslavement, but fleeing religious wars because of their involvement in trade and the mercantile community. And I think probably the most cosmopolitan place in Tudor England was London. So it was just like a melting pot of different cultures. And its residents would have been accustomed to seeing people of all backgrounds, of different skin colour, different nationalities, who spoke different languages, and they were all part of this sort of rich tapestry that was the capital of Tudor England.

[Emily Brifitts]

Fascinating. Now, tell us about England's key relationships with international powers, who were their main allies and who were their rivals.

[Tracey Borman]

So, continental Europe, Western Europe, was dominated by these two superpowers, Spain and France, and. And Spain I also count in that the Holy Roman Empire, because Charles V encapsulated both. He was Holy Roman Emperor and Spain was also under his authority. And then France, notably under Francis I. I am talking about Henry VIII's England here, because Charles V and Francis I were his two greatest rivals, and there's almost a sense that England was like a bone, fought over by these two dogs. And for Henry's reign, that's kind. Henry wouldn't have liked that description. He liked to see himself as an equal. His kingdom was every bit as great as theirs, but it wasn't. It was dwarfed by Spain and France and the empire. But it did become more of a player on the international stage during the reign of Henry's daughter, Elizabeth. And what do women know about warfare? Well, quite a lot, it turns out, because Elizabeth is great diplomat and she uses her unmarried state to broker alliances, to dangle the carrot of marriage with various overseas suitors, while knowing full well she's not gonna accept any of them. And by, of course, as well, vanquishing the Armada.

[Emily Brifitts]

What were England's geopolitical priorities in this era and how did that influence their power?

[Tracey Borman]

It very much varied according to the personality who occupied the throne as so much in Tudor England. Henry VII was a great diplomat, he was a peacemaker, and he liked to preserve the royal coffers. And those things went hand in hand because he was a very sensible man. Wars were costly things and he knew that. And he also knew he was a little bit on the back foot. Little old England there with this dubious new king, he had to make friends internationally. And of course, the feather in his cap of diplomacy was the international alliance he brokered, the marriage alliance between his son Arthur and Catherine of Arrogance, the daughter of those mighty Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. So Henry the diplomat was then succeeded by Henry the warmonger, Henry viii. He saw himself in the mould of the great medieval kings of England, like Henry V or Edward iii, who conquered vast swathes of France, who called themselves kings of France, a title that Henry VIII still used even though I kind of technically wasn't really king of anything other than Calais. But let's gloss over that. So he was always on France, very expensively, pretty, ineffectually, dare I say it, Edward not really that much interested. He tried a bit with Scotland. Mary allied herself with Spain in a fairly profound way. She married Philip II of Spain and it was all part of her Catholic resurgence. Spain was very much part of Roman Catholic Europe, and this was part of Mary's attempt to bring England back to papal obedience. But in the process as well, in terms of her international policy and events during her reign, she lost Calais, which was the last English stronghold in France. And she is reported to have said that she would die with Calais carved into her heart, whether or not she did, but she was certainly devastated by the loss. And then Elizabeth, who was much more like her paternal grandfather, Henry vii. She was a diplomat, she didn't really like wars. She recognized they had uncertain outcomes. She used that potential wedding ring as an incentive to broker those alliances. But of course, she also had a head on collision, though, with Philip of Spain, who I think continued to see himself as having a right to England. He'd been married to Elizabeth's sister, he'd been kind of king in England. He wanted a piece of it again. Elizabeth wasn't willing to give it, certainly didn't want to marry him. So she had to face the biggest seaborne invasion attempt since 1066. But the wind blew in the right direction. The English navy came good and the Armada was defeated. And then Elizabeth's England was a power to be reckoned with.

[Emily Brifitts]

Well, we mentioned the Spanish Armada. What were the main security threats to England?

[Tracey Borman]

The Armada was certainly the biggest threat, but there was the endemic threat of invasion from across the Channel, from France, from Spain. Closer to home though, from the Scottish border. This is where Henry VIII and indeed the other Tudor monarchs had to put a lot of resource because there was something called the old alliance between Scotland and France and England lay smack bang in the middle of that. And it was a dangerous alliance for the Tudors. The fact that their immediate neighbour and their neighbour across the Channel were very old allies and Scotland could do a lot with the might of France at its back. And so probably that was one of the greatest threats actually to England's security. A land borne invasion was always easier than a seaborne. Henry VIII responded to this. He built lots of coastal forts, strengthened defences on the Scottish borders and he also began the navy. And this is when England really did rule the waves. The establishment of the Tudor navy by Henry VIII was pivotal in helping England to repel their foreign adversaries.

[Emily Brifitts]

As we don't have time in this podcast series to chart every major event in international affairs in the Tudor period, could you give us five?

[Tracey Borman]

This is when I'm a hostage to fortune again, because listeners will email, they'll post, say, why on earth did you not mention that one? But here goes. So I would say 1503, Margaret Tudor marries James IV of Scotland. And the reason that I'm putting that in the mix is because this will be the birth of the Stuart dynasty that rules over England once the Tudors have died off. And so it all traces back to the children, or the child in particular of this marriage between the Tudors and the Stuarts. So that was a key moment. 1534, the act of Supremacy breaks with Rome. The break with Rome, it's the elephant in the room. We cannot ignore it. Actually, it separates England from the rest of of Europe, Brexit style. So it's a pivotal moment in international affairs. I would say 1546, the establishment of the Tudor Navy. 1554, Mary Tudor marrying Philip of Spain. And then I'm gonna sneakily put in an addendum to that with her loss of Calais four years later. And then 1588, the Armada, the great victory, the beginning of the cult that is Gloriana, and the beginning of England's world presence very Succinct rundown.

[Emily Brifitts]

I'm hoping. I'm sure you won't get into trouble with our listeners. Listeners, please don't get her into trouble. So how did ordinary people experience events like these?

[Tracey Borman]

Ordinary people experienced them in a number of ways. On the one hand, there was a sense, I think, of pride in national and international victories, certainly with the Armada, which was celebrated nationwide. But wars were expensive and as ever, it was the ordinary people who bore the brunt of this expense. The King, certainly Henry VII did, but Henry VIII in particular, he taxed his subjects and he also enlisted his subjects, they had to serve in his various campaigns, whether it was against France or against Spain. So this really impacted on people's lives in both a financial way, but also in a fundamental way. He put lives at risk, many lives. Just look at how many lives were lost in the sinking of the Mary Rose, for example. Now, Elizabeth I's reign was a time of prosperity and success for some, but it also led to hardship for others. And even from this great victory, the Armada, famously, Elizabeth left many of her own sailors unpaid and they were forced to really wander the streets begging. They became vagrants because she'd impoverished them, they'd served her for weeks, for months, and she didn't recompense them. Much as I love Elizabeth, it's hard to forgive her for that. So I think to summarize, on the one hand, yes, the people of England had something to celebrate and get behind and this emergence of a sense of national identity, but it hit them in their pockets.

[Emily Brifitts]

As we're coming to the end of this episode and this series, I think it's time we're a little bit reflective. Was this period one of transition or continuity?

[Tracey Borman]

Transition and transformation. England underwent huge changes during the reigns of three generations of Tudor monarchs from 1485 to 1603. So much happened in that 118 year period. Henry VIII ushers in a new state religion, increasing the confidence of the state, reforming central and local administration. There's the growth of a distinctly English culture, the birth of England as a world power. It's all condensed into this single, very defined, very transformative period.

[Emily Brifitts]

And lastly, I've got to ask it, why are we still so obsessed with the Tudors?

[Tracey Borman]

I think see above, I think everything we've discussed over the course of these five episodes, this was a quite extraordinary time. You literally couldn't make it up. Not only the sort of big events and the wars, you have the King who marries six times, you have the Virgin Queen, Shakespeare, overseas exploration. There's no wonder. And then on top of this, it's also the age where you have these dazzlingly lifelike portraits of the Tudor court and their monarchs and their palaces. And I think that gives us a sense of connection with this period. For the first time, we can really experience the dazzling colour of the Tudor world in a way that we couldn't for earlier centuries. And so for me, there's no wonder we're obsessed with the Tudors. And can I say, long may it continue.

[Emily Brifitts]

Thank you so much for joining me. This episode and this series. Tracey, it's been an absolute pleasure.

[Tracey Borman]

It's been such, such a joy. Thank you for having me.

[Emily Brifitts]

And that brings us to the end of the episode and to the end of the series. Thank you so much for joining us. If you'd like to find out more about Tudor England or indeed hear more from Tracey, be sure to head over to the History Extra website where there's plenty more fascinating content for you to check out.

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