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Period: 1509 to 1547
Henry VIII’s reign
Henry VIII reigned since he was 17 and died in 1547. it's during his reign that the Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church.
He also had 6 wives, two were divorced, two beheaded, one died and the last died after him; and three of his children reigned after him: Edward, Mary and Elizabeth. -
1517
The Ninety-Five Thesis
It is a famous text written by Martin Luther, a German monk and professor of theology. It is considered the starting point of the European Reformation. In it, he criticizes the Indulgences and the Church's corruption. It was spread through Europe, mainly thanks to the printing press, alongside cheap pamphlets also criticizing the Church. -
1526
The Tyndale Bible
The Tyndale Bible was the first Bible translated in vernacular English, thus allowing Protestantism to spread through England. Its name comes from the translator, William Tyndale, who was after executed on the 6th of October 1536 for translating it. -
1534
Act of Supremacy
In 1929, the Pope rejected Henry VIII request for a divorce. Thus, the King created the Act in Restraints of Appeals, which gave him the power to annul marriages, and he married Anne Boleyn in 1533. For that, the Pope excommunicated the King and proclaimed Anne Boleyn as an illegitimate wife. Then, Henry VIII created the Act of Supremacy, making him the "Supreme Head of the Church of England". This marks the schism between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. -
1536
The Pilgrimage of Grace
In 1536, Henry VIII decided that monasteries were bastions of popery and disbanded them. But, the dissolution process was interrupted by rebellions in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. They were the greatest rebellions faced by a Tudor monarch. They lasted 6 months and were called "The Pilgrimage of Grace". All social classes participated in it: common people, gentry and the clergy. The repression was brutal, with exemplary public hangings. -
Period: 1547 to 1553
Edward VI’s reign
Edward VI was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. He was only 9 when his father died and Edward Seymour, the Earl of Herford and soon Duke of Somerset, became Lord Protector. During this reign, a series of measures pushed England towards Protestantism. He died at 15 of tuberculosis, leaving the country virtually bankrupt. -
1549
Book of Common Prayer
It is a new mass prayer book introduced by Edward VI, and it eradicated Roman Catholic practices, allowed the marriage of clergy and was imposed in all Churches, replacing the Latin services with English, which led to rebellions in Cornwall and Devon. -
Period: 1553 to 1558
Mary I’s Reign
Mary was the eldest daughter of Henry VIII and of Catherine of Aragon, she was the first Queen regnant and was 37 y-o when she became Queen. She managed to restore Catholicism in 18 months and repealed the Protestant legislations of her father and half-brother. She was called "Bloody Mary" because, under her reign, over 200 protestants went to the stake. At the end of her life, she had turned all the nation against her. -
Period: 1558 to
Elizabeth I's Reign
The Reign of Elizabeth I is still today associated with the Golden Age of England: she stabilized the Church of England by giving it principles that still exist. She stayed in power 45 years without ever getting married, which led to her being called the "Virgin Queen". -
1559
The Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity
Elizabeth I was in a tricky position, she wanted to go back to Protestantism, but she needed a Via Media to appease everyone. She then passed new legislation: the Act of Supremacy of 1559 which focuses on the Church organization, abolishing the Pope's authority while restoring the Queen's one as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England; but also the Act of Uniformity of 1559, imposing the Book of Common Prayer and people who did not attend Anglican services were fined. -
1569
The Northern Rebellion
Even though Elizabeth opted for a Middle way, trying to appease everyone, some were not happy with the new legislations. The Catholics were part of the Northern Rebellion. It was rebellions against religious reforms, which included 6000 insurgents. They attempted to replace the Queen by Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. This rebellion was crushed and led to persecution of Catholics, among other things. -
1570
Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth I
At first, the Pope Pius V believed that Elizabeth, by choosing a Via Media would go back to Catholicism. By seeing that she didn't, he issued a papal bull called "Regnans in Excelsis" in which he called Elizabeth the "So-Called Queen" and "a heretic favouring heretics". He also excommunicated her and gave Catholics licence to kill her by giving them the certainty that it would not be considered a crime by Rome. -
The execution of Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Stuart or Mary Queen of Scots was the cousin of Elizabeth and a pious Catholic. In 1568, she was involved in a Civil War and had to flee to England, where she was imprisoned for 19 years because she was a threat to Elizabeth, as she was of royal blood, close to France and Spain, but also the legitimate heir in Catholic's eyes. After the Babington Plot in 1586, which had for goal to replace Elizabeth by Mary, she was beheaded in 1587 wearing a red dress, symbol of Catholic martyrs. -
The Defeat of Spanish Armada
Because of political and religious reasons, Philipp II, the King of Spain attempted to invade England, but his armada, which, at the time, was nicknamed the Invincible Armada, was crushed for multiple reasons. This defeat acted as proof of the extraordinary qualities of Elizabeth and as a reaffirmation of the English naval power. It also acted as national cohesion and enhanced the idea of a divine protection, reaffirming Elizabeth political and religious power.