Tudor Monarch Profiles: Each of the Five Tudor Rulers Compared
Each Tudor monarch compared: birth and death, age at accession, length of reign, marriages, burial place and what each is best known for, from Henry VII to Elizabeth I.
Last updated September 2026
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A Tudor monarch sat on the English throne from 1485 to 1603. There were five of them: Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. This page puts them side by side, with their ages, reign lengths, marriages and burial places, and a short profile of each. For the dynasty as a story, with its family line and the disputed claim of Lady Jane Grey, see the house of Tudor page.
TL;DR: Henry VII (reigned 1485-1509) founded the dynasty. Henry VIII (1509-1547) broke with Rome. Edward VI (1547-1553) was a boy king. Mary I (1553-1558) was the first crowned queen regnant. Elizabeth I (1558-1603) reigned 44 years and was the last Tudor monarch.
Each Tudor monarch compared
| Monarch | Born | Age at accession | Reign | Died, aged | Buried |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry VII | 28 Jan 1457, Pembroke Castle | 28 | 1485-1509 | 52 | Westminster Abbey |
| Henry VIII | 28 Jun 1491, Greenwich | 17 | 1509-1547 | 55 | St George's Chapel, Windsor |
| Edward VI | 12 Oct 1537, Hampton Court | 9 | 1547-1553 | 15 | Westminster Abbey |
| Mary I | 18 Feb 1516, Greenwich | 37 | 1553-1558 | 42 | Westminster Abbey |
| Elizabeth I | 7 Sep 1533, Greenwich | 25 | 1558-1603 | 69 | Westminster Abbey |
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Each date in the table is checked against the Royal Family website's profile of that monarch and against Britannica. Dates are in the Julian calendar used in England at the time.
| Monarch | Spouse(s) | How the reign began | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry VII | Elizabeth of York | Conquest at Bosworth | Reviewed |
| Henry VIII | Six wives, from Catherine of Aragon to Katherine Parr | Inheritance | Reviewed |
| Edward VI | Never married | Inheritance | Reviewed |
| Mary I | Philip of Spain, later Philip II | Inheritance, after displacing Lady Jane Grey | Reviewed |
| Elizabeth I | Never married | Inheritance | Reviewed |
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Henry VII: the founder
Henry VII was born at Pembroke Castle in Wales, three months after his father died. He spent 14 years in exile in Brittany and France. He won the throne in 1485 and married Elizabeth of York to unite the rival houses.
As a Tudor monarch he stands out for careful finance and firm control of the nobility. He built up the Crown's income and left a large reserve. He also married his daughter Margaret to James IV of Scotland, a match that later brought the Stuarts to the English throne.
Henry VIII: the king who broke with Rome
Henry VIII came to the throne at 17. Most people remember his reign for his six marriages and for the English Reformation. The Act of Supremacy of 1534 made him head of the Church of England, and his government closed the monasteries between 1536 and 1541.
He also built up the navy and spent heavily on war with France. The order of his marriages, and how each ended, is on the Henry VIII wives in order page.
Edward VI: the boy king
Edward VI was Henry VIII's only legitimate son. He was nine when he became king. His uncle Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, ruled for him first, and then John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland.
Edward's reign made England more firmly Protestant. The Book of Common Prayer, in English, appeared in 1549 and was revised in 1552. Edward died of illness at 15, after trying to leave the crown to Lady Jane Grey.
Mary I: the first crowned queen regnant
Mary I was the daughter of Catherine of Aragon. She was the first woman to be crowned queen of England in her own right. She restored Catholic worship and married Philip of Spain in 1554.
Protestant writers remembered her reign for the burning of Protestants for heresy, which earned her the name "Bloody Mary" in later Protestant writing. England also lost Calais in 1558. She died that November, aged 42, without children.
Elizabeth I: the last Tudor monarch
Elizabeth I was the daughter of Anne Boleyn. She restored the Protestant Church of England in 1559 and kept a broad religious settlement for most of her reign. Her navy defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Elizabeth never married, and she was called the Virgin Queen. She died at Richmond Palace on 24 March 1603. With her death the Tudor line ended, and James VI of Scotland became king. The other ruling queens appear beside her on the queens of England page.
Mary I and the title of first queen regnant
First queen regnant of England.
Status: Disputed. Depends on how Matilda and Jane Grey are counted.
Note: Mary I is usually called the first queen regnant, meaning the first woman crowned to rule England in her own right. Empress Matilda claimed the throne in 1141 but was never crowned. Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed in 1553 but never crowned either. The Royal Family website lists Jane as a monarch, so some readers see her as the first.
Sources: The Royal Family, "Mary I"; The Royal Family, "Lady Jane Grey".
G. J. Meyer's The Tudors covers all five monarchs, from Henry VII to Elizabeth I. It leads our guide to the best Tudor books.
Verdict: choosing the right Tudor monarch
Each Tudor monarch has a clear place: Henry VII the founder, Henry VIII the reformer, Edward VI the boy king, Mary I the Catholic queen, and Elizabeth I the long-reigning last of the line. Elizabeth reigned longest and lived longest. Edward reigned and lived the shortest. For every monarch since 1066, see the England royal family hub.
Sources checked for this page
- The Royal Family, "Henry VII"
- The Royal Family, "Henry VIII"
- The Royal Family, "Edward VI"
- The Royal Family, "Mary I"
- The Royal Family, "Elizabeth I"
- Britannica, "House of Tudor"
- Britannica, "Edward VI"
Questions people also ask
Who was the first Tudor monarch?
Henry VII, who won the crown at the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485.
Who was the last Tudor monarch?
Elizabeth I, who died on 24 March 1603 at Richmond Palace. She had no children, so the crown passed to James VI of Scotland.
Which Tudor monarch reigned the longest?
Elizabeth I, for 44 years. Henry VIII is second, at almost 38 years.
Where are the Tudor monarchs buried?
Four are in Westminster Abbey: Henry VII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Henry VIII is buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, beside Jane Seymour.