Royal Disability and the Question of Succession

Physical health and vigor were paramount in Tudor monarchs due to the political importance of producing heirs and leading armies. Disabilities or illnesses in royal heirs could complicate succession and destabilize the realm. Prince Edward (later Edward VI): Edward VI, Henry VIII's only legitimate son, suffered from chronic ill health and possi

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Historical Reputation: Villain or Visionary?

For centuries, Cromwell’s reputation oscillated between villain and visionary. Tudor-era chroniclers often depicted him as a scheming minister who manipulated the king and ruthlessly suppressed enemies. However, modern historians have reassessed him as a brilliant administrator and reformer who navigated impossible political circumstances with

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Cromwell and the Royal Marriages

Cromwell’s influence extended deeply into the king’s personal life. He was instrumental in orchestrating Henry’s marriages after Anne Boleyn’s execution. He arranged the king’s third marriage to Jane Seymour, whom Henry credited with giving him a male heir. Later, Cromwell engineered the politically controversial marriage to Anne of

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