Tudor Royal Progresses

Last updated

Tudor Royal Progresses were an important way for the Tudor monarchs to consolidate their rule throughout England. [1] Following his victory at the Battle of Bosworth in August 1485, the first Tudor monarch, Henry VII, ensured his coronation (November 1485), called a parliament (November 1485), married Elizabeth of York (January 1486) – all in London before embarking on his first Royal Progress in March 1486. [2] The last Tudor Royal Progress took place in summer 1602, [3] as Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch died in March 1603. [4]

Contents

Henry VII: 1485–1509

Henry VII traveled widely in England in his first few years as King, largely to consolidate his rule after the Wars of the Roses. As he grew older, and particularly after the death of his wife Queen Elizabeth in 1503, the King traveled less. [5] The king spent most of his reign at Windsor Castle or Richmond Palace which he rebuilt in 1497 and where he died in 1509.

YearMonthsLocationsDetails
11486March - August Lincoln, Nottingham, York, Worcester, Hereford, Gloucester, Bristol and to Whitehall via Putney Henry progressed to Lincoln for Easter, then to York, by way of Nottingham. While in York he dispersed the abortive rising of the Yorkists led by Lord Lovell. Henry VII then progressed south where he spent Whitsun in Worcester and by way of Bristol back to London. When the royal couple reached Putney where they progressed by barge back to Whitehall with the Lord Mayor of London. [6]
1486September-October Winchester Henry removed his wife Queen Elizabeth and the court to Winchester for the birth of his heir Prince Arthur, due to it being the supposed location of King Arthur's castle of Camelot. Prince Arthur was born on 20th September and christened on the 24 September. [7]
21487May - October Norwich, Walsingham, Kenilworth, Nottingham, then fought the Battle of Stoke Field, Lincoln, Pontefract, York, Durham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne Henry progressed first to Norfolk and after visiting the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, moved to the Midlands to face and defeat the pretender Lambert Simnel at Battle of Stoke Field. After defeating the rebels Henry VII then celebrated his victory in Lincoln and moved north by way of Pontefract, York and Durham to Newcastle. While there he opened negotiations with James IV, before returning to London for his second parliament in November. [8]
31492September - November Dover, Calais, Boulogne, Étaples, return to London via Kent Henry VII launched an abortive invasion of France, traveling through Kent and the Pale of Calais, to besiege Boulogne, before agreeing to the Peace of Étaples after three weeks of campaigning and returning to London by 22 November. [9]
41495June-July Lancashire, Lathom House and Knowsley Hall Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth visited his step-father Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby at his new houses of Lathom and Knowsley Hall. [10]
51497October - November Exeter Henry VII visited Exeter to receive the submission of the city after the capture of the pretender Perkin Warbeck who had attempted to capture the city the previous month, He returned to London on the 27 November. [11]
61500May - June Calais Henry VII traveled to Calais for discussions with Philip the Handsome Duke of Burgundy. The two met outside the walls of Calais on 9 June at St Peter Church. [12]
71503June - July Collyweston Henry VII escorted his daughter Margaret Tudor from Richmond Palace north, to the residence of his mother Margaret Beaufort of Collyweston Palace in Northamptonshire. This was a part of her journey north to Scotland to marry James IV. [13]

Prince Arthur

Henry VIII: 1509–1547

YearMonthsLocationsDetails
11510June - September Corfe Castle, Southampton, Salisbury, The Vyne, Rotherfield Greys Castle Malshanger and Woking Henry VIII's first progress focused on Dorset and Hampshire. The King stayed with William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys at The Vyne and with Robert Knollys at Rotherfield Greys Castle, ending with a tournament at Woking.. [15]
21511January Walsingham Henry VIII visited Walsingham to give thanks for the birth of his short lived son Prince Henry. [15]
1511July-September Northampton, Leicester, Nottingham, Coventry and Warwick Henry VIII and Queen Katherine of Aragon traveled across the Midlands. [15]
31513June-October Calais, Thérouanne, Lille, Tournai As part of the War of the League of Cambrai Henry VIII invaded France by way of Calais in June 1513. He besieged the town of Thérouanne through the summer, defeating a French attempt to relieve the town at the Battle of the Spurs on the 16 August. Thérouanne fell to the English on 22 August. Henry then moved on to besiege Tournai by way of Lille where he was hosted by Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy. Tournai fell on the 23 September, Henry celebrated mass in Tournai Cathedral on 2 October and returned to England via Calais on 21 October. [16]
41520May-July Dover, Calais, Guînes, Field of the Cloth of Gold, Gravelines 1518 saw the Treaty of London (1518), also known as the treaty of perpetual peace between the major European powers. 1520 covered complex negotiations between Henry, Charles V and Francis I with Henry called upon to arbitrate between the two. The monarchs were also anxious to meet one another. After meeting with Charles on 27 May at Dover Henry proceeded separately, with Queen Katherine of Aragon and his court to Calais. In a valley between the Pale of Calais and the French possessions Henry and Francis met at the Field of the Cloth of Gold where from 7 June to the 24 June both monarchs engaged in discussions, jousts dancing and other pageantry with their courts. [17]

After bidding goodbye to Francis Henry and Katherine then met with Charles and his aunt Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy at Gravelines on 10 July. There they concluded a separate treaty of friendship and agreed not t make any new agreements with the French king for two years on 14 July, before Henry and Katherine returned to England. [18]

51522May-July Dover, Canterbury, Sittingbourne, Rochester and Gravesend, Windsor, Winchester and Southampton Charles V visited England on the way to Spain, landing at Dover on 26 May, to be met by Henry on 28 May. The two then traveled to Canterbury on the 29 May and Sittingbourne on the 30 May. They then traveled to Rochester on 1 June, and Greenwich Palace on 2nd June via Gravesend. The two entered London on the 6 June, staying until the 9 June when they proceeded to Southwark, Richmond, Hampton Court and Windsor.They remained at Windsor from the 12 June to the 20 June and signed the Treaty of Windsor (1522). They then traveled to Winchester where they arrived on the 22 June and on the 6 July Charles departed for Spain from Southampton. [19]

Edward VI: 1547–1553

1552: Edward VI embarked on a short progress to Guildford, but this was soon abandoned. [21]

Mary I: 1553–1558

As a Princess, Mary Tudor accompanied her father on royal progresses.

As Queen, Mary was less ardent about making royal progresses. The unpopularity of her husband and her own ill health led her to remain in her royal residencies near London.

Elizabeth I: 1558–1603

The Elizabethan Royal Progresses played an important role in enabling Elizabeth I to exercise and maintain her royal authority. During each year of her 44 years reign she insisted her court accompanied her on a progress in the spring and summer months. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry VII of England</span> King of England from 1485 to 1509

Henry VII, also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth of York</span> Queen of England from 1486 to 1503

Elizabeth of York was Queen of England from her marriage to King Henry VII on 18 January 1486 until her death in 1503. She was the daughter of King Edward IV and his wife, Elizabeth Woodville, and her marriage to Henry VII followed his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field, which marked the end of the civil war known as the Wars of the Roses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masque</span> Courtly entertainment with music and dance

The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio. A masque involved music, dancing, singing and acting, within an elaborate stage design, in which the architectural framing and costumes might be designed by a renowned architect, to present a deferential allegory flattering to the patron. Professional actors and musicians were hired for the speaking and singing parts. Masquers who did not speak or sing were often courtiers: the English queen Anne of Denmark frequently danced with her ladies in masques between 1603 and 1611, and Henry VIII and Charles I of England performed in the masques at their courts. In the tradition of masque, Louis XIV of France danced in ballets at Versailles with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tudor period</span> Historical era in England coinciding with the rule of the Tudor dynasty

In England and Wales, the Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603, including the Elizabethan era during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603). The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England, which began with the reign of Henry VII. Under the Tudor dynasty, art, architecture, trade, exploration, and commerce flourished. Historian John Guy (1988) argued that "England was economically healthier, more expensive, and more optimistic under the Tudors" than at any time since the Roman occupation.

John Duncan Mackie CBE MC (1887–1978) was a distinguished Scottish historian who wrote a one-volume history of Scotland and several works on early modern Scotland.

Vice-Admiral Lord Henry Seymour (1540–1588) was an English naval commander and Admiral of the Narrow Seas during the Elizabethan Age.

Susanna(h) A Hornebolt or Horenbout was the first known female artist in England and the Tudor dynasty. The daughter of Flemish artist Gerard Hornebolt and sister of Lucas Horenbout, Susannah learned to paint with her father. She gained recognition in Europe in 1521 when Albrecht Dürer bought her illumination, The Savior.

James Calfhill was an Anglican priest, academic and controversialist, who died as Archdeacon of Colchester and Bishop-designate of Worcester.

Ralph or Ranulph Cholmley, of London, was an English politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partlet</span> 16th-century fashion accessory

A partlet was a 16th-century fashion accessory. The partlet was a sleeveless garment worn over the neck and shoulders, either worn over a dress or worn to fill in a low neckline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronation of Elizabeth I</span> Initiation rite performed to Elizabeth I of England on 1559

The coronation of Elizabeth I as Queen of England and Ireland took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on 15 January 1559. Elizabeth I had ascended the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her half-sister, Mary I, on 17 November 1558. Mary had reversed the Protestant Reformation which had been started by her two predecessors, so this was the last coronation in Great Britain to be conducted under the authority of the Catholic Church. Historians view Elizabeth's coronation as a statement of her intention to restore England to Protestantism, but to allow the continuation of some Catholic customs, a compromise known as the Elizabethan Settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Princely Pleasures, at the Court at Kenilworth</span> 1576 book by George Gascoigne

The Princely Pleasures, at the Court at Kenilworth (1576) by George Gascoigne, is an account of courtly entertainments held by Robert Dudley, the first Earl of Leicester upon Queen Elizabeth I’s three weeks visit to his Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire in 1575. Based on European festival book models, Gascoigne's pamphlet is an idealized version of the courtly revels occasioned to entertain the Queen during her stay at the castle from 9 July to 27 July.

Dorothy Hastings was a courtier to Elizabeth I of England and Anne of Denmark

Mary Radcliffe or Ratcliffe (1550-1617) was a courtier of Queen Elizabeth I of England.

The Harefield Entertainment included hospitality and performances for Elizabeth I of England in August 1602. Several copies of the performance script survive, probably written by John Davies, along with the original manuscript accounts of the Queen's host which seems to have been manipulated by literary forgery in the 19th-century to enhance their interest.

The Hermit's Welcome at Theobalds was an entertainment for Elizabeth I performed in May 1591, based around a hermit.

Philadelphia, Lady Scrope was an English aristocrat and courtier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Tamworth</span> English courtier, Member of Parliament and ambassador

John Tamworth was an English courtier, Member of Parliament (1563), and ambassador to Scotland.

A silkwoman was a woman in medieval, Tudor, and Stuart England who traded in silks and other fine fabrics. London silkwomen held some trading rights independently from their husbands and were exempted from some of the usual customs and laws of coverture. The trade and craft of the silkwoman was encouraged by a statute of Henry VI of England as a countermeasure to imports of silk thread, and a suitable occupation for "young gentlewomen and other apprentices".

A chamberer was a female attendant of an English queen regnant, queen consort, or princess. There were similar positions in aristocratic households.

References

  1. ↑ "Royal progresses and their importance - Tudor Tuesdays". Hever Castle. Hever Castle Ltd. 11 May 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  2. ↑ Wheeler, Helen (30 July 2017). "King Henry VII 1485 - 1486 Chronology - Tudor Nation". www.tudornation.com. Tudor Nation. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  3. ↑ Pearce, Ken. "History Show - Queen Elizabeth I comes to Harefield". You Tube. Uxbridge FM. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Elizabeth I slept here - a look at the Queen's summer progresses". British Heritage. British Heritage Travel. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  5. ↑ Neil Samman, 'The Progresses of Henry VIII, 1509–1529. In: MacCulloch, D. (eds) The Reign of Henry VIII. Problems in Focus Series'(Palgrave London, 1995), p.59
  6. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), p.68
  7. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), p.68-70
  8. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), pp.70-77
  9. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), pp.108-109
  10. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), pp.157-158
  11. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), pp.146-147
  12. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), pp.167
  13. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), p.161
  14. ↑ C. E. McGee, 'Mysteries, Musters, and Masques', Jayne Elisabeth Archer, Elizabeth Goldring, Sarah Knight, Progresses, Pageants, and Entertainments of Queen Elizabeth (Oxford, 2007), p. 109.
  15. 1 2 3 Neil Samman, 'The Progresses of Henry VIII, 1509–1529. In: MacCulloch, D. (eds) The Reign of Henry VIII. Problems in Focus Series'(Palgrave London, 1995), p.60
  16. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), pp.279-280
  17. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), pp.309-310
  18. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), p.310
  19. ↑ J.D. Mackie, 'The Earlier Tudors, 1485-1558'(Oxford University Press, 1952), p. 311
  20. ↑ Historical Manuscripts Commission, 12th Report, Appendix 9: Gloucester (London, 1891), p. 444.
  21. 1 2 Cole, Mary Hill (1999). The portable queen: Elizabeth I and the politics of ceremony (PDF). Amherst: University of Massachusetts press. ISBN   1-55849-214-3.
  22. ↑ Historical Manuscripts Commission, 12th Report, Appendix 9: Gloucester (London, 1891), pp. 442–3.
  23. ↑ Melita Thomas, The King's Pearl: Henry VIII and his daughter Mary (Amberley, 2017), pp. 80-83.
  24. ↑ C. E. McGee, 'Mysteries, Musters, and Masques', Jayne Elisabeth Archer, Elizabeth Goldring, Sarah Knight, Progresses, Pageants, and Entertainments of Queen Elizabeth (Oxford, 2007), p. 109: David Loades, Mary Tudor (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1989), p. 45.
  25. ↑ Siobhan Keenan, 'Spectator and Spectacle: Royal Entertainments at the Universities in the 1560s', Jayne Elisabeth Archer, Elizabeth Goldring, Sarah Knight, Progresses, Pageants, and Entertainments of Queen Elizabeth (Oxford, 2007), p. 87.
  26. ↑ Siobhan Keenan, 'Spectator and Spectacle: Royal Entertainments at the Universities in the 1560s', Jayne Elisabeth Archer, Elizabeth Goldring, Sarah Knight, Progresses, Pageants, and Entertainments of Queen Elizabeth (Oxford, 2007), p. 95.
  27. ↑ C. E. McGee, 'Mysteries, Musters, and Masques', Jayne Elisabeth Archer, Elizabeth Goldring, Sarah Knight, Progresses, Pageants, and Entertainments of Queen Elizabeth (Oxford, 2007), p. 105.
  28. ↑ C. E. McGee, 'Mysteries, Musters, and Masques', Jayne Elisabeth Archer, Elizabeth Goldring, Sarah Knight, Progresses, Pageants, and Entertainments of Queen Elizabeth (Oxford, 2007), p. 115.
  29. ↑ Zillah Dovey, An Elizabethan Progress: The Queen's Journey into East Anglia (Stroud: Alan Sutton, 1996).
  30. ↑ Peter Davidson & Jane Stevenson, 'Elizabeth's Reception at Bisham', Jayne Elisabeth Archer, Elizabeth Goldring, & Sarah Knight, The Progresses, Pageants, & Entertainments of Queen Elizabeth (Oxford, 2007), p. 207.
  31. ↑ Elizabeth Zeman Kolkovich, The Elizabethan Country House Entertainment: Print, Performance and Gender (Cambridge, 2016), pp. 61–72.
  32. ↑ Elizabeth Zeman Kolkovich, The Elizabethan Country House Entertainment: Print, Performance and Gender (Cambridge, 2016), pp. 72–78.
  33. ↑ Gabriel Heaton, Writing and Reading Royal Entertainments: From George Gascoigne to Ben Jonson (Oxford, 2010), pp. 102-116.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.