Era of Tudors - Golden Era with Both Negative and Positive Sides

The era of Tudors – there is no doubt that it is accepted as one of the golden ages of England. The Tudor dynasty ruled the nation for the long duration of 118 years.

When we pay heed towards the era of Tudors, we find the mixed traits, which were both positive and negative. The most positive thing during that era was the beginning of the renaissance age in England. It was the era when a great flourish in the cultural activities was witnessed not only in England, but in the entire Europe. Science and arts flourished, which paved the way for the modern era. The prominent thing that put the influence on the modern times is the renaissance clothing. This was the new age clothing, in which a lot of flamboyance was added.

In addition, some new style dances and music styles also came in the limelight as a result of the artistic development. Volta and galliard were two famous renaissance dances. Samples of the Volta dances have been given in the two such films – “Elizabeth” and “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”.

In addition, paintings and architectures were also flourished up to some extent, and the role of Tudor monarchs can also not be denied in this regard. King Henry VIII’s interest in architecture is well-known. His daughter, Queen Elizabeth I had her own collection of paintings.

But, there is no doubt that the era of Tudors had some negative sides also. The most negative side was witnessed at the time of Queen Mary I. Queen Mary was a devout catholic and was desperate about reestablishing the catholic faith in England. She not only showed the strictness, but also burnt the innocent Protestants in stakes. It made the queen highly unpopular and gave a bad name to the Tudor dynasty. Mary was dubbed as “Bloody Mary” for this act.

With the end of the era of Queen Mary, the dark era of Tudor dynasty ended and Queen Elizabeth gave the equal respect to both the faiths during her reign. Moreover, she encouraged the art and culture and was also a great fond of fashion. The flamboyant renaissance costumes worn by her were widely popular. Her dresses were beaded by the ornaments. The dresses of the Queen Elizabeth are popular today also and are worn by the brides as the wedding gowns. These costumes are also put on by a lot of people in the themed events.

The era of Tudors will definitely be popular up to the coming scenario.

Anne Boleyn - Tudor Queen Who Ruled the Hearts of Modern People

English history is full of mysteries, and there are a number of facts, which are still the subject of research. Anne Boleyn, the queen consort of King Henry VIII of England, is one of the famous names that we can take as an example in this regard. She was the second wife of the king and was recognized as a key figure of English Reformation after her marriage and subsequent execution. The era of English Reformation was the time, when England progressed in various fields, such as art, culture, medieval costumes and more.

But, the word ‘reformation’ refers to the religious reformation against the dogmatism of Roman Catholic Church during that period. First, the king broke with Church of Rome in order to marry her and declared himself the head of Church of England. In this way, Anne indirectly contributed in reformation. Moreover, she was an open minded lady, which can be estimated with the fact that she argued to distribute the revenues to the charitable and educational institutions instead of giving them to church. She made this argument to Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex. It is claimed that Thomas conspired against Anne because of his dispute with her.

Anne Boleyn born in the year 1501, and was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, and his wife Lady Elizabeth Howard. She got the education in Netherlands and France, and returned to England in the year 1522 for marrying her Irish cousin, James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond. But, the plans of her marriage with James failed, and she found the place as maid of Honor to Henry VIII’s first queen consort, Catherine of Aragon. In the year 1523, there was a secret betrothal between her and Henry Percy, son of the fifth Earl of Northumberland. But, the betrothal was broken in 1524, and she was sent back home to Hever Castle. King Henry tried to seduce her, which was one of the absorbing factors for his desire to marry her.
King annulled his marriage his first queen for marrying Anne. Roman Catholic Church declared it as illegal, but the king broke his relations with the church and declared himself the head of Church of England. There is no doubt that it seems that the relation was broken because of the selfish motive of the king. Still, it put some great impacts on the nation. He married Anne on 25th January 1933. She gave birth to Elizabeth on 7th September and could not give birth to son.

The relation of the two could not be continued for the long. She was found guilty for high treason in April 1536. Moreover, she was also accused of adultery and incest. There were no sufficient evidence found against her, but still she was beheaded on 19th May, 1536.

Despite the small time span of her existence as a queen, she became widely popular in England. Her renaissance clothing styles are copied by women in today’s scenario also. Moreover, some films have also been made on her biography. Interestingly, some researchers of occultism claim the existence of the ghost of Anne today also.

Communities of the Renaissance Age and Their Lifestyles

The renaissance age in Europe is undoubtedly an unforgettable era for the people of the western world. It was the era, when a great cultural and artistic rebirth was witnessed in the society. A stunning evolution took place in various fields, such as paintings, sculptures, renaissance costumes and so on. Besides, the lifestyles of that era became the source of inspiration of the modern times also.

An interesting thing about that era was that it was full of diverse cultures. A number of cultures were present during that period, which had their unique lifestyles. The commoners of that era used to constitute the mainstream society. Besides, the communities of serfs, royals/nobles/aristocrats and pirates were some other communities, which were making the societies.

Commoners:  They were the modest people of the society. They gained the huge interest in art and culture, which was reflected in his clothing styles also. The styles of these people were very much inspired with gothic and Germanic traditions. In the renaissance age, the massive clothes became prominent during the renaissance age. The popular women’s costumes of that era include linen chemises adorned with lace edges, lengthened breaches and heavy gowns etc. On the other hand, puffed trunk hose, padded doublet and balloon sleeves were the outfits of the men during that period. On the other hand, they had the healthy eating styles. Some of the eatables they would consume included roasts, soups, pastas, pastries and cheeses etc.

Serfs: Serfs, otherwise known as peasants, were the labor-class people of that era. They would work on the lands of the lords. Most of them would work on the lands of the lords, and they had to do hard labor in order to pay the dues. Sometimes, they also had to pay the rent in the form of money to the lords, apart from the labor. The clothing styles of these people were simple. They would wear a blouse that would be fastened with leather belt round the waist, and an overcoat or mental which was made up of thick woolen material.

Royals/Nobles/Aristocrats: These were the upper class communities of that era. They would wear the dresses beaded with the jewels. Moreover, their outfits were extravagant, many of which are fashion-statements for today’s people also. The dresses of Queen Elizabeth I were the best examples in this regard. Besides, they would eat the luxurious foods.

Pirates: Mainstream pirates were not part of lawful communities. They would wear the disorganized styles of outfits, which they would loot from the ships. The pirate clothing developed during that era is also the fashion statement of the people of today’s scenario. Their lifestyles were very much like the sailors. They would eat fresh veggies, eggs, meats and cheeses. Moreover, dice, cards, dance and singing were the leisure activities of these raiders, which they would use for fun. There was another class of pirates also, which belonged to the lawful raiders authorized by the government. Such raiders were known as privateers, and their work was to loot the treasure ships of the enemy nations. The privateers would live the lifestyles like nobles as they had the full support of the kingdom.

Era of Queen Elizabeth I: The Real Golden Age

Queen Elizabeth I was undoubtedly a great monarch in the history of England. Her popularity reached the extent that a complete era was named after her. She had a great vision to run a kingdom, plus she treated equally the people of every faith, unlike her catholic sister Mary I who would burn the protestants in stakes just because of difference in ideas. Elizabeth was a devout protestant, but many of her courtiers would keep the catholic faith.

On the other side, renaissance age was going on in the era of Queen Elizabeth when people started taking interest in art and culture. The new age paintings, sculptures and architectures, were in the limelight. Elizabeth was also a great fan of painting. Moreover, the people’s interest in the flamboyant clothing started enhancing. Queen would also wear these renaissance dresses. Her costumes would be beaded with jewels, which were the subject of allure for the people.

Besides, music and dance were also flourished during the era of this queen. Volta and galliard were two famous renaissance dances during that period. Volta dance gained more popularity, when Queen Elizabeth performed this dance with her friend Robert Dudley. This dance has been displayed in a famous film “Elizabeth” that was released in 1998. Another demonstration of the Volta dance can be seen in a 2007 film – “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”, between Sir Walter Raleigh and Bess (queen’s lady-in-wait). People wearing beautiful renaissance and medieval costumes have also been displayed perfectly in these films. Moreover, Shakespearean dramas also belonged to the era of Elizabeth, which have been played today also with great enthusiasm.

Apart from the development in art and culture, the Elizabethan era was the age of the scientific revolution, and a number of inventions and explorations were being made by several great men. This era paved the way for the modern age in a true sense. That is why, many of the scholars call this era – the early modern age.

The Elizabethan Era has set a perfect example for the later ages, and it has provided a lot of things to today’s scenario. The renaissance costumes of that era are part of the fashion trends in the recent times. Apart from the costumes, art, culture and music of that period are also the subject of inspiration today. The new-age artists take the ideas from these artistic genres and prepare the new styles. The confluence of the costumes of Elizabethan and modern era, really provides a distinct genre. www.tudordressing.com is the best example of tudor era and Queen Elizabeth's lifestyle costume and dresses.

Religious Dogmatism in Tudor Monarchs: A Great Trouble for England

Renaissance age began in England with the rule of the Tudor Monarchs in England. These monarchs ruled up to 118 years, and the nations faced a number of paradigms during this period. Commoners were busy in enjoying the reawakening. Art and culture was being flourished, and new genres in various fields were coming in the limelight. Brilliant medieval costumes, which became the fashion-statements in the modern times, also came in the limelight during this period.

On the other side, Tudor rulers were the lawmakers, who were living the aristocratic lifestyles. They made some positive changes in England, but there were some pitfalls also in their kingdoms. The prominent pitfall seems the religious dogmatism of some Tudor monarchs. The sectarianism among them was clearly reflected from their activities.

Henry VII was the first Tudor monarch, but he had nothing to do with any religious dispute. This dispute began when his son and the second monarch Henry VIII broke his relations with Rome and declared himself the head of Church of England. He did so to get the right to divorce his wife. But, the problematic thing was that the opinions of his children in the family were divided. He declared his son Edward as his heir and kept his two daughters Mary and Elizabeth in the line of succession.

After his death, Edward VI became king in the small age of 9. Surprisingly, Edward was interested in the religious issues despite his small age. The publication of “Common Book of Prayer” was ordered by him, which was opposed by a large community in England. Moreover, he also didn’t hesitate in changing his father’s will for maintaining the protestant rule. He declared his cousin Lady Jane Grey as his heir. He did so because he was afraid that his catholic half-sister will reverse the reform after his death. Edward died in the small age of 15. Lady Jane Grey was the proclaimed queen after him, but she didn’t maintain his support. Mary assembled a military force and disposed Jane Grey.

Mary I was proved to be a most problematic queen of the Tudor dynasty. She wanted to reconcile with Rome, and she ordered the people to attend the catholic mass. She became the trouble for England, when she started burning the innocent Protestants. She became unpopular for this act and was dubbed as ‘Bloody Mary’. She also married Philip of Spain for producing a catholic heir. But, she failed to do so as she could never produce the child. Finally, she had to declare her half-sister Elizabeth as her heir, who was a protestant lady. Still her religious identity was mysterious as she would keep the catholic symbols despite her protestant faith. She kept the harmony between the two sects.

So, finally England got a Tudor Monarch who was above the sectarianism up to a great extent. She is thought to be the most famous monarch from Tudor dynasty.  She was interested in the cultural activities fine arts, and she was also a fashion lover. The styles of her tudor dressing are still popular in the western world.

Elizabethan and Victorian – Two Golden Eras of Europe

The Elizabethan era keeps a great significance in history. A great social change was taking place in Europe during this period. Renaissance movement was going on, and drastic change among the people’s lifestyle was being witnessed. Art and culture flourished during this period. People ceased wearing the natural-style outfits and the showy renaissancedresses came in the limelight. This was unquestionably a golden era in Europe, which paved the way for another golden era, which was the Victorian Age. Today also, these two eras in Europe provide a lot to the western world, in the field of art, culture and fashion etc.

Elizabethan Era

This was the era of Queen Elizabeth I, the most popular Tudor monarch of England. People were divided into distinct communities; however, the social and economical distinctions were becoming low because of the movement. The people with middle social order were becoming richer. On the other hand, peasant class people were entering in the middle order. Banking sector is said to be started in that era. People started wearing the showy clothing, on the contrary to the natural style dresses of the medieval age. Moreover, scientific revolution also took place. Exploration of the other world was also being done by various voyagers. Besides, a number of great historical figures were born during this period. Shakespeare, the great dramatist of all times, was also born during this period. The influence of the old classics can also be seen in Shakespeare’s literature. Besides, the famous painter and discoverer Leonardo da Vinci also gave his valuable contributions to the society, in the form of paintings and various scientific studies. Some fashion leaders like Isabella d’Este gave birth to renaissance clothing.

Victorian Era

After around two centuries of Elizabethan era, the other golden period started in Europe, which was the period of Queen Victoria.  A lot of progress was witnessed in the industry during this era. Steam engines were invented just before this period. It will not be wrong to say that Europe witnessed another scientific revolution in this era. Moreover, some new trends in the clothing styles were also witnessed. Some of these trends gained popularity in the modern age also, with the addition of several new styles. The trends based on science fiction of the Victorian Era also became popular. The science fiction novels of that era created an alternative world, which overgrew on the film industry, art, clothing and various other things.

There is no doubt that these two golden eras will provide the motivation to the people in coming centuries. Let’s see when we witness another golden era. Tudor was very memorable past in our life want to know more about tudor era's fashion and clothes click here.

A Brief Life History of Tudor Monarchs in England

Tudor era has gained a huge significance in the history of England. This was the era of flamboyance. The popular renaissance age also took place during that period, which awakened the cultural instinct of the people. The medieval clothing of that era is a perfect example of this cultural instinct. Besides, the Tudor dynasty established its kingdom, which ruled over more than a century.

Six monarchs were witnessed by the English people during that era, from Henry VII to Elizabeth I. The dynasty comprised of both positive and negative traits. Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Jane Gray Mary I and Elizabeth I were the monarchs of this dynasty.
Henry VII: Henry VII was the first king from this dynasty, who was born in Pembroke. He defeated Richard III at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and claimed the throne. He restored the stability in England and ruled for 24 years. The policy of Henry VII was to maintain peace and economic prosperity. He married Elizabeth of York who was the niece of Richard III.

Henry VIII: Henry VIII was the son of Henry VII, who was declared king after the death of his father in 1509. In the early years, Henry was known for his friendliness. He was a companion more than a king. He was generous in his affection and gifts. But, in the later years people started describing the king for his fatigue and cruelty. Henry broke his alliance with Rome and declared himself as the head of Church of England. He made an alliance with Protestant German states by marrying the daughter of a Protestant German Duke. He married six girls in distinct periods. Mary I, Elizabeth I and Edward VI were his three children of Henry VIII, who were born through different wives. Edward VI was the youngest, but was declared as his first heir, because he was the only male among them. Mary I and Elizabeth I were given place after him in the line of succession.

Edward VI: Henry VIII died in 1547, when Edward was only 9-years old. He was declared king in this small age. Surprisingly, Edward would take an interest in religious matters. He was a believer of Protestantism, and “Book of Common Prayer” was published during his reign. But, he found his succession problematic. His elder sister Mary I was a devout catholic and Edward was afraid that she would reverse the protestant reforms made by him and his father. So, he removed Mary and Elizabeth from the line of succession. Elizabeth was a protestant, but it was necessary to remove both of them to expel one as per the law. He changed his father’s will and gave the succession to his cousin sister Lady Jane Gray. Edward died in the small age of 15, in the year in 1553.
Lady Jane Gray: Lady Jane Gray was a proclaimed queen after Edward, but her support was lost in 9 days.

Mary I: Mary I was the next monarch from the Tudor dynasty, but she proved to be a troubled queen. She used all means to restore the catholic faith, and burnt many innocent Protestants in stake. Because of this, she is dubbed as ‘Bloody Mary’. She married Philip of Spain to produce a catholic heir, but could not be successful. Finally, she had to declare her sister Elizabeth as her successor. Mary died in 1558, in the age of 42.

Elizabeth I: Elizabeth I was the most famous monarchs of Tudor dynasty. She never let anyone challenge her authority as a monarch. She also faced the pressures to marry, which she never accepted. She was also fond of fashion. During her era, flamboyant renaissance shirt were gaining popularity. Her clothes beaded with ornaments had the special allure. She died in 1558, which was the end of Tudor era.

Characteristics of Medieval Clothing and Renaissance Costumes

Any person in Tudor era was easily recognized by attire. During those periods every person had to follow the rules (whether rich or poor) imposed on clothing based upon the color and material of fabric. For Royal ladies fashion was important, they were the trend setter, great fashion icon for commoners. Medieval dress had many layers, over all it was a collection of different fabrics and other materials. The designing patterns and fabric used in making of costume were unmatched and at the peak. Let us consider a few peculiar points’ medieval clothing bearing in mind the fabric and designs.
* Materials and fabrics – Medieval costumes of royal and wealthier people were made from the fabrics of silk, satin, taffeta, sarcanet, scarlet and velvet. Scarlet a plain fabric and sarcanet was a form of delicate silk. If colors that give lustrous and rich shades to fabric weren’t available in the region then they were imported at great expense from Middle East countries. Most commonly worn clothes were of silk, satin, tinseled, and silver. They were made from blended fabric or pure fabric with engraved embroideries. Only upper class people were allowed to wear medieval clothing of rich fabric. Commoners were only allowed to use cotton, sheepskin and linen as fabric and black or grey color.
Slashing technique – Limiting fabric and color of costume to a particular section of society lead to the creation of new technique called slashing. This technique was a way of answering to rule makers who imposed restriction over the use of bright colors and luxuriant fabric on lower strata people. A cut was made on the outer surface of cloth from which inner lining popped out and creates a contracting effect. One more method was developed called ‘Pink’ in this method fabric was cut into diamond shape through which inner lining appeared. Picking was more delicate than clashing.
Geometric Shape – Rather than designing dress in natural shape of body, royal ladies chose to go for geometric shape. In order to get desired shape fabrics were quilted or padded and for stiffing, whalebone or buckram was used. To get flat triangular shape corsets were worn under the gown. Wearing medieval dress was difficult process for royal ladies and need atleast two helpers to fit into them but all was endure for the sake of fashion and beauty.
Exquisite Sleeves – Sleeves were the most elaborate part of the medieval costumes. Designed with very fine details they were available in various styles, even in padded form too. Sleeves were separately sewed and attached to main outfit by tying or pinning. Padded wings on shoulder hide the joins of sleeves. Ruffs were added part of collar and sometime around cuffs also.
Tudor style of dressing had great degree of impact on renaissance costumes during later periods. Long voluminous dresses with funnel shaped sleeves and same old rule on clothing were derived from Tudor period. But the situation was not same for pirates. Pirate clothing was became more flamboyant and many new addition were introduced.
Medieval clothing of Tudor period and renaissance costume were almost had same approach in terms of fabrics and patterns with little changes designs.