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Tudor History: The Question of Succession with Dr. Elizabeth Norton
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Elizabeth I, the last surviving child of Henry VIII, always insisted that she would remain unmarried, leaving succession the key political issue of her reign. With no close relatives, there were a number of more distant contenders, from the Plantagenet-descended Earl of Huntingdon to the descendants of Elizabeth's two aunts, Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots, and Mary Tudor, Queen of France and Duchess of Suffolk. The various branches of the Tudor royal family vied for the throne, while Elizabeth always steadfastly refused to name her successor.
At one point Catherine Grey, the younger sister of the tragic Lady Jane Grey, looked likely to succeed, then Mary, Queen of Scots, or even her niece, Arbella Stuart. By the 1590s, Elizabeth had outlived many of these early contenders, although her kinsman, James VI of Scots, still vied with Lord Beauchamp, the eldest son of Catherine Grey, in the race for the crown.
Led by an expert on the Tudor dynasty, Dr. Elizabeth Norton, this Conversation will look in detail at the battle to succeed Elizabeth I. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of the main claimants to the crown and the relative strengths, and weaknesses, of their claims.
Series Description
The Tudor Dynasty captures the imagination like no other period in English history. This series of talks led by British historian Dr. Elizabeth Norton will examine the world of the Tudors – and the many wives of the notorious King Henry VIII – with each week’s standalone lecture looking at a particular topic or theme.
Dr Elizabeth Norton is a British historian, specialising in the Tudor period. She has degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge universities and King's College London. She is the author of twelve books, including 'The Hidden Lives of Tudor Women', 'The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor' and biographies of four of Henry VIII's wives. She regularly appears as an expert on television.
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
Dr. Norton successfully untangled the Tudor succession web for listeners to her latest episode of Tudor Tuesday. I highly recommend this conversation to anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating family.
Another fascinating presentation by Dr. Norton! Her lectures are informative and entertaining.