Religion
Religious change is the best-known impact of the Tudor era on English history. Henry VIII’s ex-communication by the Pope in 1533 led to him establishing his own Church of England. He ensured that his son, Edward VI, was educated in Protestant values, but when Edward died at just 15, the succession of his Catholic half-sister Mary I led to outbreaks of religious violence. Mary tried to revive Catholic power and around 300 Protestants were burned as heretics during her reign. Her half-sister, Elizabeth I, brought forward a compromise agreement in 1563 which secured the Church of England and helped avoid a large-scale religious war. British monarchs today still hold the title “Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England,” which dates from Tudor times.
