The Tudor Dynasty is probably one of the most discussed monarchs in English history thanks to the notorious Henry VIII and his daughter, the beloved Elizabeth I. Although they are the most known Tudors, the dynasty started with Henry VIII’s father, Henry VII when he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth of York (the daughter of Edward IV) united the House of York and the House of Lancaster (both branches of the House of Plantagenet) and ended the Wars of the Roses (1455-1487).

This marriage also saw the creation of the Tudor rose which brought the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York together in unity. Technically, the Tudor Dynasty lasted for just over 100 years (1485-1603) with five monarchs (the last being Elizabeth I). But through Henry VII’s daughter Margaret (who became the Queen of Scotland via her marriage to James IV) the Tudor line sits on the English throne today. This dynasty has given us some of the best historical TV shows of all time (which, for some reason, are often on Starz), and this is a list in chronological order.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

The White Queen

     All3Media

The White Queen is a BBC miniseries adapted from Philippa Gregory’s novels The White Queen, The Red Queen, and The Kingmaker’s Daughter. The miniseries begins in 1464 during the War of the Roses and the reign of King Edward IV. The series centers on Elizabeth Woodville (Rebecca Ferguson), a woman from minor nobility and a widow who would later become the queen of England and the grandmother of Henry VIII.

Although this series focuses heavily on the York reigns of Edward IV and Richard III, it also shows the dealing of Lady Margaret Beaufort (Amanda Hale) and the work she put in to see an end to the York reign and her son, Henry, on the throne. The White Queen was nominated for three Golden Globes and four Emmy Awards and is currently available on Starz.

The White Princess

     Starz

Starting where The White Queen left off, The White Princess begins in 1485 right after the Battle of Bosworth (the last significant battle of the War of the Roses) and the death of King Richard III. The miniseries focuses on Elizabeth of York (the great Jodie Comer before her Killing Eve success), who was the daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville and the mother of King Henry VIII.

Her marriage to the new king, Henry VII (Jacob Collins-Levy), was meant to end the Wars of the Roses by uniting the Lancasters and Yorks under one banner. The White Princess is another Starz adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s novels The White Princess and The King’s Curse. The White Princess is available on Starz.

The Spanish Princess

The Spanish Princess is yet another Starz adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s novels The Constant Princess and The King’s Curse. This two-season series begins in 1501, about five years after the end of The White Princess, and centers around Catherine of Aragon (Charlotte Hope) who has now come to England to marry Henry VII and Elizabeth of York’s oldest son.

Catherine of Aragon is most known for being the first wife of Henry VIII (and one of his reasons for converting England to Protestantism) but before marrying Henry, she was married to his older brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales. The series examines Catherine’s grief after the death of Arthur and how she stopped at nothing to fulfill her destiny to become Queen of England. The Spanish Princess is available on Starz.

The Tudors

     Sony Pictures Television

The Tudors is a four season series covering almost the entire reign of Henry VIII. It’s hard to pinpoint what year the series starts because time is condensed tremendously, but an educated guess says it’s somewhere between 1514-1519. The Tudors is not the most accurate series of the Tudor Dynasty, but it is one of the most entertaining, and it features one of Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ best performances as Henry VIII. The Tudors is available on Showtime.

Wolf Hall

     BBC Worldwide

Wolf Hall is a six-part miniseries adapted from Hilary Mantel’s novels Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. The series centers around Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) who was Henry VIII’s chief minister from 1534-1540. Wolf Hall begins in 1529 and follows Cromwell as he helps to annul Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Mark Rylance is at his best as the lead as he balances the seriousness of the series and the dry humor of his character wonderfully. Wolf Hall was nominated for eight Emmys and won two Golden Globes.

Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn follows the final five months of Anne Boleyn’s life before her execution for treason in 1536. Anne Boleyn (Jodie Turner-Smith) was the second wife of Henry VIII and was part of the reason he created the Church of England. Their relationship later soured when she could not produce a son leading Henry to find a way to end their marriage.

The three-part miniseries captures the end of their relationship and Boleyn’s fate as a wife of Henry VIII. Although the series has received mixed reviews they all praise Turner-Smith for her performance as the ill-fated queen. Anne Boleyn is now streaming on AMC+.

Becoming Elizabeth

Becoming Elizabeth starts in 1547 after the death of Henry VIII and follows the life of his daughter Elizabeth I (Alicia von Rittberg) as she tries to navigate the court of her younger brother, Edward VI. The series delivers a fairly accurate portrayal of the historical figures of that time and leads to an entertaining series. With only one season under their belt, it will be interesting to see how they cover the rest of Elizabeth I’s life and reign. Becoming Elizabeth is available on Starz.

The Virgin Queen

     BBC

The Virgin Queen begins somewhere between 1554-1558 when Elizabeth (Anne-Marie Duff) was imprisoned at The Tower of London by her sister Mary. Duff is one of the best actresses to play Queen Elizabeth I and is lovely to watch as the series explores her relationship with Robert Dudley (Tom Hardy). The Virgin Queen also explains Elizabeth’s vow of chastity, a decision that was heavily criticized by her court.

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I begins in 1579 and follows the last 24 years of her over 40-year reign. Dame Helen Mirren is the queen of playing queens, as she’s brilliantly played Catherine the Great, Elizabeth II, and Elizabeth I. This two-part miniseries mainly focuses on her relationship with the Earl of Leicester (Jeremy Irons) and the Earl of Essex (Hugh Dancy). The series also includes Elizabeth I’s famous speech to the troops, which Mirren delivers perfectly. Elizabeth I is available on HBO and HBO Max.