How to Watch the Tudors Online

Tudors are a royal family of Welsh and English origin that ruled England from 1485 to 1603. The dynasty started with a scandalous secret marriage between a royal attendant, Owain ap Maredydd ap Tudur, and the dowager queen Catherine of Valois.

Tudors feature a brick facade accented with half-timber framing. Many homes also have tall windows grouped in patterns of two, three or four, with rectangular or diamond-shaped panes.

Season 1

The Tudors is a historical drama series that follows the life of England's King Henry VIII. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the monarch, Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn and Jeremy Northam as Thomas More.

Season 1 focuses on the early years of the infamous Tudor reign, with a special focus on the court of Henry and his tumultuous marriage to Katherine of Aragon. A series of political and personal conflicts test Henry's loyalty to the court, the Church, and his family.

As the king prepares for war with France, his allegiances shift as Cardinal Wolsey's ambitions to become Pope and Buckingham's plot to assert his own power loom over Henry. The king is also plagued by a growing infatuation with Anne Boleyn.

Despite his best efforts, Henry is unable to unite the kingdom on his terms, and the king must settle for an alliance with Charles V, Emperor of Spain. He also faces the specter of another wife, Anne Boleyn.

While Henry's desire for a male heir intensifies, his loyalty to the Catholic Church and his infatuation with Anne Boleyn makes him susceptible to deception. His Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, tries to convince the king to accept a divorce and cast his eyes on a younger woman, but the king's resolve remains strong.

Meanwhile, Catherine of Aragon's devotion to the protestant reformation alienates her husband and leads to her arrest for heresy. She is imprisoned and deprived of all her property.

In addition, Bishop Gardiner begins a campaign against protestants to quell their growing popularity. But when the king discovers that she has allied herself with the agnostic Thomas Cromwell, the bishop's attempts to regain control of the kingdom are dashed.

In the final episode, an increasingly frail Henry is forced to confront his mortality as the ghosts of his first three wives remind him of their tragic end. Moreover, a resurgence of heretical books in the palace leads to a gruesome suppression of the uprising by Henry's new chancellor, More. As the king's health declines, he appoints the Earl of Hertford as his Lord Protector.

Season 2

Season 2 continues the tumultuous early years of Henry's reign. This season features a number of important events, including the deconstruction of the Catholic Church, the king's marriage to Anne of Cleves, and the birth of his son Prince Edward. The series is a good introduction to the reign of Henry VIII and the role of women in his court.

Episode 3 sees the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury annul Henry's marriage, clearing the way for him to marry the by now pregnant Anne. This increases the rift between England and Rome. Chancellor Thomas Cromwell, meanwhile, begins cleansing the country of dissenters. He also announces legislation that will dissolve first the smaller abbeys and monasteries and then the larger ones.

In Episode 4, the king uses another uprising against him as an excuse to suppress the rebels. He also executes the leaders of the Pilgrimage of Grace.

Despite a leg injury suffered during jousting, Henry takes another mistress, Lady Ursula Misseldon, and Jane Seymour unveils the king's daughter, Lady Mary, at court. She resents this move, however, and pleads with him to be patient as her pregnancy progresses.

The king is then approached by Chapuys, who reveals that the Emperor had betrayed France and Christina of Milan is still available as a match for Henry. He agrees to marriage negotiations with Anne of Cleves, but her brother Duke William discloses that Anne was formerly promised to another.

After meeting her, Henry becomes deeply disappointed with Anne, citing aspects of her character that he finds repulsive. He eventually marries her, but the marriage is short-lived because she finds aspects of Henry repulsive too.

In Episode 5, Fisher and More refuse to sign an oath of allegiance recognising the legitimacy of Henry's supreme authority as head of the English church. This leads to their execution.

In Episode 6, Thomas Cromwell becomes Henry's chief advisor and announces his plans to cleanse the country of dissenters. He has legislation approved by Parliament agreeing to the dissolution of first the smaller and then the larger abbeys and monasteries. Katherine is increasingly ill and disillusioned with the king's rule. She has been forbidden to see her daughter, Lady Mary.

Season 3

Season 3 of The Tudors continues to focus on the tumultuous period of Henry VIII's reign. The season opens in the aftermath of Anne Boleyn's execution, with the king searching for a suitable male heir.

While the search for a male heir is underway, Henry finds himself in the middle of civil unrest and disloyal factions at court. When a northern uprising gains support, the King dispatches Charles Brandon to deal with it. He is also thrown into conflict with the Catholic League, who are eager to make a military alliance against the Protestants.

Meanwhile, Henry begins to fall in love with a 17-year-old maid named Katherine Howard. Though Henry doesn't think she is a suitable candidate for his third wife, Katherine charms him with her beauty and the king eventually falls madly in love with her.

In addition to Catherine Howard, the show introduces two new characters: Lady Ursula (played by Tamzin Merchant, who almost appeared as Daenerys in Game of Thrones) and Cardinal-Bishop Otto Truchess von Waldberg. Both play a key role in Henry's reign, but their presence is limited to a few episodes.

The season also features a lot of political intrigue, including the suppression of a northern uprising led by Robert Aske and John Constable. It also includes the king's plans to cleanse England of dissenters from the Reformation, and the downfall of Thomas Cromwell.

As the tumultuous season progresses, Henry attempts to bring peace back to the kingdom, even as his reputation takes a hit with the execution of Pole's family. He tries to reconcile with his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, who are now in their teens.

Henry's reign is further complicated by his relationship with the French. After he lays siege to Boulogne, Henry regains the keys of the castle from the French. He then uses his power to further the protestant cause, but is checked by Bishop Gardiner and the Catholic faction of the court.

As Season 3 closes, Henry is about to annul his loveless marriage to Anne of Cleves. He also beds a new mistress, the 17-year-old Princess Mary. But he is torn between his desire for Anne and the fact that she has no female heir, making him fearful of her taking over the throne. Despite these tensions, Henry is determined to hold on to his power.

Season 4

The Tudors is a period drama that follows the life of King Henry VIII and his struggles for a male heir. The series has a great cast including Natalie Dormer, Anthony Brophy, Guy Carleton and more. It ran for four seasons and was one of Showtime’s most successful shows at the time.

Despite being a historical drama, The Tudors often stray from the facts to make it more appealing to a younger audience. However, it is still a great show that will keep you hooked.

Season 4 starts off with a grueling battle in Boulogne that costs the lives of over 600 men. This forces Henry to retreat into his shell with death clearly imminent. It also gives us a great glimpse at how much Henry is struggling to keep up with the demands of his new role as king.

It’s also a nice look at the court as it seems to be growing smaller by the week and it really doesn’t feel like you can get much closer to the king than with the personal staff that he has. But that doesn’t mean there’s no romance going on, just that it isn’t as intense as it used to be.

This episode also introduces a young and beautiful woman named Catherine Howard to the royal household. She is accompanied by her roguish cousin, the Earl of Surrey, who also has a history with Katherine. He isn’t exactly a good influence on Henry, but he is an interesting character to watch over the course of the series.

In other news, Henry and Katherine are given a place in the Order of the Garter as a reward for their loyalty to the monarchy. It’s a very lovely gift that goes down well, but it’s still quite strange to watch the king give this to someone he hasn’t been very close to for some time.

Luckily for Henry, he does have some help in the form of a lovely young girl who is more than happy to be his fiancee. It’s a great way to keep the king from getting too distracted by his lust for a male heir.