The Tudor Period is regarded by many as England’s golden age, and still casts a spell over the public imagination. Whether it is the glittering rule of Elizabeth, the ruthless power of her father Henry VIII, or the bloody and radical reign of Mary, the Tudors remain the most fascinating English dynasty. Richard Rex looks at how the public and private lives of the Tudors were inextricably linked, and how each Tudor monarch exuded charisma and danger in equal measure.

The visual culture of the period was equally spectacular, from Holbein’s brooding portraiture to the architectural magnificence of the chapels of St George at Windsor and King’s College. Alongside the authoritative and approachable story of the Tudor monarchs, beautifully reproduced, are the iconic – and the lesser known – images of Tudor England.

Introduction by: Suzannah Lipscomb