Life in the UK Test: The Tudors and Stuarts
Updated October 27, 2026
The Tudor and Stuart period is one of the most-tested parts of the history chapter. It runs from the end of the Wars of the Roses in 1485 to the Act of Union in 1707. Here are the key facts as the handbook presents them, followed by free practice questions.
The Tudors
- 1485: Henry Tudor won the Battle of Bosworth Field and became Henry VII. He married Elizabeth of York, uniting the houses of Lancaster and York.
- Henry VIII married six times: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. When the Pope refused his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, he set up the Church of England with himself as its head.
- Mary I, his daughter by Catherine of Aragon, was a devout Catholic who persecuted Protestants.
- Elizabeth I, a Protestant, was queen when the English defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. Her Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots was held prisoner for 20 years and executed.
The Stuarts
- 1603: James VI of Scotland became James I of England, Wales and Ireland.
- 1605: the Gunpowder Plot failed.
- 1642: civil war began between Charles I and Parliament. Charles was executed in 1649, and Oliver Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector.
- 1660: Charles II returned as king (the Restoration). London suffered the plague in 1665 and the Great Fire in 1666.
- 1688: the Glorious Revolution: James II fled, and William and Mary took the throne without fighting in England.
- 1707: the Act of Union created the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Free practice questions
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Why did Henry VIII set up the Church of England?Answer: AWhen the Pope refused to allow Henry VIII to divorce Catherine of Aragon, Henry set up the Church of England with himself as head.
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Who was on the throne when England defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588?Answer: CElizabeth I, a Protestant, was queen when the English defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588.
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How many times did Henry VIII marry?Answer: DHenry VIII married six times: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr.
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Why were the events of 1688 called the Glorious Revolution?Answer: AWilliam of Orange was invited to take the throne, James II fled to France and William and Mary became joint monarchs with no fighting in England.
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Which king was executed in 1649 after losing the Civil War?Answer: BCharles I lost the Civil War against Parliament and was executed in 1649. Oliver Cromwell then ruled as Lord Protector.
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In 1603, who became King James I of England, Wales and Ireland?Answer: CJames VI of Scotland became James I of England, Wales and Ireland in 1603, but Scotland remained a separate country until 1707.
Pass the Life in the UK Test on your first try
- All 338 questions on British values, the countries of the UK, history, modern society, and government and the law
- An explanation for every answer, with the handbook chapter it comes from
- Unlimited full 24-question practice tests, mixing every chapter like the real test