The Tudor Period of London, spanning the years 1485 – 1603, brought an even more dramatic period of the city’s history. It began with the end of the Wars of the Roses. This was the great battle that spanned more than 30 years, fought over the dispute of royal succession between the houses of Lancaster and York. After much treachery of nobles and bloodshed, Henry VII became the first Tudor monarch. Henry VIII followed, bringing with him the English Reformation. The part played by the Reformation in shaping England’s history is hard to overstate. It was then that the change from Catholocism to Protestantism took place and the Dissolution of the Monastries was actioned.

Eventaully the Church of England was formed under the third great tudor Monarch, Elizabeth I. Under her reign in the Elizabethan Era, somewhat of a Golden Age flourished. This was largely because of the internal peace that neither of the surrounding periods enjoyed. It was during this Golden Age that Shakespeare moulded Elizabethan Theatre, and english literature to come.

It was after this era, in Stuart London that the Great Plauge took its toll on the city’s people. The disease killed over thirty thousand victims, and was not stopped until another great catastrophe, the Great Fire of London, swept through the city and burnt it out in 1666. However, the flames also destroyed over half the city, including the Old St Paul’s Cathedral. After this devastation however, a great new plan for rebuilding London was formed, and much of the town’s plan today comes from that time.

Discover more about the Great Fire of 1666

The 18th century brought a period of rapid growth and prosperity. Georgian buldings sprung up, literacy increased, the coffee houses became a business phenomenon and the printing press was developed. However, it was the 19th century that saw London become the capital of the British empire – and in fact the world’s largest city.The Industrial Revolution came into full swing, with great inventions in agrculture, manufacturing and transportation sealing London’s status as a commercial and political world power.

The 1900s then saw two world wars, and yet London has continued to hold its position in the world. Now, it is not only a hugely poplular tourist destination, but a trading capital, a great politcal influence and one of the most vibrant cultural cities of the world.

St. Paul's Cathedral is pictured during the blitz of WW2

Discover more about London during the Blitz

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