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London and Environs

Tower of London - In Tudor Times

The first Tudor King, Henry VII (1485-1509) and his son Henry VIII (1509-47) were responsible for the last permanent and temporary residential buildings built at the Tower. The Tudor period was relatively stable in terms of civil unrest, with the rather outstanding exception of Henry VIII’s break with the Church in the 1530’s. During that time the Tower became the home of a large number of religious and political prisoners which included high ranking nobles, bishops, and as we all know, some of his wives.
Edward VI (1547-53), Henry VIII’s son, continued to use the Tower as a prison for highly ranked or socially important political prisoners. Religious controversy kept the Tower filled through the reign of Catholic Mary I (1553-58) and into Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (1558-1603).

King Henry VII’s personal expansion including library and gardens were the last of the permanent royal living quarters created there. The Royal Mint was expanded somewhat, and some new storehouses built for military supplies. James I (1603-25) had the Lieutenant’s house (now called the Queen’s House) extended and updated and the king’s lions got better homes in the Lion Tower. Other than these minor improvements, very little was done to the Tower during the reign of the Tudor Monarchs.
 

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