A time of treason, rebellion, exile and intrigue, three generations of Tudors ruled England from 1485 to 1603. These years were some of the most prosperous England had ever seen, and dramatically altered the course of world history. The Tudor Treasury delves into the archives of British history to reveal why this period has caught people's imaginations like no other. Starting with the Tudor dynasty's inauspicious roots when a courtier named Owen Tudor fell into the lap of Queen Catherine of Valois, this book includes the stories the much married Henry VIII, the boy king, Edward VI, who attempted to disinherit his two half-sisters in favour of Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, who launched England into a new age of discovery and innovation. The age also witnessed much progress, with the son of a glove maker named William Shakespeare becoming the most popular dramatist of his day. At the same time, the flushing toilet was invented and given the seal of approval by Elizabeth I and the first colony in North America was established in 1585. With fascinating facts and stories such as these, The Tudor Treasury tells the public and private story of England's most famous royal family and the people they ruled.