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Women in Tudor England

The role of women in Tudor times had altered very little over the preceding centuries. Despite the fact that England was ruled by two Tudor queens during this period, women were still regarded as being inferior to men.

They were told from a very young age that they were inferior, which meant that when they became adults they naturally behaved as though they were the inferior sex. The church too reinforced this belief.

Women in Tudor Times

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Women received little in the way of education. Girls born into a poor household would receive some education from their mother, though this would just be life skills such as sewing, cooking and such.

Those from a wealthy family learned only slightly more such as how to manage a household. It was commonly believed that teaching girls or women to read and write was a waste of time which could be better spent elsewhere.

Mary I of England
Mary I of England

For many women they had no choice with whom they were married to, matters being arranged for the mutual benefit of the families involved, love didn’t enter into it at all. In many cases, the day that the couple met for the first time was on the day of their wedding.

Many marriages took place when a girl reached the age of fourteen, as it was thought that if they left it any longer they would be viewed as being too old. Plus they were an extra expense that the family could do without, a young girl simply being an extra mouth to feed who brought no money into the home.

Female names in Tudor times

Popular names for women during the Tudor era were: Mary, Elizabeth, Margaret, Anne, Alice, Jane, Joan, Catherine, Agnes, Elinor etc.

Elizabeth became the most common name for girls towards the second of the 16th century, perhaps because England was being ruled by Queen Elizabeth.

The Role of Tudor Women

The main role of a woman in Tudor times was to bear her husband a son. Whether they were royalty or from the poorest of families they all wanted a son to carry on the family name. It was not uncommon for a Tudor wife to be pregnant every year; so high was the risk of miscarriage as well as the rate of infant mortality.

Queen Elizabeth Portrait
Queen Elizabeth Portrait

While the mother was preparing for the arrival of her new baby, she would also be making preparations for the care of the child should she be unfortunate enough to die in childbirth or soon after.

Women’s role in the 16th century England was thus limited to providing an heir to the family and supporting her husband in running his house. She was expected to be skilled in household works. The women in the nobility had to supervise the servants and be able to raise children. Women were also expected to have some medical knowledge to be able to provide aid to the servants of the household.

The women were subject to their husband and therefore, could not inherit any property. They could not even make their own will without the consent of their husband.

How Tudor Women Dressed?

There were strict rules in place which stated how a woman could dress. For example, she was allowed to wear her hair loose only if she was unmarried. A married woman had to fasten her hair up and wear it beneath a veil and hood.

Tudor Dresses
Tudor Dresses

Sleeves could only be worn long, and skirts had to reach the floor. The colours that she was allowed to wear were also restricted through the effects of the sumptuary laws.

Tudor women clothing also consisted of thick skirts held up together with loops. On the top, there was the bodice and a brightly coloured long gown. Women often tended to make their waists look as thin as possible. For this purpose, they used corsets and wore wide skirts.

The middle-class and the poor women usually wore a woollen gown with an apron on top. A cloth bonnet was worn on the head.

Women’s hygiene in the Tudor period

As far as hygiene was concerned, complete silence was maintained on these matters. Very little information about women’s health and hygiene can be found in Tudor documents. Queen Elizabeth’s household accounts are one source of information.

In many cases, women were not even treated properly while suffering from illnesses related to childbirth or infections, especially among the middle-class. Pregnancy was extremely difficult to diagnose and very few physicians were actually ready to confirm pregnancy even if they suspected it. It put women’s health in grave danger.

All these reasons led to a high rate of mortality among women.

Typical Tudor Wife

According to the law, the husband had full rights over his wife, which means that she was effectively his property to do with as he pleased. Should a wife retaliate and kill her husband if he had beaten her, this was not considered murder,

Queen Bloody Mary
Queen Bloody Mary

It was instead classed as petty treason for which she could be burned at the stake. Wife beating was commonplace, and escape from a violent marriage was practically impossible.

Tudor marriage
Tudor women had no say in their marriage

How were women treated in Tudor England?

Women barely had any freedom or rights during this period. Upper-class women were restricted inside the household and was rarely exposed to the outer world. Most women, regardless of whether they were upper-class or middle-class, were given school education. However, they were not allowed to attend university.

Middle-class and poor women had to leave their house for service to earn wages and this usually meant work like governesses, nurses or tailors. Tudor women were strictly expected to help their husbands to run their households and bear children. Domestic skills were considered essential.

Tudor queens
The Tudor queens

Famous Tudor Princesses

Some famous Tudor princesses were –

  • Margaret Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York.
  • Mary Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon.
  • Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn.

More Info On- Queen Isabella of Spain, Queen Anne Boleyn of Tudors Dynasty, Henry VII Family Tree

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