Women in the Tudor Court

Women living in Tudor England had minimal rights and were legally the property of their husbands or fathers. Women could not own property or hold positions of power, but that doesn't mean they didn't significantly impact society.

Women's Professions

Women in Tudor England could not own businesses or hold positions of power (though many did anyways, disguising their power by working through their husbands). Most married women held the job of managing their household. This was no small task in Tudor England. For the elite, managing a household would have been like managing a business, with employees, property management, and social events rife with political maneuvering.

Noble women could serve as governesses or ladies in waiting. Though society did not prioritize educating women, women were responsible for teaching young boys, which meant women often ended up being more educated than society perhaps intended.

To be a lady in waiting to the queen was one of the most coveted positions. Ladies in waiting had the benefit of being close to their queen who could arrange lucrative marriages for her ladies.

Perhaps the most important job a woman could have was to be a midwife. At the time, childbirth was incredibly dangerous. Midwifery was one of the few professions a woman could hold on her own, though only married women were allowed in the birthing chamber. Because the role was so important, midwives were well paid and respected for their expertise. The Catholic Church even gave a special dispensation for midwives to baptize infants who seemed unlikely to survive, a sacrament that was otherwise only performed by priests.

Childbirth

Childbearing was a woman's most important job in Tudor England. Childbearing was a woman's social and religious duty. The life of a baby was often valued over the life of a mother. For example, women convicted of crimes could "plead the belly" to avoid a death sentence.

Perhaps my favorite little fact that perfectly encapsulates how women were viewed at the time is that Tudor England believed boys got their souls three weeks after conception but girls didn't get their souls until forty-four days later. Bearing a girl was thought to be much harder on the mother, causing her to appear sickly, whereas bearing a boy was thought to make a mother stronger.

In 2022, about one woman died for every 4,500 births. In Tudor England, one woman died for every 40 births. While midwives were skilled for their time, there was no official training. It was a learn as you go profession, and they could only solve simple issues. Infections and hemorrhages were beyond their skill. Miscarriages were incredibly common and often thought to be the result of the woman's sin. Stillbirth was a leading cause of death in the 1500s, caused by maternal infections, birth complications, and congenital anomalies.

“Methinkes I heare Gods voyce. Lett not my hart, (as doth my wombe) miscarrie..." - Excerpt from a poem by Mary Carey

Take a deep dive into childbirth at the time

Hidden Women's History

As undervalued as women were in Tudor England, they still made a huge impact on their society. We don't hear much about the women of Tudor England, but not because they weren't making decisions and creating art. History was written by men, and they wrote women out of much of it.

A portrait of Elizabeth I attributed to Levina Teerlinc

Women in art

Levina Teerlinc was a court painter under four Tudor monarchs—Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. She was the first official woman artist in all of Europe and was more highly paid than Hans Holbein (you may remember him from Six: The Musical).

Susanna Horenbout served both Margaret of Austria and Henry VIII as a court artist. It is likely that Katherine of Aragon invited Susanna Horenbout and her father (also an artist) to England. It's speculated that Susanna was actually the artist behind many of Katherine and Princess Mary's portraits including the minatures below which were officially attributed to her brother.

An excerpt from a poem by Isabella Whitney, the first published English woman writer

Good sisters mine, when I

shall further from you dwell,

Peruse these lines, observe the rules

which in the same I tell.

So shall you wealth possess,

and quietness of mind:

And all your friends to see the same,

a treble joy shall find.

In mornings when you rise,

forget not to commend

Your selves to God, beseeching him

from dangers to defend

Your souls and bodies both,

your parents and your friends,

Your teachers and your governers.

So pray you that your ends

May be in such a sort

as God may pleasèd be:

To live to die, to die to live,

with him eternally.

Women in politics

Before Mary I took the throne after her half-brother's early death, there had never been a reigning Queen of England. The monarchy always, up until this point, had been headed by a King. That's one of many reasons why Katherine of Aragon is so important. She laid the groundwork for her daughter to become the first Queen Regent of England.

Besides the women who were in line for the throne, there were several significant women during Henry VIII's reign:

Mary Howard served as Anne Boleyn's lady in waiting and was a force of nature. She went head to head with Henry VIII over matters of money and religion.
Mary Shelton, a cousin of Anne Boleyn and mistress of Henry VIII, wrote many unpublished poems that defended women.
Anne Seymour, a fierce rival of Queen Catherine Parr, was a highly influential political player and held significant sway over the Tudor Court. She influenced religion and politics through her husband.
Elizabeth Barton was an English mystic who professed that God told her Henry VIII would die if he went through with the divorce of Katherine. When Henry didn't die, she was executed for treason.
Elisabeth Parr, Marchioness of Northampton, took on many responsibilities usually reserved for the queen, hosting parties and charming ambassadors.
Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter, was heavily involved in plotting Anne Boleyn’s downfall. Gertrude informed Chapuys in January 1536 that Henry VIII was considering the repudiation of Anne.
Mary Stuart, later Mary Queen of Scots
Lady Jane Gray, assumed the throne after Edward VI's death, but was executed when Queen Mary I took the throne after just nine days.

Elizabeth Barton

Mary Queen of Scotts

Lady Jane Gray