May 6, 2009

The House of TUDOR-Royal Mail Minisheet FDC from UK




FDC Name:The House of TUDOR -Kings and Queens
Issue Date:21st APRIL 2009
Details: Founded by Henry Tudor, arguably the most well-known of the royal dynasties The House of Tudor ruled England and it’s realms between 1485 and 1603. Five Tudor monarchs ruled for just over a century (Lady Jane Grey, commonly known as the Nine Days Queen, was not counted as having ruled).
Quest for an Heir:At that time, as well as attending to matters of state, the second preoccupation of the Tudor royals was that of producing heirs, preferably male. It was the only sure way to fend off rivals who felt they had a rightful claim to the throne. None were more famous in their pursuit of a male heir than Henry VIII of course, who married 6 times in his quest for a legitimate son. Ironically, he needn’t have gone to such great lengths for it was his daughter by second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was to become one of the most successful monarchs in history – Elizabeth I.Good Queen Bess:At the time of her accession, she rode from Hatfield House, where she was staying (our cover is postmarked in Hatfield, Herts), to London and was met with cheers from both nobility and common people alike. She was much loved and respected and throughout history she has been known as 'Good Queen Bess'. Elizabeth tried to avoid religious extremes and allow her subjects to live in peace and unity. She established a church which was sufficiently broad-based to appeal to most of her people.It was generally accepted that one of her first duties should be to find a husband. Numerous suitors from nearly all European nations sent ambassadors to the English court to put forward their suit but, despite the many threats to the throne, Elizabeth remained unmarried and was forevermore referred to as the ‘Virgin Queen’.Armada:By far the most dangerous - and infamous - threat that Elizabeth had to face was the Spanish Armada of 1588. Launched by Elizabeth's old suitor Philip II of Spain, the Armada contained 22 galleons and 108 armed merchant ships – a frightening prospect for any monarch. Elizabeth went to Tilbury, against her councillors' wishes, to exhort the troops to victory with her most famous speech: "Let tyrants fear. I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and goodwill in the loyal hearts and goodwill of my subjects... I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman but I have the heart and stomach of a King". Fortunately the ships of the English and the Dutch Republic outnumbered the Spanish, who lost as a result of bad weather on the English Channel, poor planning and supplies, and the skills of Sir Francis Drake and Charles Howard, the second Baron Howard of Effingham (later first Earl of Nottingham).Elizabeth I continued to run the country to the benefit of her subjects until her death on March 24th 1603. As she never named a successor, aided by her chief minister Sir Robert Cecil (who had been in secret negotiations with the son of Mary, Queen of Scots), King James VI of Scotland, Elizabeth’s cousin, became the next successor to the English throne and so ended the Tudor dynasty.
Stamp Details:
  1. 1st Class-Mary RoseHenry-VIII’s great battleship was launched in 1510. It sank in the Solent in 1545.
  2. 1st Class-Field of Cloth of Gold-The site of a spectacular meeting between Henry VIII and Francis I of France to increase the bonds of friendship between France and England in 1520.
  3. 81p–Royal Exchange-The Royal Exchange was founded in 1565 as a centre of commerce for the City of London.
  4. 81p–Sir Francis Drake-The Elizabethan adventurer and explorer who circumnavigated the globe in 1580.

Technical details:Royal Portrait credits: Edward VI (1537–53), c.1546, attributed to William Scrots, The Royal Collection © 2008 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; King Henry VIII (oil on oak panel),Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/8–1543)/Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Madrid, Spain/The Bridgeman Art Library; Mary I by Antonis Moro or Mor (1516–75) © The Art Archive/Museo del Prado Madrid; Elizabeth I by Federico Zuccari (1540/42–1609) © The Art Archive/Pinacoteca Nazionale di Siena/Gianni Dagli OrtiThe designs are by Atelier Works, and the 27 x 37mm stamps are printed in litho by Cartor Security Printers, Meacé, France.The miniature sheet is 123 x 70mm.
Remark:Excellent cover True to Royal .The miniture sheet cover is good.



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