The Tudors and Stuarts are probably the most colourful royal families in British history, for significantly different reasons. The Tudors presided over the period in which the national culture of the English became fully defined; the Stuarts over that in which the relationships of the British peoples, their political systems and attitudes became fully defined. The Tudors are probably now the most over-exposed English family in the mass media after the Archers, while the Stuart era has inspired the largest historical re-enactment societies in Europe. This course focuses on the personalities and achievements of the different monarchs, and seeks to answer the question of why the Tudors were one of the most successful royal families of the early modern age, and the Stuarts one of the most accident-prone. All-comers welcome. Please note Professor Hutton will also be giving a public lecture on Charles II & His Court on Sunday 2 March.