The rollercoaster of the Renaissance raced through the reign of Henry VII from 1485 then corkscrewed through Henry VIII, Edward VI and Bloody Mary before reaching its summit in Elizabeth I’s Golden Age (1558-1601). While Henry VII put the brakes on the barons, Henry VIII zoomed through six wives and went off the rails with Rome, which shunted in the Protestant Reformation and grounded the great abbeys. Edward VI trundled around the track before dying at 14, but Mary ratcheted up Catholicism and plummeted into the pits by burning Protestant martyrs. Then Elizabeth ascended on a solo circuit and had a soaring victory with the Armada. Along for the ride was Shakespeare, Holbein, Drake and Raleigh and sights to be seen on the ground included Hampton Court Palace and the Globe Theatre. What a right riveting ride the Tudors had!