Happy St Davids Day! He spent his entire reign fixated on eliminating or disarming his enemies, and stabilizing England after the bloody, seemingly endless War of the Roses. Several of Richard's key allies, such as Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, and also Lord Stanley and his brother William, crucially switched sides or left the battlefield. [62], Henry VII used justices of the peace on a large, nationwide scale. When they married in 1396 they already had four children, including Henry's great-grandfather John Beaufort. [76] He was succeeded by his second son, Henry VIII (reigned 150947), who would initiate the Protestant Reformation in England. [citation needed] Henry also formed an alliance with Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (14931519) and persuaded Pope Innocent VIII to issue a papal bull of excommunication against all pretenders to Henry's throne. Henry VIII - Tudor History Together, they had seven children. [43] According to the contemporary historian Polydore Vergil, simple "greed" underscored the means by which royal control was over-asserted in Henry's final years. Seriously, got nudged by my partner when I'd nodded off. Henry VII ruled - as Machiavelli, just after his reign, was to advise usurpers to do - through fear rather than love. (HIST003) Persecutions, Populations and Politics: Early Modern Britain 1550-1750, (HIST004) Country, Colonies and Culture: Early Modern Britain 1550-1750, (HIST006) The Stuart Court: History Politics and Culture, (HIST010) The Tudors: History, Culture and Religion, (HIST011) The English Country House: History, Architecture and Landscape, (HIST018) The Changing English Countryside, 20th Century Musicals: A Celebration of Song and Dance on the Silver Screen and the Stage. On 7th August 1485, he dropped anchor at Mill Bay, Milford Haven, and when he reached the beach he prayed Judge me, O Lord, and favour my cause. The odds were stacked against him in his quest to take the throne of England. [citation needed] Following the example of Edward IV, Henry VII created a Council of Wales and the Marches for his son Arthur, which was intended to govern Wales and the Marches, Cheshire and Cornwall. I don't read a lot of NF because I usually find it to be tedious, but The Winter King certainly wasn't that. How did a precariously enthroned ruler, lacking a police force or a standing army, manage to run roughshod over the law? It was 1501. I couldn't even stay awake reading this. Martin Luther 95 thesis. Henry VII: The Winter King. However, with the help of the forces of his step-father, Lord Stanley, he defeated Richard and Richard was killed on the battlefield. Henry VII ruled from 1485-1509 and had a dubious claim on the throne, spending most of his time before the famous Battle of Bosworth Field in exile and gaining credibility from his marriage to Elizabeth of York. Reasonably interesting overview of the reign of Henry VII of England. In 1502 the death of his heir Arthur left the dynasty's prospects with Arthur's 10-year-old brother, Henry. Wales was historically a Lancastrian stronghold, and Henry owed the support he gathered to his Welsh birth and ancestry, being agnatically descended from Rhys ap Gruffydd. No. The whole system was ingeniously designed to ensure the unchallenged supremacy of the king while stamping out any challenges to his authority from the nobles, merchants, and commons. This was accomplished through the targeted imposition of fines and bonds through extrajudicial councils. : (April 25, 1883. These bonds were enforced by the Council Learned in the Law, a council of legal advisers who were only answerable to the King. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. His spies and informers were everywhere. "[73] Further compounding Henry's distress, his older daughter Margaret had previously been betrothed to King James IV of Scotland and within months of her mother's death she had to be escorted to the border by her father: he would never see her again. [54], Henry VII was much enriched by trading alum, which was used in the wool and cloth trades as a chemical fixative for dyeing fabrics. [77][78] His mother died two months later on 29 June 1509. The parts on how he abused his position and the law to enrich himself while an entire nation watched helplessly are, frankly, pretty relevant to now. [citation needed], To secure his hold on the throne, Henry declared himself king by right of conquest retroactively from 21 August 1485, the day before Bosworth Field. The Field of Cloth of Gold: Royal Revelry. The Lancastrians triumphed under the leadership of a 28-year-old exile named Henry Tudor. Through this, he found that his Lord Chamberlain, Sir William Stanley, was involved in the plot. There he claimed sanctuary until the envoys were forced to depart. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. His host was Francis, the Duke of Brittany, who saw Henry Tudor as a pawn in the game between Edward VI and the King of France. [24][17][25] He was 29 years old, she was 20. The money so extracted added to the King's personal fortune rather than being used for the stated purpose. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a descendant of the Lancastrian branch of the House of Plantagenet. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. [citation needed], After 1503, records show the Tower of London was never again used as a royal residence by Henry VII, and all royal births under Henry VIII took place in palaces. Story's register still exists and, according to the 19th-century historian W.R.W. [41] Henry also increased wealth by acquiring land through the act of resumption of 1486 which had been delayed as he focused on defence of the Church, his person and his realm. By subscribing you confirm that you have read and agree to the Privacy Policy [opens in new window] and the Terms & Conditions [opens in new window]. When Henry VIII and Francis I Spent $19 Million on the Field of Cloth Overblown prose trumpeting his reign seemed to be the order of the day. 'Meeting between Francis I and Henry VIII at the Field of Cloth of Gold on 7 June 1520,' a painting by Friedrich August Bouterwek. Files Welcome Pack of 5 goodies, 28 January 1457 Birth of Henry VII at Pembroke Castle, 30 October 1485 Coronation of Henry VII, Henry VIIIs Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell A Review and Rundown, Henry VII: Winter King A Review and Rundown, 31 May 1533 The Coronation Procession of Queen Anne Boleyn, Why I think Henry VIII was ultimately responsible for Anne Boleyns downfall, 4 March 1522 Anne Boleyn plays Perseverance, The Boleyns of Hever Castle now 99p on Kindle on Amazon UK, YouTube Live 4 March 2023 The Fascinating Background of Henry VIII. The author does a good job drawing on his sources and bringing the characters to life while staying true to the history, but the subject matter is just not inherently as sexy as Henry VIIIs or Elizabeth Is reigns. Thus, the two warring houses were joined in marriage. Henry was a remarkable man. Penn then went on to talk about the heir to the throne, the young Prince Henry, who seemed very different to the King. He was probably baptised at St Mary's Church, Pembroke,[1] though no documentation of the event exists. Henry needed an heir to secure his reign and fortunately an heir came quickly. [32], Next, in 1487, Yorkists led by Lincoln rebelled in support of Lambert Simnel, a boy they claimed to be Edward of Warwick (who was actually a prisoner in the Tower). People saw him as being like a traditional king and hoped that his reign would bring positive change. Henry VII is known for successfully ending the War of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York and for founding the Tudor dynasty. The first rising, that of Lord Lovell, Richard IIIs chamberlain, in 1486 was ill-prepared and unimportant, but in 1487 came the much more serious revolt of Lambert Simnel. In 1837 Henry VIII's tomb was eventually marked in the chapel with a commemorative marble slab. Henry spared Richard's nephew and designated heir, John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, and made the Yorkist heiress Margaret Plantagenet Countess of Salisbury suo jure. They were third cousins, as both were great-great-grandchildren of John of Gaunt. During his 23-year reign, Henry had only two Lord High Treasurers, and this continuity helped provide stability. [citation needed] John Cabot, originally from Genoa and Venice, had heard that ships from Bristol had discovered uncharted new found territory far west of Ireland. Henry VII is also known as Henry Tudor. Yorkist malcontents had strength in the north of England and in Ireland and had a powerful ally in Richard IIIs sister Margaret, dowager duchess of Burgundy. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [49] The confused, fractious nature of Breton politics undermined his efforts, which finally failed after three sizeable expeditions, at a cost of 24,000. Henry VII declared himself king by just title of inheritance and by the judgment of God in battle, after slaying Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. [citation needed] Nonetheless, by 1483 Henry was the senior male Lancastrian claimant remaining after the deaths in battle, by murder or execution of Henry VI (son of Henry V and Catherine of Valois), his son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, and the other Beaufort line of descent through Lady Margaret's uncle, Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset. The country was in a perpetual state of emergency and Henrys subjects were scared and resentful. He paid very close attention to detail, and instead of spending lavishly he concentrated on raising new revenues. More wrote that this King is loved and compared Henrys accession to the coming of a new season, a new spring following a winter of repression. His regime was magnificent, yet terrifying and oppressive. In 1621 Francis Bacon's history of. His first son and heir apparent, Arthur, Prince of Wales, died suddenly at Ludlow Castle, very likely from a viral respiratory illness known at the time as the "English sweating sickness". Early life Castles of . [citation needed], During his lifetime the nobility often criticised Henry VII for re-centralizing power in London, and later the 16th-century historian Francis Bacon was ruthlessly critical of the methods by which he enforced tax law, but it is equally true that Henry VII was diligent about keeping detailed records of his personal finances, down to the last halfpenny;[71] these and one account book detailing the expenses of his queen survive in the British National Archives, as do accounts of courtiers and many of the king's own letters. His younger brother, Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke, undertook to protect Edmund's widow Margaret, who was 13 years old when she gave birth to Henry. Author of, Assistant Master and Professor of History, Selwyn College, University of Cambridge. Its goals, relentlessly pursued until Henry's death in 1509, were the establishment of a royal house, the elimination of opposition, and the steady accumulation of power and wealth. Henry VII (28 January 1457 - 21 April 1509) was King of England from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. Penn notes something else about the paeans on the son's accession: later in the Tudor period, apologists for the regime would remember Henry VII as the restorer of national peace and unity, but in 1509 it was the king's death, not his rule, that was held to have ended a long era of dark instability. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [52] He also concluded the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Scotland (the first treaty between England and Scotland for almost two centuries), which betrothed his daughter Margaret Tudor to King James IV of Scotland. [13] When Warwick restored Henry VI in 1470, Jasper Tudor returned from exile and brought Henry to court. In 1621 Francis Bacon's history of the reign called Henry "a dark prince, and infinitely suspicious". He was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.[a]. Henry VII was also shown, but his black line just traced back to Owen Tudor, a chamber servant. It was really very well researched and painstakingly written. ), Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_VII_of_England&oldid=1141813382, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from September 2021, Articles incorporating a citation from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia with Wikisource reference, Articles incorporating text from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the ODNB, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from August 2021, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020, Articles needing additional references from October 2020, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Katherine (2 February 1503 10 February 1503), This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 23:16. [74] Margaret Tudor wrote letters to her father declaring her homesickness, but Henry could do nothing but mourn the loss of his family and honour the terms of the peace treaty he had agreed to with the King of Scotland. [81], Henry VII and Elizabeth had seven children:[b]. Henry had only been accepted as King because the Princes in the Tower, the sons of Edward IV, were dead, so when Yorkist exiles groomed Perkin Warbeck to pose as one of the princes and raised an army it was a huge threat. $14.97 1 Used from $14.96 3 New from $14.97. [citation needed] The first was the 1486 rebellion of the Stafford brothers, abetted by Viscount Lovell, which collapsed without fighting. Herbert was captured fighting for the Yorkists and executed by Warwick. Why did the nobility accept the curtailment of the military power it had wielded in the wars of the roses and swallow the elevation of upstarts at Henry's court? They were also in charge of various administrative duties, such as the checking of weights and measures. Henry gained the support of the Woodvilles, in-laws of the late Edward IV, and sailed with a small French and Scottish force, landing at Mill Bay near Dale, Pembrokeshire. Updates? Henry VII comes across as a talented micromanager and financier. Since we are in the middle of winter, Ive been thinking of a volume on my shelves on Henry VII, who could be called the Winter King. When Henry VII became king, the royal exchequer was effectively bankrupt. [26] Henry married Elizabeth of York with the hope of uniting the Yorkist and Lancastrian sides of the Plantagenet dynastic disputes, and he was largely successful. He was, said Penn, a man who never knew a moments peace during his reign. Henry VII ruled as Machiavelli, just after his reign, was to advise usurpers to do through fear rather than love. Shakespeare, drawn to the colour on either side of the reign, skipped it. Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England - Goodreads Thomas Penns Winter King in a brilliant mash-up of gothic horror and political biography. Stanley was accused of supporting Warbeck's cause, arrested and later executed. Four good reasons to indulge in cryptocurrency! [20] He amassed an army of about 5,0006,000 soldiers. If Penn's interpretation can sometimes seem slanted, its exposition would be hard to over-praise. Claiming the throne by just title of inheritance and by the judgment of God in battle, he was crowned on October 30 and secured parliamentary recognition of his title early in November. Read all Directors Giulia Clark Stuart Elliott Writers Henry was thus handed over to English envoys and escorted to the Breton port of Saint-Malo. The king's own death seven years later had to be kept secret until his nervous entourage had ensured the succession. He would learn better as the new reign unfolded. Penn went on to show Henry VIIs wax funeral effigy, which I saw on my recent trip to London, and which shows his fine-boned features and his crooked eye, but also a face bearing the signs of stress and illness.