Henry VII

I

Introduction

Henry VII (1457-1509), first Tudor King of England (1485-1509). The leader of the House of Lancaster in exile during the final stages of the Wars of the Roses, he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and became king, founding the Tudor dynasty.

II

Parentage and Early Life

Henry was the son of Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond (c. 1430-1456), by his marriage to Margaret Beaufort, only daughter and heiress of John, Duke of Somerset, and great-great-granddaughter of Edward III. His grandfather, Owen, was a Welsh knight whom Henry V had taken into his household and who married his widow, Catherine of Valois, daughter of Charles VI of France. His claim to the throne rested on his lineal descent from Edward III.

Henry Tudor was born at Pembroke Castle on January 28, 1457. His father died shortly before his birth, so he was placed under the protection of his uncle, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke. When Edward IV took the Crown for the House of York in 1461, Henry's custody and marriage were given to William, Lord Herbert, who provided his tutors. In late 1470 the Lancastrian King Henry VI was restored. Henry was reclaimed by Jasper, who introduced him to the royal court, but within months Edward IV had recovered his throne, whereupon Jasper fled with Henry to Brittany. When Henry VI was murdered, Henry Tudor became leader of the House of Lancaster.

III

Accession to the Throne and Marriage to Elizabeth of York

After Edward IV's death and the usurpation of Richard III in 1483, a revolt was organized in Henry's favour by the Duke of Buckingham, aided by Cardinal Morton, whom Henry afterwards made a leading adviser. The revolt failed, but Henry summoned his supporters in exile to a council at Rennes, where it was decided to make another attempt, and Henry took a solemn oath to marry Elizabeth of York (1465-1503), daughter of Edward IV, after securing the Crown. When Richard III sought to extradite Henry, he fled from Brittany to the French court at Paris. Supported by the English exiles, and with modest aid given him by Charles VIII of France, Henry crossed the English Channel, and on August 7, 1485, landed at Milford Haven. He marched through Wales to Shrewsbury, which he reached on August 15, recruiting new forces as he went. He reached the Midlands by way of Stafford, and advanced into Leicestershire, where he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22, 1485. He proclaimed himself king and entered London on September 3. Elizabeth of York was brought out of the Tower of London and writs were issued summoning Parliament. Henry VII was crowned on October 30, and Parliament met in November, when it confirmed Henry's title to the throne. His supporters were rewarded and his opponents convicted of treason and their estates confiscated. The appropriate canonical dispensations having been obtained, Henry married Elizabeth of York on January 18, 1486, thereby fulfilling his oath at Rennes and uniting the families of Lancaster and York.

IV

The Character of Henry VII

Henry VII was a skilful politician and an astute judge of character. He was, however, obsessed by fears of disloyalty. He mistrusted the nobility, especially those with former Yorkist affiliations, and imposed harsh penalties on those he suspected. He relied largely on ministers who had served him in exile, and maintained a tight control on his servants and officials. As time went on, he displayed an increasingly predatory streak. He also became more reticent, a distant and remote ruler, who did not joust or take part in court ceremonies for his own entertainment, but was able to play the diplomat or courtier when it suited his purposes. He enjoyed tennis and gambling, and invested heavily in the luxuries and artistic accessories that decorated the royal palaces and conveyed the power of monarchy to the people. He was pious in religion, but chiefly for political reasons.