But Henry had a crucial asset: his queen and their children, the living embodiment of his hoped-for dynasty. This was excellent. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Penn explained that the marriage had been one of genuine love and that Henry was shattered by his wifes death. Henry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 to his death. I'm beginning to wonder if all of the kings beginning with the conquest weren't a little off their rocker in some way. Serious disputes involving the use of personal power, or threats to royal authority, were thus dealt with. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. [citation needed], Henry honoured his pledge of December 1483 to marry Elizabeth of York and the wedding took place in 1486 at Westminster Abbey. Why is this ambitious? In my never-ending quest to read possibly every single published book on the Tudor monarchy, I spied this little gem a few weeks ago and picked it up. Only through the deaths of more obvious claimants, and after the accession of Richard III in 1483, when Henry was 26, did he become a leading candidate. For inheriting an unstable throne, holding it for 25 year and leaving England relatively stable, Henry VII deserves his own biography and a lot more credit. It is a sobering reflection for professional historians that the apparently unpromising territory of Henry's reign has recently produced two memorable books, both of them written outside their ranks: this one, and Ann Wroe's biography of the pretender, Perkin (2003), a longer work on a shorter subject. Thomas More hailed the end of "slavery" and the return of "liberty", "the end of sadness, the beginning of joy". This approach raised puzzling questions about similarities and differences in the development of national states. 3.5 Stars. At Rennes Cathedral on Christmas Day 1483, Henry pledged to marry Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of Edward IV. They were appointed for every shire and served for a year at a time. For example, they could replace suspect jurors in accordance with the 1495 act preventing the corruption of juries. Wow, it was like being battered by facts without remission for good intentions. ||sitemap_index.xml This book is a nonfiction look at King Henry the VII. He was probably baptised at St Mary's Church, Pembroke,[1] though no documentation of the event exists. February 7 Sir Francis Bryan loses an eye and Henry VIII has a new love, An interview with historical novelist Sandra Byrd, Henry VIII and His Six Wives event open for registration. On the other side of the coin, instead of the cross, was a Tudor rose and the arms of England. 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. By this marriage, Henry VII hoped to break the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France. Henry the eighth was a renaissance King. Author of, Assistant Master and Professor of History, Selwyn College, University of Cambridge. In response to this threat within his own household, the King instituted more rigid security for access to his person. The rebels were defeated (June 1487) in a hard-fought battle at Stoke (East Stoke, near Newark in Nottinghamshire), where the doubtful loyalty of some of the royal troops was reminiscent of Richard IIIs difficulties at Bosworth. He would learn better as the new reign unfolded. Quite ambitious in nature, Thomas Penn attempts to write a portrait of Henry VII and his reign. This revived an earlier practice of using a small (and trusted) group of the Privy Council as a personal or Prerogative Court, able to cut through the cumbersome legal system and act swiftly. To unite the opponents of Richard III, Henry had promised to marry Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV; and the coalition of Yorkists and Lancastrians continued, helped by French support, since Richard III talked of invading France. Author Thomas Penn takes an extraordinary journey into the dark and chilling world of the first Tudor King, Henry VII. Through luck, guile, and ruthlessness, Henry VII, the first of the Tudor kings, emerged as rulerbut as a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England's throne, he remained a usurper and false king to many, and his hold on power was precarious. 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. Having secured financial backing from Florentine bankers in London, Cabot was granted carefully phrased letters patent from Henry in March 1496, permitting him to embark on an exploratory voyage westerly. Yet in the hands of a narrator as accomplished as Penn, the reign acquires its own, troubling fascination. Henry VII introduced stability to the financial administration of England by keeping the same financial advisors throughout his reign. It was presented by historian Thomas Penn, author of Winter King and was an excellent examination of the King who, as Penn pointed out, tend to be eclipsed by Richard III, the glamour and notoriety of Henry VIII and the charisma of Elizabeth I. The King, normally a reserved man who rarely showed much emotion in public unless angry, surprised his courtiers by his intense grief and sobbing at his son's death, while his concern for the Queen is evidence that the marriage was a happy one, as is his reaction to Queen Elizabeth's death the following year, when he shut himself away for several days, refusing to speak to anyone. The Lancastrians triumphed under the leadership of a 28-year-old exile named Henry Tudor. Henry then cemented his claim to the throne and his dynastic ambitions by marrying Elizabeth of York and bringing the Houses of Lancaster and York together; the red rose and white rose combined to become the Tudor rose. Overspending by Henry VIII to pay for his lavish lifestyle and to fund foreign wars with France and Scotland are cited as . This battle saw the end of the Wars of the Roses which had brought instability to England. Henry was the only child of Edmund Tudor , Earl of Richmond , and Margaret Beaufort . [55] Since alum was mined in only one area in Europe (Tolfa, Italy), it was a scarce commodity and therefore especially valuable to its land holder, the Pope. Though this was not achieved during his reign, the marriage eventually led to the union of the English and Scottish crowns under Margaret's great-grandson, James VI and I, following the death of Henry's granddaughter Elizabeth I. As his mother was only 14 when he was born and soon married again, Henry was brought up by his uncle Jasper Tudor, earl of Pembroke. The 17 year-old Prince Henry became King Henry VIII and started a different era. After obtaining the dispensation, Henry had second thoughts about the marriage of his son and Catherine. He was the founder of the Tudor dynasty, and his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville brought together the too sides that were facing off during the Wars of the Roses (the Lancasters and the Yorks) basically uniting the two houses into a single family. He had finished his palace of Richmond, he was controlling his allies and keeping an eye on his enemies, and now was the time to finalise the marriage agreement between England and Spain. His regime was magnificent, yet terrifying and oppressive. Henry responded to this threat by embedding spies into households. [5], The descent of Henry's mother, Margaret, through the legitimised House of Beaufort bolstered Henry's claim to the English throne. From his victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, to his secret death and the succession of his son Henry VIII, the film reveals the ruthless tactics . They did as much to endanger his throne as to secure it. [28], Henry had Parliament repeal Titulus Regius, the statute that declared Edward IV's marriage invalid and his children illegitimate, thus legitimising his wife. Local gentry saw the office as one of local influence and prestige and were therefore willing to serve. Stanleys betrayal led to a complete security overhaul and his privy chamber going into lockdown. Why was Henry VII called the Winter King? He cemented his claim by marrying Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV. Henry VII, also called (145785) Henry Tudor, earl of Richmond, (born January 28, 1457, Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire, Walesdied April 21, 1509, Richmond, Surrey, England), king of England (14851509), who succeeded in ending the Wars of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York and founded the Tudor dynasty. The treaty marks a shift from neutrality over the French invasion of Brittany to active intervention against it. [citation needed], In 1506, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller Emery d'Amboise asked Henry VII to become the protector and patron of the Order, as he had an interest in the crusade. Two themes of his book preside: the permanent vulnerability of Henry's regime, and his ruthless methods of rule. [72] Immediately afterwards, Henry became very sick and nearly died himself, allowing only his mother Margaret Beaufort near him: "privily departed to a solitary place, and would that no man should resort unto him. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. [16] With money and supplies borrowed from his host, Francis II of Brittany, Henry tried to land in England, but his conspiracy unravelled resulting in the execution of his primary co-conspirator, Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham. It was 1501. Amateur historians Bertram Fields and Sir Clements Markham have claimed that he may have been involved in the murder of the Princes in the Tower, as the repeal of Titulus Regius gave the Princes a stronger claim to the throne than his own. Fittingly he dressed in expensive black. Henry needed an heir to secure his reign and fortunately an heir came quickly. Before taking the throne, he was known as Henry Tudor, earl of Richmond. How like a winter hath my absence been From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year! In 1502 the death of his heir Arthur left the dynasty's prospects with Arthur's 10-year-old brother, Henry. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a descendant of the Lancastrian branch of the House of Plantagenet. I thought the way he controled the nobility was fascinating - keeping them in check as well a raising vast sums of money at the same time. Shakespeare later turned to Henry's son and successor Henry VIII, whose rule brought marital sensation, renaissance spectacle and the reformation. It was no easy feat. Thanks largely to the desertion of his stepfather, Lord Stanley, to him, he defeated and slew Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth on August 22, 1485. The father's government was an exercise in discoloration. Historians debate the extent of Henry's rapacity. Raised in France, admiring of Italian-trained lawyers (and reaping the reward of the return of a whole generation of educated English commoners who sat out the War of the Roses abroad), with good taste in Renaissance art and advised by his gracious wife and steely mother, Henry VII is a major figure, not a prequel. [81], Henry VII and Elizabeth had seven children:[b]. [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. He is credited with many administrative, economic and diplomatic initiatives. After winning the throne of England, he wed Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of the dead Yorkist king Edward IV. After the Holy Roman Emperor . Henry was also worried by the treason of Edmund de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, the eldest surviving son of Edward IVs sister Elizabeth, who fled to the Netherlands (1499) and was supported by Maximilian. He rewrote history by backdating his reign to 21st August 1485, the day before the Battle of Bosworth Field. She was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (fourth son of Edward III), and his third wife Katherine Swynford. Henry came to the throne following the death of his father, Henry VII. The nobility was forced into bonds, legal agreements that they would act as the King wanted or be fined. Categories: Monarchy, NewsTags: birth of Tudor dynasty, Henry Tudor, Henry VII, Thomas Penn, Tudor dynasty, Winter King, Copyright 2023 The Anne Boleyn Files Henrys Chamber Accounts show payment to strangers and people across the sea, who appear to have been part of a network of spies and informers who kept an eye on potential troublemakers and alerted the King. [citation needed], Henry began taking precautions against rebellion while still in Leicester after Bosworth Field. His second son, also called Henry, inherited the throne and became . He explained how Henry VII had achieved what he set out to do, he had passed on the crown successfully. [66], Henry wanted to maintain the Spanish alliance. "King Henry VII" redirects here. Still, as Penn observes, the national sense of relief in 1509 was palpable. His father, Henry VII, was a cold, calculating man (he wasn't called "the Winter King" for nothing), a greedy monarch who during his last years on the throne had squeezed every last drop. Shakespeare later turned to Henry's son and successor Henry VIII, whose rule brought marital sensation, renaissance spectacle and the reformation. He had brought the country to the brink of dynastic ambition, but not quite, so his closest advisers kept his death secret until St Georges Day, the annual meeting of the Order of the Garter. Supported at one time or another by France, by Maximilian I of Austria, regent of the Netherlands (Holy Roman emperor from 1493), by James IV of Scotland, and by powerful men in both Ireland and England, Perkin three times invaded England before he was captured at Beaulieu in Hampshire in 1497. [37], For most of Henry VII's reign Edward Story was Bishop of Chichester. Having seen it pop up in a lot of papers' Books of the Year lists, I think I was expecting something altogether more gripping and dramatic, but in the end I thought the story of Henry VII and the Tudor succession was just not an especially thrilling tale. Henry responded to this threat by embedding spies into households. His dynasty was hanging by a thread and all his hopes had to rest on his youngest son, Henry, and Elizabeth of York producing another son, a spare. Bacon wanted the future Charles I to learn from Henry's reign, but the financial methods that would provoke fatal opposition to Charles look pale beside the exactions levied by Henry from often innocent subjects, who were denied legal process or threatened with trumped-up prosecutions and had to buy their freedom (though at moments of apparently impending death the king would repent of his methods and have the jails cleared and pardons issued). [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. Elizabeth of York was Queen consort of England as spouse of King Henry VII from 1486 until her death on February 11th, 1503. Thus, the two warring houses were joined in marriage. Here was a young man who enjoyed jousting, who enjoyed chatting with the other knights in the tiltyard and with people of low degree. During his 23-year reign, Henry had only two Lord High Treasurers, and this continuity helped provide stability. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. All the information is from Thomas Penn. Henry VIII and the Break with Rome Timeline - History [48], Henry later concluded a treaty with France at Etaples that brought money into the coffers of England, and ensured the French would not support pretenders to the English throne, such as Perkin Warbeck. On one side of the coin, instead of a profile of his face, there was a full length depiction of Henry sat on his throne with his crown and sceptre. [12], Henry lived in the Herbert household until 1469, when Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (the "Kingmaker"), went over to the Lancastrians. Henry then consolidated his reign with magnificent architecture, an opulent household and money. For me, history is alive and energizing - not something static and remote. The research was thorough and it was presented well and kept me engaged. But, his enemies didnt agree. Penn explained how Henry reworked recent events to suit him. Henry VII The Winter King is also the title of a book by Thomas Penn, and a useful read. [79], Amiable and high-spirited, Henry was friendly if dignified in manner, and it was clear that he was extremely intelligent. 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] John Cabot, originally from Genoa and Venice, had heard that ships from Bristol had discovered uncharted new found territory far west of Ireland. (ROYAL HISTORY) Directors Stuart Elliott Genres Documentary, International Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages English. (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. 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. [18] He was welcomed by the French, who readily supplied him with troops and equipment for a second invasion. The King was heavily guarded. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The reigns of his three predecessors were interrupted or foreshortened. Most often asked questions related to bitcoin.
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