Henry VII | History Hit https://www.historyhit.com Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:13:54 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 The 6 Main Achievements of Henry VII https://www.historyhit.com/the-main-achievements-of-henry-vii/ Sun, 07 May 2023 14:55:33 +0000 https://www.historyhit.com/?p=5169176 Continued]]> The coronation of Henry VII, on 30 October 1485, marked the official beginning of a new Tudor dynasty. Perhaps the least glamorous of the Tudors, Henry VII successfully consolidated his power and ensured a smooth succession for his son, the future King Henry VIII.

Whilst he may not have captured the imagination in the same way the strong personalities, bloodshed, drama and intrigue of his descendants would do, Henry VII is widely credited with being one of the most successful monarchs of the Tudor dynasty.

Here’s a rundown of some of the highlights of Henry VII’s reign, from his achievements to his shortcomings.

1. Uniting the Houses of Lancaster and York

Henry Tudor was descended from Lancastrians: his mother, Margaret Beaufort, was the granddaughter of John of Gaunt. His victory at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, where he defeated the Yorkist King Richard III, marked a major turning point in the Wars of the Roses.

Capitalising on his victory, he married Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, uniting the Houses of York and Lancaster through marriage and ensuring the pair’s heirs and children would have a strong claim to the throne through the bloodlines of both parents.

Tudor roses incorporated into Victorian wallpaper in the Houses of Parliament.

Image Credit: V&A Images / Alamy Stock Photo

2. Ending the Wars of the Roses

Historians have long debated when the so-called Wars of the Roses actually begin and end: general consensus has them ending on 22 August 1485, although would some claim earlier and later. Whilst Henry did unite the warring factions, that did not mean he was entirely unopposed.

Perkin Warbeck and Lambert Simnel, known to many as the two pretenders, were two of the main challengers to Henry’s throne. Both posed as Yorkist claimants to the throne and gathered support in Europe for their causes. Whether or not anyone actually believed them to be who they claimed to be is unclear, but they proved useful figureheads for those hoping to bring about a regime change.

In both cases, Henry dealt swiftly with the problem: both conspiracies were crushed and Simnel and Warbeck were captured. Simnel, a mere figurehead for the powerful Earl of Lincoln, was sent to work as a scullion in the royal kitchens, whereas Warbeck was executed.

It is largely thanks to Henry’s quick thinking and decisiveness that his son, Henry VIII, faced no challenges to his accession or in the early years of his reign.

3. Improving royal finances

When Henry VII became king, the royal exchequer was effectively bankrupt. Years of instability, factionalism and his predecessors’ penchant for war had seen royal finances severely battered.

During his 23-year reign, Henry had only two Lord High Treasurers, and this continuity helped provide stability. Between them, they ruthlessly improved the collection of taxes from all sections of society, including the enforcement of taxes on the nobility. The introduction of tariffs on imports helped protect home industries (and increase customs dues), while expeditions abroad aimed to find new markets.

Henry also demanded his feudal dues and kept a tight grip on Crown Lands, preferring to have a steady income from renting them out rather than dishing them out as rewards to his favourite nobles – as his predecessors had done.

Whilst Henry’s policies were not exactly popular, and they helped create his reputation as somewhat miserly and tight on the purse strings, they were highly successful. He died completely solvent and passed on full coffers to his son, who subsequently executed two of his most hated tax collectors, Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley, on trumped-up treason charges as scapegoats.

A contemporary painting of Henry VII with Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley, his two most notorious tax collectors.

4. Enforcing law and order

Years of civil war throughout the 15th century had led to a gradual breakdown of law and order across the country, and in particular, overmighty nobles, which were a threat to the crown’s authority. These powerful, wealthy nobles effectively had their own private armies at their disposal.

Henry passed laws against livery and maintenance, making it much more difficult for nobles to keep mercenaries/servants and to deter them from forming any kind of army.

The introduction of Justices of the Peace (JPs) across the country helped keep local law and order by enforcing Henry’s will, and the revival of the Court of Star Chamber was an effective tool for dealing with powerful nobles, although the law it meted out could be highly subjective. Both helped make law enforcement more efficient and restored some degree of royal authority.

5. Inconclusive foreign policy

Perhaps one of Henry’s biggest weaknesses was his foreign policy. War was seen as a means of bringing glory, but it was also extremely expensive and potentially ruinous. In the early years of his reign, he found himself drawn into a war with France over Brittany. However, he managed to make peace in 1492 when France agreed to give Henry an annual pension and to recognise his claim to the throne.

Henry made efforts to recognise the growing power of the newly united Spain, marrying his son Arthur to the Infanta, Catherine of Aragon, as well making some amount of peace with Scotland by marrying his daughter Margaret to the Scottish King James IV.

He also allied himself with the Holy Roman Emperor, further increasing his power in Europe.

6. Laying the foundation for the Tudor dynasty

Henry VII’s policies laid the foundation for nearly another century of Tudor rule. His shrewd fiscal policies built a solid financial system that allowed his successors a degree of security and prosperity that he could only have dreamed of at his coronation.

Moreover, Henry’s successful re-establishment of royal authority in every aspect of political, social and cultural life ensured that his son, the future King Henry VIII, faced no opposition on his ascension to the throne in 1507.

Whilst many would consider Henry VII’s reign the least exciting of the Tudor period, it is perhaps for this reason that it is generally viewed as the most successful.

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10 Facts About the Battle of Bosworth https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-the-battle-of-bosworth/ Tue, 02 May 2023 10:00:49 +0000 http://histohit.local/facts-about-the-battle-of-bosworth/ Continued]]> From June 1483 to August 1485, the short reign of King Richard III was a tumultuous one.

After Parliament declaring the children of his brother, Edward IV, illegitimate, Richard, then the Duke of Gloucester and the Lord Protector, ascended to the throne and was declared King of England.

While many speculate and debate about the validity of his accession and his involvement in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower, all can agree that his reign ended on August 22, 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth. On this day, Richard III, and many of his closest supporters, were killed by the Lancastrian forces of Henry Tudor.

This marked the ending of one era and the beginning of another.

1. It was fought near, but not on, Bosworth Field

Despite its name, the Battle of Bosworth did not occur on Bosworth Field. In fact, it is three miles south of Market Bosworth. The battle has also been known as the Battle of Redemore Field or Dadlington Field.

In 2009, The Battlefields Trust eliminated two of the three proposed battle sites, including the popular belief that the battle occurred on Ambion Hill.

During their research and excavation, The Battlefields Trust also found over 22 cannonballs, which is the most to be found on a medieval battlefield.

2. Richard was known for his military leadership and skill

Following the death of his father, the Duke of York, Richard was brought up by Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick. He trained as a knight in Warwick’s castles in the North, mainly Middleham Castle.

He led military campaigns along the Scottish border. Richard also fought in many decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses, such as Barnet, Tewkesbury, and Bosworth.

While contemporary sources criticise Richard’s ambition and seizing of the English throne in 1483, most also seem to agree that he was a capable military leader and fought valiantly at Bosworth.

Richard fought in the Battle of Tewkesbury.

3. Yet Henry Tudor was relatively inexperienced

After the death of Edward of Westminster at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, Henry Tudor was effectively considered the only Lancastrian heir. Through his mother’s line, he could trace his lineage back to John of Gaunt, a son of Edward III and father to Henry IV.

But much of his life was in exile in Wales and France. He was cared for by his paternal uncle, Jasper Tudor, who fought alongside him.

Bosworth was considered the first military battle of Henry Tudor’s career.

4. The Yorkist troops vastly outnumbered the Lancastrians

Henry Tudor sailed over from France with around 2,000 troops. On his march to the Battle of Bosworth, his numbers at least doubled. Without initially having the pledged support of the Stanley family’s army, Henry Tudor went to battle with around 4,000-5,000 men.

But the royal army of Richard III numbered at least 10,000, if not 15,000. Therefore, the Lancastrian forces were outnumbered either 2:1 or 3:1.

5. King Richard did not actually offer to give his kingdom for a horse

Richard III.

Despite the famous lines of William Shakespeare’s Richard, the actual king did not attempt to flee the battlefield when the battle’s tide turned against him. It is said that Richard wore a crown over his helmet into battle, easily identifying himself as the king.

While some did try to convince the king to flee, he was resolved to win the battle or die alongside his men.

6. The battle was swayed by Sir William Stanley’s involvement

During the majority of the battle, both Sir William and Sir Thomas Stanley remained on the sidelines. Richard III had Thomas Stanley’s son, Lord Strange, held hostage as he attempted to coerce him into fighting for the Yorkists.

With a private army of around 6,000 men, the brothers heavily influenced the outcome of the Battle of Bosworth. It is said that the brother became involved after Richard led a direct charge on Henry, who had been separated from his main force.

The Stanley army attacked Richard’s back flank and effectively changed the outcome of the Battle of Bosworth.

7. It was the final battle of the medieval period in England

While the exact dates of the medieval period are speculated and debated on, the Battle of Bosworth is often considered one of the final moments of the medieval period in England.

The reign of Henry VII, and his dynasty who followed him, begin the early modern period of English history.

8. Richard III was the final English king to die in battle

After the death of Richard III, no English king would later die on the battlefield. Many would still lead their men and fight in battle, yet none would die.

George II would be the last English king to fight in battle in 1743.

9. Henry Tudor became Henry VII and ended the Wars of the Roses

Although it has been dismissed by experts, it was once said that Sir Thomas Stanley had found Richard’s circlet in a hawthorn bush.

Despite these exact details having no contemporary evidence, it seems true that Henry was crowned with fallen Richard’s circlet following his victory at Bosworth.

Sir Thomas Stanley hands the crown to Henry Tudor after the Battle of Bosworth. This image depicts the moment described by Polydore Vergil.

Image Credit: 216 01.10.1942 Трое мужчин хоронят умерших в дни блокады в Ленинграде. Волково кладбище. Борис Кудояров/РИА Новости

Henry would be officially crowned and anointed King Henry VII on 30 October 1485. He married Edward IV’s daughter, Elizabeth of York, and joined together the Houses of York and Lancaster.

While their union was most definitely symbolic, all accounts describe a rather happy marriage between the two.

10. But his throne was not secure after Bosworth

Despite the conflict known as the Wars of the Roses coming to a close with the Battle of Bosworth, Henry Tudor’s throne was anything but secure.

There were Yorkist uprising during his reign. Two of the most important are the uprisings behind Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck. Both were considered Yorkist heirs, either as Edward, the earl of Warwick or Richard of Shrewsbury, the Duke of York.

Both were found to be pretenders. Lambert was pardoned and given a job in the royal household, but Perkin was executed on 23 November 1499.

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10 Facts About Henry VII – the First Tudor King https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-henry-vii-the-first-tudor-king/ Sun, 23 Apr 2023 13:34:30 +0000 http://histohit.local/facts-about-henry-vii-the-first-tudor-king/ Continued]]> The first of the Tudor dynasty, Henry VII won the prize of the English throne from his Yorkist adversary Richard III, last of the Plantagenets, at the Battle of Bosworth – and so ended the bloody Wars of the Roses.

He was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle.

Henry VII’s reign was characterised by his success at restoring the power and stability of the English monarchy after the civil war, as well as his talent for replenishing the fortunes of an effectively bankrupt exchequer.

Here are 10 facts about this fascinating king:

1. His claim to the throne came through his mother

Henry’s mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, was an intelligent and learned woman, said to be the heir of John of Gaunt after the extinction of Henry V’s line.

But this was debatable, as her descent was through Gaunt and his third wife, Katherine Swynford, who had been Gaunt’s mistress for around 25 years; when they married in 1396, they already had 4 children, including Henry’s great-grandfather John Beaufort. Henry’s claim was therefore quite tenuous: it was through a woman, and by illegitimate descent.

John of Gaunt

2. He spent much of his early life under protection or in exile

His father, Edmund Tudor, was captured by the Yorkists and died in prison 3 months before Henry’s birth, and his mother was only 13 when he was born. She fled to Wales, and found the protection of Henry’s uncle Jasper Tudor.

When Edward IV became king and Jasper Tudor went into exile, the Yorkist William Herbert assumed their guardianship. Then Herbert was executed by Warwick when he restored Henry VI in 1470, and Jasper Tudor brought Henry to court.

But when the Yorkist Edward IV regained the throne, Henry fled with other Lancastrians to Brittany. He was nearly captured and handed over to the Edward IV on one occasion, but managed to escape to the court of France – who backed his expedition to England and his bid for the throne.

3. He secured his claim by marrying Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV and niece of Richard III

He did not marry Elizabeth until after his coronation, which underlined that he ruled in his own right. However he hoped the marriage would satisfy some of the less extreme Yorkists and lead to their acceptance of a Tudor king.

The marriage took place on 18th January 1486 at Westminster Abbey. They would go on to have a large family, with 4 children – including the future Henry VIII – surviving to adulthood.

Elizabeth of York, wife of Henry VII and daughter of Edward IV.

4. The Tudor rose was born

The emblem of a white and red rose was adopted as one of the king’s badges, meant to symbolise the union of the Houses of Lancaster (red rose) and York (white rose).

5. But there were numerous rivals to the throne

Henry secured the chief male surviving Yorkist claimant to the throne, the young Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick, whom he imprisoned in the Tower.

But he was also threatened by pretenders: Lambert Simnel, who posed as the young Earl of Warwick, and Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, the younger of the Princes in the Tower.

Eventually Warbeck was hanged and Warwick was beheaded. Simnel was kept as a servant in the kitchens at court.

6. He was a big fan of taxes

Henry VII improved tax collection by introducing ruthlessly efficient systems, such as a catch-22 method for nobles: those nobles who spent little must have saved much and so presumably could afford the increased taxes; on the other hand, the nobles who spent a lot obviously had the means to pay increased taxes.

Two of his most hated tax collectors, Sir Richard Empson and Sir Edmund Dudley, would be charged with treason and executed by King Henry VIII in 1510.

Henry VII (centre) with his advisors Sir Richard Empson and Sir Edmund Dudley

7. Sometimes wasn’t quite truthful about where the money went

Henry VII was notoriously parsimonious and skilled at extracting money from his subjects for a variety of pretexts, such as war with France or war with Scotland. But the money often ended up in the king’s personal coffers, rather than finding its way to its stated purpose.

8. He married his first son, Arthur, to Catherine of Aragon

And thereby ensured a good relationship with Ferdinand and Isabella of the powerful House of Trastamara. But when Arthur died, a mere 6 months after he married Catherine, Ferdinand – who had never gotten on well with Henry VII – asked for Catherine’s dowry back.

Portrait of Catherine of Aragon

9. Arthur’s death partially led to his mother’s demise

Henry and Elizabeth were prostrate with grief at the loss of their eldest son, and aware that the survival of their dynasty rested on their one surviving boy, Henry. They decided to try for another son to secure the succession.

Elizabeth quickly became pregnant, but she was unwell throughout the pregnancy and – a mere 9 days after giving birth to a daughter, Catherine – died of an infection on her 37th birthday. Their daughter lived for only 1 day.

10. Then Henry tried to marry Catherine of Aragon himself

After Arthur and Elizabeth died, Henry suggested he should marry the pretty, redheaded Catherine himself in order to keep hold of her substantial dowry. The proposal was met with an icy response from Catherine’s mother, Isabella. Finally an agreement was reached that Catherine should marry the young Henry, the heir to the throne – the future King Henry VIII.

Scene at deathbed of Henry VII at Richmond Palace (1509) drawn contemporaneously from witness accounts by the courtier Sir Thomas Wriothesley (d.1534) who wrote an account of the proceedings BL Add.MS 45131, f.54

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12 Facts About Perkin Warbeck: Pretender to the English Throne https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-perkin-warbeck-pretender-to-the-english-throne/ Tue, 11 Apr 2023 11:17:36 +0000 http://histohit.local/facts-about-perkin-warbeck-pretender-to-the-english-throne/ Continued]]> Although most agree that the Wars of the Roses culminated with the decisive Lancastrian victory near Bosworth on 22 August 1485, for the newly-crowned King Henry VII this was far from the end to the instability that had shaken England for the past forty years. The threat lingered – epitomised by the rise of the pretender Perkin Warbeck.

Here are twelve facts about this pretender to the English throne:

1. He was the second of two pretenders in Henry VII’s reign

 

Henry VII had already been challenged by a previous pretender in 1487: Lambert Simnel, who claimed to be Edward Plantagenet.

Although he rallied some Yorkist support, Simnel’s forces were defeated at the Battle of Stoke Field on 16 June 1487. Some consider this battle, and not Bosworth, to be the final battle of the Wars of the Roses.

Henry pardoned Simnel but kept his former enemy close, employing him as a scullion in the royal kitchens. Later, Simnel progressed to become a royal falconer.

2. Warbeck claimed to be Richard, Duke of York

Richard was one of the nephews of Richard III and one of the two ‘Princes in the Tower’ who had mysteriously disappeared during the previous decade.

Richard was also the sister of Elizabeth of York, the wife of Henry VII.

3. His main supporter was Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy

Margaret was the sister of the late Edward IV and supported Warbeck’s claim to be Richard Duke of York, her nephew.

She ensured the young pretender was well-versed in Yorkist family history and funded a small professional army, along with the necessary transport ships, to ferry Warbeck’s force across the Channel to England.

4. Warbeck’s army attempted to land in England on 3 July 1495…

Supported by 1,500 men – many of whom were battle-hardened continental mercenaries – Warbeck had chosen to land his army at the port town of Deal in Kent.

5. …but they were met with fierce opposition.

Local Tudor supporters violently opposed the invasion force’s landing at Deal. A battle ensued on the beach and eventually Warbeck’s army was forced to withdraw and abandon the amphibious assault.

It is the only time in history – aside from Julius Caesar’s first visit to Britain – that an English force has opposed an invading army on the beaches.

6. He then sought support in Scotland

After a disastrous campaign in Ireland, Warbeck fled to Scotland to seek aid from King James IV. James agreed and gathered a significant, modern army to invade England.

The invasion proved disastrous: support in Northumberland failed to materialise, the army’s logistics were woefully underprepared and a stronger English army stood ready to oppose them.

Soon after James made peace with England and Warbeck returned to Ireland, disgraced and no better off.

7. Warbeck cast his die one last time in Cornwall

On 7 September 1497 Perkin Warbeck and his 120 men landed at Whitesand Bay near Lands End.

His arrival in Cornwall was well-timed: a popular uprising against Henry had occurred in the region barely 3 months earlier.

The uprising was brutally suppressed by the sword on the outskirts of London at the Battle of Deptford Bridge. Warbeck was hoping to capitalise on lingering Cornish resentment in its aftermath.

Statue of Michael Joseph the Smith and Thomas Flamank On the road out of St Keverne, this statue commemorates these two leaders of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497. They led a Cornish host to London, where they were put to death. Credit: Trevor Harris / Commons.

8. His hopes came to fruition…

Cornish resentment remained high and some 6,000 men joined the young pretender’s cause, declaring him King Richard IV.

At the head of this army, Warbeck started marching towards London.

9. …but Warbeck was no warlord

When Warbeck heard that a royal army was marching to confront his Cornish army, the young pretender panicked, deserting his army and fleeing to Beaulieu Abbey in Hampshire.

Warbeck’s sanctuary was surrounded, the young pretender surrendered (as did his Cornish army) and was paraded as a prisoner through the streets of London to the Tower.

10. Warbeck soon confessed to being an imposter

As soon as Warbeck confessed, Henry VII released him from the Tower of London. It seemed he was destined for a fate similar to that of Lambert Simnel – treated well in the Royal Court, but always remaining under Henry’s eye.

11. He twice tried to escape

Both attempts came in 1499: he was quickly captured after escaping Henry’s court the first time and Henry had him placed, once again, in the tower.

There he and another prisoner, Edward Plantagenet, devised a second escape attempt, but the plan was uncovered and foiled before it came to fruition.

12. Perkin Warbeck was executed on 23 November 1499

He was lead from the Tower to Tyburn Tree, where he confessed and was hanged. The last great threat to Henry VII’s rule had been extinguished.

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10 Facts About King Richard III https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-king-richard-iii/ Wed, 05 Apr 2023 07:00:00 +0000 http://histohit.local/facts-about-king-richard-iii/ Continued]]> Richard III, the last king of the House of York and the Plantaganet dynasty, ruled England from 1483 to 1485. Perhaps better known by his characterisation as a dark and twisted tyrant in Shakespeare’s eponymous play, Richard’s reputation is controversial; yet many contemporary sources praise his character and rule. The death of Richard III also marked the end of medieval England.

Here are 10 facts about the often misunderstood monarch.

1. Richard was born in Fotheringhay Castle on 2 October 1452

His parents were Richard Plantagenet and Cecily Neville. Richard Plantagenet was descended from Edward III both on his father’s side (great-grandson) and his mother’s side (great-great-great-grandson). During the mental breakdown of Henry VI, he served as Lord Protector of England.

2. Richard was the 12th of 13 children

Richard was part of a big family. Among his siblings was the future King Edward IV and George Plantagenet – who would later become the Duke of Clarence and engage in several conspiracies against Edward.

David Garrick as Richard III, 1745. Image credit: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Credit: William Hogarth, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

3. Richard’s spent some of his childhood years at Middleham Castle in Yorkshire

Following the death of his father, the Duke of York, Richard was brought up by Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick who owned Middleham Castle. There Richard underwent training to become a knight.

4. Richard married Anne Neville at the age of 20

Anne Neville was Queen of England for most of her husband’s reign, but died in March 1485, five months before Richard III’s death.

5. Richard and Anne funded Cambridge University’s King’s College and Queen’s College

He generously supported the construction of the iconic chapel at Kings College for instance.

6. Richard was loyal to his older brother King Edward IV

He ran the north of England up until his brother’s death in 1483, when Richard became Lord Protector. Richard also remained loyal to Edward when their middle brother, George, rebelled and schemed against the king.

7. Richard was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1483

The coronation came after Londoners had petitioned Richard to have the throne.

8. Richard fought his final battle at Bosworth in 1485

Richard’s army at the Battle of Bosworth Field was said to be around 8,000 strong, pitted against 5,000 of Henry Tudor’s men.

Battle of Bosworth Field. Image credit: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

9. Richard was killed during the Battle

Richard was a strong warrior and managed to unhorse a jousting champion in his final fight. But he was later surrounded by men of Sir William Stanley who were said to have beaten him so hard that his helmet entered his skull, killing him.

10. It is thought the late Duke of Beaufort may be a direct descendent of Richard III

Though Richard is considered to be the last member of the Plantagenet blood line, it is thought the late David Somerset may have been a direct descendent via a possible illegitimate relationship that took place centuries ago.

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16 Key Figures in the Wars of the Roses https://www.historyhit.com/key-figures-in-the-wars-of-the-roses/ Sun, 02 Apr 2023 09:24:54 +0000 http://histohit.local/key-figures-in-the-wars-of-the-roses/ Continued]]> The Wars of the Roses was a bloody contest for the throne of England, a civil war fought out between the rival houses of York – whose symbol was the white rose – and Lancaster – whose symbol was the red rose – throughout the second half of the 15th century.

After 30 years of political manipulation, horrific carnage and brief periods of peace, the wars ended and a new royal dynasty emerged: the Tudors.

Here are 16 key figures from the wars:

1. Henry VI

All was not well in King Henry’s court. He had little interest in politics and was a weak ruler, and also suffered from mental instability that plunged the kingship into turmoil.

This incited rampant lawlessness throughout his realm and opened the door for power-hungry nobles and kingmakers to plot behind his back.

King Henry VI

2. Margaret of Anjou

Henry VI’s wife Margaret was a noble and strong-willed Frenchwoman whose ambition and political savvy overshadowed her husband’s. She was determined to secure a Lancastrian throne for her son, Edward.

3. Richard, Duke of York

Richard of York—as great-grandson of King Edward III—had a strong competing claim on the English throne.

His conflicts with Margaret of Anjou and other members of Henry’s court, as well as his competing claim on the throne, were a leading factor in the political upheaval.

Richard eventually attempted to take the throne, but was dissuaded, although it was agreed that he would become king on Henry’s death. But within a few weeks of securing this agreement, he died in battle at Wakefield.

4. Edmund Beaufort

Edmund Beaufort was an English nobleman and Lancastrian leader whose quarrel with Richard, Duke of York was infamous. In the he 1430s obtained control—with William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk— of the government of the weak king Henry VI.

But he was later imprisoned when Richard, Duke of York became ‘Lord Protector’, before dying at the Battle of St Albans.

5. Edmund, Earl of Rutland

He was the fifth child and second surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville. #

By the laws of primogeniture, Edmund’s father, Richard of York had a good claim to the English throne, being descended from the second surviving son of Edward III, giving him a slightly better claim to the throne than the reigning king, Henry VI, who descended from Edward’s third son.

He was killed aged just 17 at the Battle of Wakefield, possibly murdered by the Lancastrian Lord Clifford who sought revenge for the death of his own father at St Albans five years earlier..

6. Edward IV

He was the first Yorkist King of England. The first half of his rule was marred by the violence associated with the Wars of the Roses, but he overcame the Lancastrian challenge to the throne at Tewkesbury in 1471 to reign in peace until his sudden death.

7. Richard III

The alleged remains of Richard III.

Richard III was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat at Bosworth Field, the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, marked the end of the Middle Ages in England.

He is the Machiavellian, hunchbacked protagonist of Richard III, one of William Shakespeare’s history plays – famous for supposedly murdering the two Princes in the Tower.

8. George, Duke of Clarence

He was the third surviving son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, and the brother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III.

Though a member of the House of York, he switched sides to support the Lancastrians, before reverting to the Yorkists. He was later convicted of treason against his brother, Edward IV, and was executed (allegedly by being drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine).

9. Edward, Earl of Lancaster

Edward of Lancaster was the only son of King Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou. He was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury, making him the only heir apparent to the English throne to die in battle.

10. Richard Neville

Known as Warwick the Kingmaker, Neville was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander. The eldest son of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury, Warwick was the wealthiest and most powerful English peer of his age, with political connections that went beyond the country’s borders.

Originally on the Yorkist side but later switching to the Lancastrian side, he was instrumental in the deposition of two kings, which led to his epithet of “Kingmaker”.

11. Elizabeth Woodville

Elizabeth was Queen consort of England as the spouse of King Edward IV from 1464 until his death in 1483. Her second marriage, to Edward IV, was a cause célèbre of the day, thanks to Elizabeth’s great beauty and lack of great estates.

Edward was the first king of England since the Norman Conquest to marry one of his subjects, and Elizabeth was the first such consort to be crowned queen.

Her marriage greatly enriched her siblings and children, but their advancement incurred the hostility of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, ‘The Kingmaker’, and his various alliances with the most senior figures in the increasingly divided royal family.

Edward IV and Elizabeth Grey

Image Credit: Landscape

12. Isabel Neville

In 1469 Isabel’s power-hungry father, Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick, defected from King Edward IV after his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville. Instead of ruling England through Edward, he planned a marriage for Isabel to Edward’s brother George Duke of Clarence.

George also saw benefit in the union, as the Neville family was extremely wealthy. The marriage took place in secret in Calais, as part of the rebellion of George and Warwick against Edward IV.

13. Anne Neville

Anne Neville was an English queen, the daughter of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick. She became Princess of Wales as the wife of Edward of Westminster and then Queen of England as the wife of King Richard III.

A watercolour recreation of the Wars of the Roses.

14. Elizabeth of York

Elizabeth of York was the eldest daughter of the Yorkist king Edward IV, sister of the princes in the Tower, and niece of Richard III.

Her marriage to Henry VII was hugely popular – the union of the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster was seen as bringing peace after years of dynastic war.

15. Margaret Beaufort

Margaret Beaufort was the mother of King Henry VII and paternal grandmother of King Henry VIII of England. She was the influential matriarch of the House of Tudor.

16. Henry VII

Henry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 to his death on 21 April 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.

17. Jasper Tudor

Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford, Earl of Pembroke, was the uncle of King Henry VII of England and a leading architect of his nephew’s successful accession to the throne in 1485. He was from the noble Tudor family of Penmynydd in North Wales.

]]>
Who Really Won the Battle of Bosworth? https://www.historyhit.com/who-really-won-the-battle-of-bosworth/ Sat, 04 Mar 2023 14:51:48 +0000 http://histohit.local/who-really-won-the-battle-of-bosworth/ Continued]]> It’s a game historians play – who really won the Battles of Waterloo, Hastings, Agincourt etc. With the Battle of Bosworth Field it’s a particularly apposite debate.

Did Henry win in 1485 or did Richard lose? Either way there is always the nagging thought that it was neither. So, who won the battle? Let me offer you Lord Thomas Stanley.

Husband number three

Within two months of Henry’s birth at Pembroke Castle in January 1457 Margaret Beaufort, his young mother, left the security of the West Wales stronghold and headed east to Monmouthshire.

Jasper Tudor, her brother-in-law, knew that with Margaret’s husband (his brother Edmund) dead, she needed a new husband and her son a new protector.

A first attempt ended in failure when husband number two, Henry Stafford, was executed by Warwick the Kingmaker after the Battle of Edgecote. Husband number three was an altogether more successful choice.

Lord Thomas Stanley was one of the richest and most powerful men in England. A supporter of Edward IV, it was only after Richard of Gloucester seized the crown in 1483 that he began to have doubts.

Margaret had hitched her star to the Yorkist cause by marrying Stanley but undoubtedly her aim was to obtain a pardon for her son – then languishing in exile in Brittany.

From the beginning of their relationship Margaret could see that Stanley was a prevaricator. He had no love for the usurper Richard but Henry was an unknown alternative.

Nevertheless he allowed Margaret to write secretly to her son, promising his support – and that of his younger brother William – should the last of the Lancastrian princes decide to invade.

The message gave Henry heart, even though the promise of support was indirect and given at second hand.

Quartered arms of Sir Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby, KG. Image Credit: Rs-nourse / Commons.

Hedging his bets

Henry left Harfleur with his small invasion force on 1 August 1485, having had no further communication from his father-in-law. He trusted Stanley’s word but throughout the march northwards from Milford Haven a lack of further contact with the powerful Stanley continued to plague Henry. When the time came how would his father-in-law jump?

The worry would simply not go away. Henry regularly despatched messages to Stanley, writing or sending out envoys every time his army paused to rest, but received little in reply. When he did respond Stanley was non-committal.

At Machynlleth Henry’s concern was so great that he consulted a local soothsayer about his chances of victory. The prophet gave a positive reply – perhaps understandable with dozens of heavily armed troops around his door. If Henry could have received so positive a response from his father-in-law he would have been deliriously happy.

Without Stanley’s support, Henry’s army would have been greatly outnumbered by Richard III’s royal force.

Richard III takes action

Meanwhile Stanley was receiving threatening messages from the King, demanding that he join him at Nottingham. Pleading illness – the so-called sweating sickness – Stanley stayed away from court which led Richard to take his son George, Lord Strange as hostage.

If Thomas Stanley was annoyed at this his brother William was infuriated, declaring Richard’s action as un-knightly and base. He then declared for Henry. Even so he did not move his troops any closer to the invader and Henry was actually no better off.

When he sent requests for the Stanleys to meet him at Shrewsbury – a Stanley enclave –  there was no reply.

It was not all doom and gloom, however. After refusing Henry entry to the town, the bailiff changed his mind when a message from Lord Stanley was apparently thrown over the wall (wrapped around a stone) ordering the gates to be opened. The unaccountable arrival of Stanley’s son-in-law with 1,000 troops also played a part.

Aiding from a distance

Stanley’s behaviour continued to puzzle Henry. When he entered the town of Lichfield, he found that Thomas had been there a few days before and had effectively “paved the way” for him. Henry was welcomed by the townspeople as the future King but Thomas Stanley stayed resolutely away.

Stanley had left his castle at Lathom on 15 August and was soon in position mid-way between the forces of Henry and Richard where he could turn whichever way he chose.

Henry and Lord Stanley did finally meet at Merevale Priory on 21 August, the day before the battle, and Henry came away pleased at Stanley’s promises. Jasper Tudor and the Earl of Oxford, Henry’s main advisers, were not.

The Battle of Bosworth

Bosworth Field: Richard III and Henry Tudor engage in battle, prominently in the centre.

When, early on 22 August Henry sent a message asking Stanley to take up his position at the head of the vanguard – as agreed during the meeting at Merevale – the reply was devastating. Lord Stanley would take up his battle position but only when Henry and his troops were actively joined in battle.

Despite his declaration of support, William Stanley also declined to attack at that stage.

Henry gazed at Stanley’s 6,000 troops sitting impotently on his right flank and knew that, outnumbered three to one, he would have to fight Richard without their help. The battle lasted just two hours and the Stanleys stayed inactive for most of it.

They watched as Oxford destroyed Richard’s right wing and then saw the King make his final, fatal charge down the hill towards Henry’s exposed and potentially fatal position.

facts about richard III

Engraving of Richard III charging at the Battle of Bosworth.

Only when it was clear that Henry was in danger did William Stanley, followed by his brother, send in his troops. King Richard was killed, his army scattered and Henry saved.

Richard had been just a few sword lengths from his enemy when he was battered to the ground. Without the timely intervention of the Stanleys the battle could easily have gone the other way.

Phil Carradice is a well-known writer and historian with over 60 books to his credit. A poet, story teller and broadcaster, he is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio and TV, presents the BBC Wales History programme “The Past Master”. Following in the Footsteps of Henry Tudor is his most recent book, published by Pen and Sword on 4 September 2019.

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Henry VIII’s 6 Wives in Order https://www.historyhit.com/the-6-wives-of-henry-viii-in-order/ Sun, 05 Feb 2023 09:00:46 +0000 http://histohit.local/the-6-wives-of-henry-viii-in-order/ Continued]]> Henry VIII is one of England‘s best-known monarchs. Charismatic and extravagant, his reign lasted nearly 39 years.

Henry enacted radical changes to the English constitution, expanded royal power and broke with the Catholic Church in the English Reformation.

But he is perhaps most famous for having six wives. Though married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, for nearly 25 years, Henry’s next five marriages lasted less than that combined.

Best remembered in rhyme form; ‘divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived’; two of Henry VIII’s marriages were declared annulled, two of his wives were beheaded and another of them died after giving birth to his only son. But his final wife, Catherine Parr, outlived him and their marriage.

Here are Henry VIII’s six wives in order.

1. Catherine of Aragon

Catherine is best known today for her role in sparking the King’s excommunication from the Catholic Church and the Reformation. Married to Henry for a quarter of a century, however, there is much more to her.

The daughter of Spanish monarchs Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, Catherine was a political catch.

Betrothed at the age of three to Arthur, Henry’s older brother and the heir apparent to the English throne, her position became uncertain when, in 1502, her husband died just five months into their marriage.

Half of Catherine’s dowry had already been paid to Arthur’s father, Henry VII, so the English king faced the dilemma of how to pay it back.

Catherine was effectively held a prisoner with little money to her name while the issue was debated. But in 1507, six years after Arthur’s death, she became the ambassador of the Aragonese Crown to England.

In doing so, she also became the first female European ambassador in history.

Catherine of Aragon

Image Credit: Attributed to Joannes Corvus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Two years later, Catherine married Henry VIII – who was five years her junior – shortly after he had ascended the throne. This marriage between a man and his brother’s widow required, and was granted, dispensation by the Catholic Church.

The couple’s marriage was eventful for Catherine. In 1513, she served as regent for six months while Henry was away in France. During this time she oversaw an English victory against Scotland at the Battle of Flodden, but she also gave birth to a stillborn child.

Catherine suffered multiple miscarriages and stillbirths. She bore the king’s first child, a boy, only to see him die 52 days later. Her only child to survive to adulthood was a daughter born in 1516, Mary; who went on to become queen.

Catherine suffered another miscarriage in 1518, but one year later Henry had a son by a mistress named Elizabeth Blount. The boy was named Henry Fitzroy, and is Henry’s only confirmed illegitimate child. Blount was not, however, Henry’s only mistress during his marriage to Catherine.

It was his infatuation with Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting, from 1526, which set into motion a chain of events that would not only see the end of Catherine and Henry’s marriage, but also lead to England’s Protestantisation.

Henry tried to have his marriage to Catherine annulled to marry Anne. He argued that their marriage had been invalid because of Catherine’s marriage to his brother. Devout Catherine rejected this, saying that she and Arthur’s relationship had never been consummated.

Possibly pressured somewhat by Catherine’s nephew, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the Pope refused. In response the king assumed supremacy over religious matters and turned his back on the Catholic Church.

Henry’s marriage to Catherine was eventually annulled on 1533 and Catherine was banished from court as Dowager Princess of Wales. She lived out the rest of her days at Kimbolton Castle in Cambridgeshire where she died in 1536. Her daughter Mary was forbidden for visiting her or to attending her funeral at Peterborough Cathedral.

Catherine never accepted the end of her marriage to Henry as legitimate, always seeing herself as England’s rightful Queen and Henry’s wife.

2. Anne Boleyn

With the extraordinary events of her life unparalleled in British history, Anne Boleyn is undoubtedly the most famous of Henry’s wives.

Henry may have endured a seven-year courtship and far-reaching political and religious upheavals in order to marry his second wife, but that didn’t stop him having her executed less than three years later.

Anne was born c.1501 to Sir Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard, and spent much of her youth in France, returning in 1522. She was reported to be fluent in french, a talented musician and to dress in line with French fashions.

Anne was previously betrothed to Henry Percy, but this engagement had been broken off when it did not gain the support of his father, the fifth Earl of Northumberland. Henry VIII, himself, had formerly taken Anne’s sister, Mary, as a mistress.

Anne refused to become the King’s mistress, forcing him to wait through the seven years of courtship until they could marry. In 1532, Henry made Anne the Marquessate of Pembroke, and the pair married formally in January 1533, after a secret ceremony two months earlier.

After going through so much to secure the marriage, the King’s change of heart was likely due to the fact that, like Catherine, Anne seemed unable to bear him a son. After giving birth to Elizabeth I in September 1533, she suffered several miscarriages.

Henry began to look elsewhere for a woman to bear him a son – and he found this woman in Jane Seymour. Anne was less able to accept Henry’s infidelities than her predecessor, and reportedly became enraged and jealous when confronted with evidence of her husband’s affairs.

A month after Henry began courting Jane, he ordered Anne to be investigated for high treason and she was sent to the Tower of London.

After being tried on charges of adultery, incest and treason, Anne was found guilty (most likely wrongly) by a jury which included her once fiancee, Henry Percy. The treason charge alludes to alleged plots to kill the King, but also likely the risk to succession that would be created by a Queen having an affair.

Five men were found guilty of adultery. Among them was Anne’s brother, George, hence the charge of incest. All were executed on Tower Hill.

She was beheaded four days later, on 19 May, on Tower Green. In her final speech she did not admit guilt but instead alluded to her innocence and, perhaps to keep her daughter in Henry’s favour, prayed ‘God save the King, and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never.’

3. Jane Seymour

Henry’s love for – or at least infatuation with – Anne may have sparked the Reformation, but Jane is commonly thought to have been his favourite wife. This is most likely because Jane gave him what none of of his other wives could: a son who lived.

Like Anne, Jane had served as a lady-in-waiting to the queen she would replace. They also shared a great-grandmother. As did Henry’s future wife Catherine Howard.

Portrait by Hans Holbein, Kunsthistorisches Museum

Image Credit: Hans Holbein the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Jane was not as highly educated as either of her predecessors. Her peaceful and gentle personality, starkly contrasting with that of her predecessors, reportedly lent itself to peacemaking efforts at court – ironic given the circumstances that surrounded her marriage to Henry.

She married the Tudor King in May 1533, just days after Anne had been beheaded.

Her marriage to Henry was overshadowed by the need to give birth to an heir, with some suggesting that this was a factor in the delay of her coronation.

Jane gave birth to a son in October 1534. He would grow up to be King Edward VI, but she would not live to see this. After developing post-natal complications, she died less than two weeks after his birth, aged 29.

Jane is attributed with reconciling her husband to his first daughter, Mary, during their short marriage. Her connection to her step daughter was such that Mary acted as chief mourner at her funeral.

Jane was the only one of Henry’s wives to be given a queen’s funeral, despite never having had a coronation, and was the wife who Henry chose to be buried with upon his own death in January 1547.

4. Anne of Cleves

Henry’s last three wives are less famous than his first three, a matter not helped by the fact that each shares their name with a predecessor.

Not only this but Henry’s last three marriages were far less dramatic than his first three (though this is certainly relative given that his fifth wife was beheaded). None of these final three marriages resulted in any children.

In the case of Anne of Cleves this last point is hardly surprising given that her marriage with Henry went unconsummated. The King proved far less enamoured with his fourth wife than he had with her predecessors.

Henry married Anne in January 1540, though negotiations for the marriage are believed to have begun shortly after Jane’s death in 1534.

The daughter of the Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark, Anne was considered a politically expedient match by Henry’s advisers. She was only just older than Henry’s oldest child, Mary, and had no formal education.

After marrying Anne in January 1540, Henry had their marriage annulled just six months later, citing its lack of consummation as well as his wife’s previous engagement to another man, Francis, Duke of Barr and later Lorraine. Henry blamed the marriage going unconsummated on Anne’s appearance but this slight didn’t stop the pair later becoming close friends.

Anne’s acceptance of the annulment seemed to win her favour with Henry and she subsequently became an honorary member of his family, known as “the King’s Beloved Sister”. Her generous settlement included Richmond Palace and also the home of Henry’s former in-laws, the Boleyns, Hever Castle.

Portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1539. Oil and tempera on parchment mounted on canvas, Musée du Louvre, Paris

Like Jane, Anne had a good relationship with Henry’s eldest daughter. In 1553 she accompanied her former step daughter to Whitehall, Mary’s new residence as Queen. Anne also reverted back to her former religion, Roman Catholicism, in line with the new Queen.

Anne died in 1557, outliving all of the other five wives and Henry himself. She is the only one of Henry’s queens to be buried in Westminster Abbey.

The political adviser who arranged the marriage did not fare so well, however; Thomas Cromwell was executed on 28 July 1540, the same day that Henry married his next wife.

5. Catherine Howard

Henry’s marriage to Catherine Howard came close to matching the drama of his earlier partnerships – perhaps unsurprising given that his teenage bride was a first cousin of Anne Boleyn.

Catherine’s life had been turbulent even before Henry came on the scene. As one of the many wards of her father’s stepmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, she began at the age of 13 to be involved in repeated sexual contact with her music teacher, Henry Mannox.

Later, Catherine had become embroiled in an extramarital affair with the Dowager’s secretary Francis Dereham.

After the Dowager Duchess found out, Catherine was sent to court to serve as a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves. This position had been secured for her by her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, who saw an opportunity in Henry’s lack of interest in Anne. The King was certainly attracted to Catherine’s youth, looks and vivacity.

The pair were married in 1540. In the spring of the following year, however, Catherine is alleged to have begun an affair with a favoured courtier of Henry’s named Thomas Culpeper. Their meetings were reportedly organised by Jane Boleyn, the widow of Anne Boleyn’s executed brother George.

By autumn, rumours about Catherine’s conduct were abundant and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, learned of her alleged affair with Culpeper, as well as her previous relationship with the Dowager Duchess’s secretary, Dereham.

Cranmer saw this as his chance to reduce the influence of his political rival, the Roman Catholic house of Norfolk. He launched an investigation into Catherine’s alleged affairs and she was detained and questioned in November 1541.

Rather than admitting to the earlier affair and possible precontract with Dereham, which would have allowed for her annulment and banishment, Catherine maintained that the relationship was not consensual.

Charged with high treason, both Culpeper and Dereham were executed in December 1541.

In order to find Catherine guilty of a crime, the Royal Assent by Commission Act 1541 was passed. It became treasonous to fail to disclose premarital sexual relations to the monarch within twenty days of marriage, or to incite a person to engage in adultery as the Queen consort.

Within months, Catherine had gone the same way as her cousin Anne, executed for high treason. On her route by barge to the Tower of London she likely have passed under the impaled heads of her reported lovers, Culpeper and Dereham, on London Bridge.

Catherine was probably about nineteen years old.

Jane Boleyn was also executed and both were buried in unmarked graves at the Tower’s parish chapel alongside Catherine’s cousins, and Jane’s sister-in-law and husband: Anne and George Boleyn.

6. Catherine Parr

Henry’s sixth and final wife – and his third named Catherine – was perhaps his luckiest. She married Henry in July 1543, just four months after Catherine Howard was beheaded, and went on to outlive him – though only by a year.

Catherine Parr had been married twice before, being titled Lady Burgh and then Lady Latimer, and married again around six months after Henry died, making her the most married English queen.

This is not Catherine’s only claim to fame: she was also the first queen of both England and Ireland.

A portrait of Catherine Parr (1512–1548)

Image Credit: National Portrait Gallery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The third Catherine had begun a romantic relationship with Jane Seymour’s brother, Thomas, when she caught the eye of Henry. But she considered it her duty to marry the King instead.

In 1546, Catherine, who held strong Protestant sympathies, faced a plot to get rid of her by anti-Protestant officials.

These officials tried to turn Henry against Catherine and even drew up a warrant for her arrest. But Catherine outwitted them and successfully reconciled with her husband, avoiding the same fate as her unlucky predecessors.

She also differed from her predecessors being 30 years old, and a scholar. She became the first English queen to write and publish a book under her own name in 1545, with Prayers and Meditations.

When Henry died in 1547, he left provisions of £7,000 a year for Catherine to support herself, and for Catherine to be treated as Queen Dowager, still in possession of her courtly clothes, jewels and such.

Catherine’s final husband was her previous interest and the uncle of the new king, Thomas Seymour. Seymour is reported to have also had interests in the future queen, Lady Elizabeth, who lived with the married couple.

This rumour was included in evidence which resulted in Seymour’s execution in 1549 for treason This came after his wife’s death, for in August 1548, Catherine had given birth to her only child and died several days later from suspected childbed fever.

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How Henry Tudor Won the English Game of Thrones https://www.historyhit.com/henry-vii-crowned/ Sat, 30 Oct 2021 14:20:25 +0000 http://histohit.local/henry-vii-crowned/ Continued]]> On 30 October 1485 Henry Tudor was crowned in Westminster abbey as King Henry VII. Having won his throne on the battlefield, his coronation marked the end of the Medieval era in England and ushered in a new dynasty and a new age of opportunity.

The real Game of Thrones?

Henry’s crowning on a crisp October day also marked the end the long series of civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses. Ever since the death of the great warrior King Henry V in 1422, England had been in a state of turmoil: he had left the throne to his infant son, Henry VI, meaning he left England with a minority until Henry was old enough to rule.

Even as an adult, Henry proved to be an inept ruler, losing all the French lands conquered by his father during his reign.

By 1453 the English had lost finally lost the Hundred Years War with France and murmurs of discontent about Henry’s rule were growing louder. In 1455, these murmurs erupted into violence at the Battle of St Albans, as the powerful Richard, Duke of York, set upon the Henry’s men and captured the hapless monarch.

30 years of violence followed, where the crown passed to-and-fro between Henry – aided by his rather more formidable wife, Margaret of Anjou – and York’s son Edward.

Eventually, after twin victories in 1471 Edward appeared to have won and ruled henceforth as King Edward IV. His line of York appeared to have triumphed over Henry VI’s house of Lancaster, but the Lancastrians had one last hope hidden away overseas.

Henry Tudor

Henry VII of England, painted c. 1505

Image Credit: National Portrait Gallery / Public Domain

Henry Tudor’s genealogical claim to the throne was dubious at best, for it came through the female line and an illegitimate ancestor. However, decades of war had taken their toll, and he was the only male Lancastrian of suitable age left.

The son of a Welsh noble family on his father’s side, Henry had been forced to flee the country for Brittany following Edward’s decisive victory at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471: only quick thinking and support from the local townsfolk prevented him from being brought to the vengeful new king as a prisoner. His fortunes turned dramatically, however, in 1483 when Edward, a famous warrior and well-respected king, died aged just 40.

Though he had young sons, his brother Richard seized the throne. With this uncertainty, and bad blood over Richard’s perceived murder of his nephews, the young pretender across the channel knew that this would be his best opportunity to win what he saw as his birthright. Riding to the court of the King of France and gaining his support, Henry landed in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the summer of 1485.

Toppling Richard

Pembrokeshire was an excellent choice. It was near Henry’s birthplace and his own Welsh blood ensured support from the locals, who had no love for English kings after Owain Glyndwr’s rebellions earlier in the century. The march through Wales swelled Henry’s ranks to 5,000 men, and he knew that if he met Richard in the field quickly he might have a chance of seizing his throne. This wish would be granted.

On 22 August 1485, the two rivals met at the Battle of Bosworth in Leicestershire. Henry’s army was outnumbered, but the forces of his father-in-law Lord Stanley switched sides at a crucial point in the battle, and after Richard was cut down, his men lost much of their will to fight. With his greatest rival out of the way and childless, the road to the throne was now all Henry’s.

Unifying the houses of Lancaster and York

Claiming the throne by right of conquest, Henry then marched on London, where he was crowned with little resistance. Realising that a diplomatic touch would be better for ending hostilities than brute force, the new King Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, Edward IV’s daughter, in 1486. From then on the symbol of the Tudor dynasty was a red and white rose – a combination of the symbols of houses Lancaster and York.

Henry defeated a few uprisings over the next few years before overseeing a relatively long and peaceful reign. He left the kingdom to his son, yet another Henry, in excellent shape in 1509. Everything we associate with the Tudor age, from Henry VIII’s six wives to the golden Elizabethan period of wealth and exploration, started with a young Welshman in 1485.

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What Was the Significance of the Battle of Bosworth? https://www.historyhit.com/the-significance-of-the-battle-of-bosworth/ Tue, 07 Sep 2021 08:18:30 +0000 https://www.historyhit.com/?p=5162858 Continued]]> On 22 August 1485, a seismic conflict took place in a field near Market Bosworth in Leicestershire. The Battle of Bosworth saw the sun set on the Plantagenet dynasty that had ruled England for 331 years and ushered in the dawn of the Tudor era.

Richard III led a glorious, thunderous charge of his household cavalry and is the last King of England to die on a battlefield. Henry Tudor emerged from the carnage as perhaps the most unlikely king ever to rule England, but the patriarch of a dynasty that would change the kingdom forever.

A king under threat

Richard III had only been king for just over two years, since 26 June 1483. He had previously enjoyed a strong reputation as a good lord in the north. However, he found opposition almost as soon as he became king, perhaps because of the policies that had been so popular while he was Duke of Gloucester.

In October 1483, there was a rebellion in the south-west involving the Duke of Buckingham, who may well have been making a grab for the throne for himself. In exile for the last 12 years, Henry Tudor took part, but his fleet failed to land and returned to Brittany, though he didn’t give up.

Personal tragedy overtook Richard as his only legitimate son and heir died in 1484, and his wife of more than ten years also passed away in early 1485. Richard is a figure that sparks debate today, and that was no less true during his two years as king.

A rebel in exile

Henry Tudor was born on 28 January 1457. His father was Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, a half-brother to King Henry VI and son of Katherine of Valois, widow of Henry V. Henry’s mother was Lady Margaret Beaufort, a descendant of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and a wealthy heiress. She was only 13 years old when Henry was born and already a widow after Edmund died of the plague.

Henry was raised mainly by his father’s enemies, the Herbert family. In 1470 he was briefly reunited with his mother when Henry VI returned to the throne, only to be whisked into exile aged 14 with his uncle Jasper Tudor in 1471 when Edward IV returned.

He spent the next 12 years languishing with no prospects until the accession of Richard III thrust him to prominence, probably backing Buckingham’s bid for the throne in October 1483, but after Buckingham’s execution, as a viable alternative king. Most of that time had been spent in Brittany, but in 1485 he moved to the French court.

The Battle of Bosworth

During the campaigning season of 1485, Richard based himself at Nottingham, in the centre of his kingdom, to enable him to respond to the threat of Tudor’s invasion wherever it might emerge. Henry Tudor landed at Mill Bay in south-west Wales on 7 August. He marched north along the Welsh coast before turning east into England. His army travelled along Watling Street, the old Roman road now largely covered by the A5.

Reaching London would transform Tudor’s prospects, and Richard moved to block his path. Mustering at Leicester, he marched out to intercept Tudor near Market Bosworth in Leicestershire.

The size of medieval armies is notoriously hard to establish, but it is generally believed Richard had between 8,000 and 10,000 men and Tudor between 5,000 and 8,000. The Stanley family had brought between 4,000 and 6,000 men.

Thomas Stanley was Henry Tudor’s step-father but had sworn to support Richard. Richard’s vanguard, led by the Duke of Norfolk, faced Henry’s under the Earl of Oxford. Norfolk was killed, and Richard took matters into his own hands, charging across the field to confront Tudor. He came close, killing Henry’s standard-bearer William Brandon and unseating John Cheney, a 6’8” knight.

It was then that a force led by Sir William Stanley, Thomas’s brother, intervened on Tudor’s side, leading to Richard’s death at the age of 32. All the sources agree that the king ‘was killed fighting manfully in the thickest press of his enemies’, as Polydore Virgil recorded. Henry Tudor, an exile for half of his 28 years, was the new king of England.

Bosworth Field: Richard III and Henry Tudor engage in battle, prominently in the centre.

Image Credit: Public Domain

The international dimension

One element of the Battle of Bosworth that is frequently overlooked is its international aspect and importance. Henry Tudor had secured French funding and military support not because they believed in his cause but because it suited their political aims.

Louis XI, known as the Universal Spider, had died within months of Edward IV and left his 13-year-old son to succeed him as Charles VIII. France was dealing with a minority crisis and a feud over the regency that would spill into a civil war known as the Mad War between 1485 and 1487.

Richard had taken part in his brother’s invasion of France in 1475 and opposed the peace by which Edward was bought off. Richard refused to accept the generous annual pensions offered by the French king to Edward and his nobles. From then on, France kept an eye on Richard.

Louis XI of France by Jacob de Littemont

Image Credit: Public Domain

 

When Edward died unexpectedly in 1483, France was renewing war efforts against England. Louis stopped paying Edward’s pension, and French ships began raiding the south coast. France had been trying to get hold of Henry Tudor for as long as England had. When he fell into their lap, they used him as a weapon to destabilise England. They hoped he could deflect Richard’s attention from their shores.

It is also worth remembering that as a great-grandson of King Charles VI of France, Henry might have been interested in a French crown in crisis.

Henry was given French men and money to help launch his invasion. French backing effected regime change in England in furtherance of an ongoing policy of the French crown, a reversal of England’s invasions of France.

The Battle of Bosworth is clumsily used as a dividing line between the medieval period and the early modern. It ended Plantagenet rule and began the Tudor era. Perhaps its forgotten significance lies in its international dimension as the final act of the Hundred Years’ Wars that had seen England and France pitted against each other since 1337.

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