How significant was Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth of York to securing his hold on the throne in the years 1486-91?
This Edexcel Unit 30 Section A essay was written by an A* History student (achieved) and was marked 17/20 (Level 5). Critical teacher comments have been included at the bottom...
A* essay (17/20, L5) with critical teacher comments for improvement
How significant was Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth of York to securing his hold on the
throne in the years 1486-91?
Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth of York was significant to a strong extent in his securing of
his hold on the throne because she helped align the Yorkist family to the Tudors and
therefore reconciled many former Yorkists to the Tudor cause, and also produced children
quickly, all of which would play an important role in the political affairs of Henry VII’s reign.
However, due to her relative absence in Henry VII’s political and governmental processes
that helped secure his hold on the throne, she cannot be fully credited for helping him
strengthen his position as king, especially as the king’s financial and legal affairs were crucial
for his control of the English nobility and therefore his hold on the throne.
His marriage to Elizabeth was significant because the union of her Yorkist lineage to Henry
VII’s Lancastrian background appeased many former Yorkists who would have otherwise
seen Henry VII solely as a Yorkist-opposed usurper. Her marriage to Henry assured many of
them that Henry VII would be open to proper reconciliation if they were willing to follow his
rule. This can be seen with Thomas Howard, the Earl of Surrey, remaining loyal to Henry VII,
despite previous Yorkist sympathies and eventually his being rewarded with the leadership
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