Henry Tudor’s consolidation of power: character and aims;
establishing the Tudor dynasty
Character, aims and consolidation of power
Character and aims
Character:
• Little evidence of HVII’s character, so historians make conclusions based off of his portrait (by Sittow, done in 1505) and his policies
and actions
• Kings rarely recorded their thoughts, so there is limited evidence (especially compared to H8 and E1, who were written about at length)
• ‘His actions prove him to have been resourceful in his determination to maintain his grip on power’ – The Tudor Years, Loth
• Traditional view: miserly towards money, cold
• Lotherington: he spent money freely where it suited him to increase his power
Aims:
• Wanted to end political instability of WoR
• Most important aim – to maintain a strong hold on the throne in order to pass it onto his heirs
How to achieve aims:
- Establish his right to the throne – had right of conquest, but his own claim was weak
o Claim was through his mother (descended from a once-illegit. Branch of Lancastrians
o There were other (Yorkists) w/ better claims
o Eliz. Of York – eldest daughter of Edward IV
o Edward, Earl of Warwick – Edward IV’s and Richard III’s nephew
o John, Edmund, and Richard de la Pole – nephews of Edward IV and Richard III
- Control the nobility – WoR was caused by over-mighty nobles and a weak king
- Strengthen Crown’s control of England - needed to build a financially strong Crown to achieve these aims
-
Positives Negatives
Respected and efficient Unpopular – reputation for greed
- John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester @ HVII’s funeral - Polydore Vergil – His ‘virtues were obscured latterly by avarice’
o ‘his politic wisdom in governance was singular’ - Famous nursery rhyme (‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’) – ‘The king was
- Francis Bacon’s 1622 history in his counting house, counting out his money’
, o ‘a wonder for wise men,’ - Devoted a lot of time to increasing Crown wealth
Appeared to have a colourless life
Didn’t trust anyone outside of his inner circle (kept cards close to - Bacon: ‘for his pleasures there is no news of them’
his chest to prevent betrayal, like how Stanley brothers - Remembered as a cold man
betrayed R3)
- Margaret Beaufort (his mother), Jasper Tudor (his uncle), Lord Didn’t trust anyone outside of his inner circle
Stanley (step-father), William Stanley (step-uncle), Earl of Oxford, - Margaret Beaufort (his mother), Jasper Tudor (his uncle), Lord
John Morton and Richard Fox Stanley (step-father), William Stanley (step-uncle), Earl of Oxford,
- Bacon: ‘not admitting any near… to his power…he was governed John Morton and Richard Fox
by none’
Involved himself in everything, even the running of day-to-day
government
- Checked all account entries himself
- Liked to double-check the info he was given
- Neurotic? – weighed all the coins in the treasury
From his portrait:
- Watchful, sharp gaze – intelligent
- Unreadable expression
- Clothes show power and wealth (but not like H8)
- Holds the Tudor Rose – a symbol of unity and control?
- Not portrayed as a warrior (used war only when he needed to in
order to protect himself – ppl of Eng would appreciate this after
WoR)
Intelligent, shrewd, wise:
- Polydore Vergil in ‘Anglica Historia’
o ‘in government, he was shrewd and prudent’
o Likely to be candid as it was written post-1509
