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Unit 1: The Reign of Henry VII:End of the Wars of the Roses:
August 1485: Henry Tudor lands in South Wales on the Pembrokeshire coast. He defeats Richard III
at the Battle of Bosworth on the 22nd of August 1485, but they don't know if it's the end of the
Wars of the Roses so there isn’t stability yet.
Richard was an experienced solder with 10-15k men; Henry was a novice with 5k men. Henry also
had had to march hundreds of miles to Bosworth and was behind a hill, whilst Richard had the top
of a hill.
However, Richard’s only been King for two years after being loyal to his brother for years, and
everyone was very shocked and upset by the rumours about the princes. His son and wife had also
died so succession was uncertain, though rumours were going around that he was going to
remarry to Elizabeth of York, his niece - sister to the princes in the tower - which people were very
unhappy about. According to Shakespeare, Richard was also haunted by demons and apparitions
the night before.
Why did Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth?
Used the marsh between the armies as a defence wall by deliberately leaving on his right
side - using the landscape to his advantage; strategy
Sun behind him - using the landscape to his advantage
Kept far back
Fought Richard one on one - showed he was brave, and he lasted much longer than
anyone expected
Arrival of Thomas Stanley's army
Most of Richard's men weren't fighting willingly
Lots of men held back to see who was winning and supported Henry (including the
Stanleys)
Richard is tricked and overconfident
Richard charged and died
But victory didn't mean Henry's position was secure; if he could become King, why couldn’t
anyone else? He remains insecure for his entire reign, worrying someone will usurp him.
,Henry VII’s Early Reign and Character:
Childhood and upbringing:
Henry Tudor had a very dysfunctional family and
Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke: childhood – everyone either dead or separated from
Jasper was an important and influential
him. His father died before he was born to his 14-
member of the court of Lancastrian Henry
VI, born into a well-known family, heavily year-old mother and he became the Earl of
involved in national affairs. He was the Richmond. After a political revolution in 1461 as part
only constant figure in Henry's formative of the civil war, he was separated from his mother at
years - Henry was born in Jasper's castle, 4 and raised by William Herbert. Herbert raised Henry
fled with him to Brittany (after Jasper to marry one of his daughters but died in battle
had been stripped of his earldom and
before he could arrange anything. Briefly united with
after the defeat of the Lancastrians at
Tewkesbury) and stayed with him his mother and uncle Jasper when the civil war briefly
throughout his years in exile. calmed, Henry was almost immediately sent into
Henry had Jasper in his army at Bosworth exile in Brittany with Jasper, where he spent the next
and was aware of the debt he owed his
uncle - rewarding him by making him Margaret Beaufort:
Duke of Bedford.
Recent research has emphasised the Margaret played a central and influential role in the
central role that Jasper played in Henry's government of Henry VII. She had Henry when she was 14,
life, giving him stability, loyalty, and a was separated (though kept in contact) from him four
political role model years later, briefly saw him when Henry VI was restored to
the throne for a short time but for the most part didn't see
each other again until he became King.
She married three times. Her marriage to Lord Stanley was
crucial to gain the support of the Stanleys at Bosworth.
She was also deeply religious, intelligent, and strong-
willed - her piety increased in later years; she dressed in a
hair shirt and the black and white attire of a nun, and she
became celibate. She was prepared to fight tooth and nail
to defend the political interests of her son, playing a key
part in the conspiracies against Richard III and was
instrumental in getting Henry VII to power; she was a direct
route to the King's ear (of crucial importance in an age of
personal monarchy); and had a close working and
personal relationship with her son.
14 years.
Historians argue that this gave Henry a ‘real’ education – the most useful training of any English
king in history – as he was able to observe court politics as an outsider in the French court. The
court taught him that rulers should never let themselves go and should retain dignity always - he
became very careful and never wanted to be seen as one of the lads and trusted very few. He was
afraid of war and its consequences after the Wars of the Roses had torn apart his family, and liked
his own company, with very few friends.
From the Wars of the Roses in particular, he learnt that a monarch’s position is insecure, that its
succession must be secured, and it needed a working relationship with the nobility without them
becoming overmighty.
Positives of his upbringing: Negatives of his upbringing:
, He was right to be worried for his Seen as cold and was not a well-loved
throne king
Nobody can betray him, so nobody No siblings or family to marry off, not
needs to be rewarded much of a royal family
Opportunity for a fresh start
Nobody knows him, everything to play
for
The early years, 1485-1487:
Controlling the North: Richard III had been popular in the North, especially in the city of York. Many
northern lords and gentry had been well-rewarded by Richard and might join a rebellion. Henry
quickly visited York to establish his presence as King and ensure that the local lords knew that
they would be held responsible for any trouble (makes him look brave and decisive)
Rebellion, 1487: In Ireland a boy has been crowned King of England. His supporters say he is one of
Edward IV's nephews, and they planned to invade England with a mercenary army and take the
throne. Henry was cautious and let it play out a little while and showed he was confident in his
position by not showing fear and waiting for more detailed news while ordering his lords to muster
their men in the Midlands
France and Brittany: French forces invade the independent duchy of Brittany. French control
would give them the whole coastline facing England. Henry sought European allies to pressure
France into withdrawing from Brittany and encouraged English volunteers to fight unofficially in
Brittany. He would also unofficially send weapons to help Brittany, but doesn’t declare war until
much later
Earl of Surrey: Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, fought for Richard at Bosworth. He was imprisoned
but refused the chance to escape and join the 1487 rebellion. He was a capable and experienced
nobleman, so Henry releases him and makes him responsible for keeping peace in the North-
where he has no lands and supporters and therefore no power of his own. Surrey is also now
indebted to Henry and isolated so he can't take power
First decisions, August - September 1485:
Marriage Henry promised to marry Elizabeth of York, Edward IV's daughter, to win the support
of Yorkists who opposed Richard III. He needs to marry so he can have an heir with a
double claim to the throne. By marrying Elizabeth, he unites the families and
potentially ends the tension and Wars of the Roses. But he made sure to crown
himself King before his marriage, so that everybody would think that his claim was
legitimate and in his own right, not through Elizabeth who had a better claim.
Elizabeth's coronation was delayed until the 25th of November 1487, two years after
Henry
But English kings usually marry foreign princesses to cement diplomatic links.
Edward IV's marriage to an Englishwoman created rivalries and jealousies. Henry
makes no foreign alliance and is strengthening the Yorkists by marrying Elizabeth.
Councillor Henry replaced advisors close to Richard III with his own men but kept the majority
s of the councillors. If he'd done a clean sweep, the King would've lost land and money
and just have new overmighty nobles. He got rid of enemies but kept people around
who knew how to run England
Foreign The French helped Henry in 1485, but as King of England Henry claims to be King of
, Policy France. The most successful kings have been warriors, but French kings helped to
destabilise Edward IV and Richard III to stop their aggression. Henry's policy on
France was to sign a short-term truce, omitting any reference to his claim to France -
his position wasn't secure enough for a war and a war would've been very expensive
The Earls Both are nephews of Edward IV and Richard III. Warwick has the better claim to the
of Warwick throne but is still a child. Lincoln is in his 20s. Henry imprisons Warwick but allows
and Lincoln to join the council in an act of calculated mercy
Lincoln
Dealing with key threats:
When starting out as king and creating his court, Henry aimed to use loyalty to enhance his
security. So, if former Yorkists were prepared to respect him, they were treated kindly. Luckily, lots
of Richard's strongest supporters, and Henry's biggest threats, had been killed at Bosworth.
Person: Action:
Earl of Warwick, the ten-year old nephew of He was sent to the tower but lived in relative
Richard III comfort
John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, another He professed his loyalty to Henry VII and was
nephew of Richard III, who was also named as later invited to join the council
his heir
Duke of Suffolk, father of Lincoln He also professed loyalty to the new king
Earl of Surrey, who was with Richard at He was kept in prison until 1489 when Henry
Bosworth, where his father was killed was satisfied with his intentions
Earl of Northumberland, who was with Richard He was released from prison at the end of
at Bosworth, but did not fight for him 1485, being given control of the north of
England and the opportunity to prove his
loyalty
Rewarding his supporters:
Person: Action:
Jasper Tudor, Henry's uncle He became Duke of Bedford (one of the few people who
elevated to the peerage), also Chief Justice of Wales, Constable
of all the royal castles in the Welsh marches, and Lord
Lieutenant of Ireland. As Jasper Tudor was 55 in 1485 and had
little chance of having children, Henry could thus grant him a
title in the knowledge that there would be no threats to his
position from Jasper Tudor's heirs
Thomas, Lord Stanley, Henry's He was created Earl of Derby
stepfather
Sir Thomas Lovell, who had In 1485 he was made Chancellor of the Exchequer, Treasurer of
rebelled against Richard in the Household and Speaker of the House of Commons
1483
Giles Daubeney, formerly of the He was created Lord Daubeney and Lieutenant of Calais in
household of Edward IV, who 1486. He became Chamberlain of the Household in 1495 after
rebelled against Richard in Sir William Stanley's execution
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