Henry was thus handed over to English envoys and escorted to the Breton port of Saint-Malo. Henry was devastated. [23] After his coronation Henry issued an edict that any gentleman who swore fealty to him would, notwithstanding any previous attainder, be secure in his property and person. It was propaganda to spread the message that he was the rightful King. With the English economy heavily invested in wool production, Henry VII became involved in the alum trade in 1486. [49] The confused, fractious nature of Breton politics undermined his efforts, which finally failed after three sizeable expeditions, at a cost of 24,000. The marriage did not take place during his lifetime. 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. When Richard III became King, Henrys strategy, planned by Margaret Beaufort, the mother whom he had not seen for years, was to declare in public, in Brittanys Rennes Cathedral, that he would marry Edward IVs daughter Elizabeth, then in sanctuary with her mother, and thus bury the enmity between Lancaster and York by making her his queen. The king's own death seven years later had to be kept secret until his nervous entourage had ensured the succession. [45], Henry VII established the pound avoirdupois as a standard of weight; it later became part of the Imperial[46] and customary systems of units. (We certainly can, and do, decide what sort of king Henry was based on what he had his government get up to, however.). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The usurpation of Richard III (1483), however, split the Yorkist party and gave Henry his opportunity. Overblown prose trumpeting his reign seemed to be the order of the day. Henry VII died on 21 April 1509, and the 17-year-old Henry succeeded him as king. Famed British author Thomas Penn takes an extraordinary journey into the dark and chilling world of the first Tudor King, Henry VII. His spies and informers were everywhere. Henry VII was the founder of the Tudor dynasty and father of Henry VIII and Ive been doing a bit of digging on this lesser known Tudor. But definitely rewarding! The portly Henry VIII, and the ill-fated destinies of most of his six wives, is one of the first historical figures primary-aged pupils are aware of.. The reigns of his three predecessors were interrupted or foreshortened. [20] He amassed an army of about 5,0006,000 soldiers. Watch with Prime They did as much to endanger his throne as to secure it. When Henry VII became king, the royal exchequer was effectively bankrupt. Thomas Penn's Winter King is not really a biography of Henry VII, and more a study of what he was directing his government to do in his name. It was no easy feat. [40], Henry VII improved tax collection in the realm by introducing ruthlessly efficient mechanisms of taxation. Richard III's death at Bosworth Field effectively ended the Wars of the Roses. [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. [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. [citation needed] Following the example of Edward IV, Henry VII created a Council of Wales and the Marches for his son Arthur, which was intended to govern Wales and the Marches, Cheshire and Cornwall. Claire is going live on YouTube on 11 February! Consultant editor for the. Henry reigned for nearly 24 years and was peacefully succeeded by his son, Henry VIII. Old rivalries simmered, however. 3.5 Stars. The country was in a perpetual state of emergency and Henrys subjects were scared and resentful. During Henry's early years, his uncle Henry VI was fighting against Edward IV, a member of the Yorkist Plantagenet branch. For many he remained a usurper, a false king. Thomas More hailed the end of "slavery" and the return of "liberty", "the end of sadness, the beginning of joy". Henry VII: Winter King was aired last night on BBC2 and was the latest programme in BBC2s Tudor Court Season. Up to a point, he succeeded. Henry VII is known for successfully ending the War of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York and for founding the Tudor dynasty. His early reign was plagued by pretenders to the throne, giving the new Tudor dynasty a rocky start and a fear of conspiracy which dogged Henry VII throughout his life. 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 . 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. It was a fantastic programme and I highly recommend Thomas Penns book on Henry VII Winter King. There's a (relatively) brief explanation of Henry's rather tumultuous childhood and his rise to the throne, before Penn really gets into the nitty gritty details during the second half of Henry's reign, focusing on his intricate foreign policy, his increasing use of finance as a means of control over his subjects and, most entertaining to me, the various plots and conspiracies of Henry's enemies. Penn graphically describes a huge financial racket run by the king and his profiteering advisers. [32], Next, in 1487, Yorkists led by Lincoln rebelled in support of Lambert Simnel, a boy they claimed to be Edward of Warwick (who was actually a prisoner in the Tower). 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. [citation needed], In 1502, Henry VII's life took a difficult and personal turn in which many people he was close to died in quick succession. By 1900 the "New Monarchy" interpretation stressed the common factors that in each country led to the revival of monarchical power. This book was way too focused on what happened, but not so much on the why or why it was important. To say the least, Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England is quite an interesting read. He spent money lavishly, held big parties. [33], In 1490, a young Fleming, Perkin Warbeck, appeared and claimed to be Richard of Shrewsbury, the younger of the "Princes in the Tower". Henry VII is also known as Henry Tudor. [64] This made Henry VII's second son, Henry, Duke of York, heir apparent to the throne. This definitely was not that. He also enacted laws against livery and maintenance, the great lords' practice of having large numbers of "retainers" who wore their lord's badge or uniform and formed a potential private army. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Read all Directors Giulia Clark Stuart Elliott Writers His supportive policy toward England's wool industry and his standoff with the Low Countries had long-lasting benefit to the English economy. I found this really interesting, but Im a history nut. By 1500, Henry felt safer and things were looking good. The father's government was an exercise in discoloration. Penn explained that the marriage had been one of genuine love and that Henry was shattered by his wifes death. The Treaty of Redon was signed in February 1489 between Henry and representatives of Brittany. I really enjoyed it. 1) The number of books on Henry VII can basically be counted on one hand 2) This is Penns first book. Elizabeth married Henry after his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field, which marked the end of the Wars of the Roses. He explained how Henry VII had achieved what he set out to do, he had passed on the crown successfully. By this marriage, Henry VII hoped to break the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France. Henry VII The Winter King is also the title of a book by Thomas Penn, and a useful read. Files Welcome Pack of 5 goodies, 28 January 1457 Birth of Henry VII at Pembroke Castle, 30 October 1485 Coronation of Henry VII, Henry VIIIs Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell A Review and Rundown, Henry VII: Winter King A Review and Rundown, 31 May 1533 The Coronation Procession of Queen Anne Boleyn, Why I think Henry VIII was ultimately responsible for Anne Boleyns downfall, 4 March 1522 Anne Boleyn plays Perseverance, The Boleyns of Hever Castle now 99p on Kindle on Amazon UK, YouTube Live 4 March 2023 The Fascinating Background of Henry VIII. 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. He had, Bacon added, much to be suspicious about, "his times" being "full of secret conspiracies and troubles". Stanley placed Richards circlet on Henrys head, he was now King. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.[a]. But that's not really what I wanted from a book about Henry VII. What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen! In 1837 Henry VIII's tomb was eventually marked in the chapel with a commemorative marble slab. In that, he was quite successful, but he was neither loved nor admired. Well written and really interesting about an often ignored king. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy, violence, murders, coups and countercoups. They overrode all the usual legal processed and acted with complete impunity. One of the councils prominent members was Edmund Dudley, a man who helped Henry by enforcing the Kings legal rights, finding old laws to use against people and stretching the law to its limits. Iain Hollingshead reviews Henry VII: Winter King, a BBC Two documentary which examines how the first Tudor monarch came to power and went on to have a 23-year reign. Through luck, guile and ruthlessness, Henry VII, the first of the Tudor kings, had clambered to the top of the heap--a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England's throne. He had gone from a refugee landing on an isolated beach in Wales to being a great king. One of their sons was Edmund, Henry's father. [19] He marched toward England accompanied by his uncle Jasper and John de Vere, 13th Earl of Oxford. At any rate, the Wars of the Roses had ended with a victory by which the winner took all, and regardless of his somewhat dubious Plantagenet ancestry. Henry VII can look a dull king, so dull that Thomas Penn's title omits his name. Luther gained support for his ideas and Europe became . He made huge gobs of money binding his subjects to him with loyalty bonds. This book is a nonfiction look at King Henry the VII. After the Holy Roman Emperor . He had a populist touch and his reign started with pardons, reforms and justice. "King Henry VII" redirects here. Shakespeare, drawn to the colour on either side of the reign, skipped it. He likens the beginning of Henry VIII's reign to a metaphorical spring, a second coming of sorts because Henry VIII seemed to be the opposite of his father. [citation needed] The first was the 1486 rebellion of the Stafford brothers, abetted by Viscount Lovell, which collapsed without fighting. People saw him as being like a traditional king and hoped that his reign would bring positive change. Henry came to the throne following the death of his father, Henry VII. Author Thomas Penn takes an extraordinary journey into the dark and chilling world of the first Tudor King, Henry VII. Henry VIII was the first English king to be called "Your Majesty.". Through this, he found that his Lord Chamberlain, Sir William Stanley, was involved in the plot. Henry VII comes across as a talented micromanager and financier. I have to admit to being a history geek. [38], Unlike his predecessors, Henry VII came to the throne without personal experience in estate management or financial administration. He spent his entire reign fixated on eliminating or disarming his enemies, and stabilizing England after the bloody, seemingly endless War of the Roses. Henry VII was king of England from 1485 to 1509. Henry VII ruled from 1485-1509 and had a dubious claim on the throne, spending most of his time before the famous Battle of Bosworth Field in exile and gaining credibility from his marriage to Elizabeth of York. I'm beginning to wonder if all of the kings beginning with the conquest weren't a little off their rocker in some way. Story's register still exists and, according to the 19th-century historian W.R.W. All the information is from Thomas Penn. [3] Henry's paternal grandfather, Owen Tudor, originally from the Tudors of Penmynydd, Isle of Anglesey in Wales, had been a page in the court of King Henry V. He rose to become one of the "Squires to the Body to the King" after military service at the Battle of Agincourt. There's a lot of cloak-and-dagger stuff here, something Henry and certain of his counselors seemed especially skilled at, and it was those parts that I particularly enjoyed. Henry the eighth was a renaissance King. 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. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a descendant of the Lancastrian branch of the House of Plantagenet. Philip had been shipwrecked on the English coast, and while Henry's guest, was bullied into an agreement so favourable to England at the expense of the Netherlands that it was dubbed the Malus Intercursus ("evil agreement"). ||sitemap_index.xml In other cases, he brought his over-powerful subjects to heel by decree. Backdating Henry's Reign. Elizabeth had died in childbirth, so Henry had the dispensation also permit him to marry Catherine himself. Happy St Davids Day! Henry, son of Edmund Tudor, earl of Richmond, and Margaret Beaufort, was born nearly three months after his fathers death. [68] In 1505 he was sufficiently interested in a potential marriage to Joanna of Naples that he sent ambassadors to Naples to report on the 27-year-old Joanna's physical suitability. Why was Henry VII called the Winter King? His first son and heir apparent, Arthur, Prince of Wales, died suddenly at Ludlow Castle, very likely from a viral respiratory illness known at the time as the "English sweating sickness". The devastated King became so ill that he was close to death, but then he recovered and Penn explains that when he took control once more, he was remorseless. Since we are in the middle of winter, Ive been thinking of a volume on my shelves on Henry VII, who could be called the Winter King. Then in 1491 appeared a still more serious menace: Perkin Warbeck, coached by Margaret to impersonate Richard, the younger son of Edward IV. Overspending by Henry VIII to pay for his lavish lifestyle and to fund foreign wars with France and Scotland are cited as . He was the first Tudor king after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in August 1485. [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. In 1494, Henry embargoed trade (mainly in wool) with the Burgundian Netherlands in retaliation for Margaret of Burgundy's support for Perkin Warbeck. [50] Henry had pressured the French by laying siege to Boulogne in October 1492. Stephens, "affords some illustrations of the avaricious and parsimonious character of the king". The author does a good job drawing on his sources and bringing the characters to life while staying true to the history, but the subject matter is just not inherently as sexy as Henry VIIIs or Elizabeth Is reigns. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Omissions? It's difficult to get a handle on Henry VII. One interesting thing about him is his early youth and the fourteen years he spent in exile in France Brittany to be precise and those, I believe, made him the man he was eventually to become. In 1501, England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy, coups . The Field of Cloth of Gold: Royal Revelry. When he died, his only surviving son, Henry VIII, succeeded him without a breath of opposition. Henry was a remarkable man. [citation needed], Henry began taking precautions against rebellion while still in Leicester after Bosworth Field. Sometimes, Penn explained, charges against people were fabricated so that they would have to pay a fine, for example, a man who was charged with murdering a child and who was found guilty because the jury was rigged. this was well-written and i love henry vii for how he managed to a) get the throne of england and b) keep it and make the crown so solvent after the devastating years of the Wars of the Roses, but i can't help but think that a lot of this was rather dry. Detailed Information. [5], The descent of Henry's mother, Margaret, through the legitimised House of Beaufort bolstered Henry's claim to the English throne. Scapegoats were needed for Henry VIIs reign, people to blame for the old regime, so Edmund Dudley was imprisoned and executed on trumped up charges. It seems that Henry was skilful at extracting money from his subjects on many pretexts, including that of war with France or war with Scotland. Wales was historically a Lancastrian stronghold, and Henry owed the support he gathered to his Welsh birth and ancestry, being agnatically descended from Rhys ap Gruffydd. Quite ambitious in nature, Thomas Penn attempts to write a portrait of Henry VII and his reign. [75], Henry VII died of tuberculosis at Richmond Palace on 21 April 1509 and was buried in the chapel he commissioned in Westminster Abbey next to his wife, Elizabeth. Prince Arthur was born just eight months after his parents marriage, at Winchester, the seat of King Arthurs Camelot. 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. Their powers and numbers steadily increased during the time of the Tudors, never more so than under Henry's reign. Its inhabitant was once one of England's most exuberant kings, yet his resting place was only re-discovered in 1813. 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