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". Thomas Mores coronation poem for Henry VIII contrasted the new Kings reign with the dark days of the past. He led attempted invasions of Ireland in 1491 and England in 1495, and persuaded James IV of Scotland to invade England in 1496. Having seen it pop up in a lot of papers' Books of the Year lists, I think I was expecting something altogether more gripping and dramatic, but in the end I thought the story of Henry VII and the Tudor succession was just not an especially thrilling tale. His father was the son of Owen Tudor, a Welsh squire, and Catherine of France, the widow of King Henry V. His mother was the great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, whose children by Catherine Swynford were born before he married her. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. The wedding was a triumph but in April 1502 a messenger brought the King the news that his eldest son had died of sweating sickness. This definitely was not that. The Great Debasement (1544-1551) was a currency debasement policy introduced in 1544 England under the order of Henry VIII which saw the amount of precious metal in gold and silver coins reduced and in some cases replaced entirely with cheaper base metals such as copper. More than a biography of Henry VII, this book is really a highly detailed history of the last ten years of his reign, and how he meticulously and ruthlessly turned England into a police state ruled by what amounted to an organized crime syndicate. I've never read much on the reign of Henry VII - mostly because to really get to grips with his policies, you first have to get to grips with his exhaustively complicated financial policies - but Penn provides a wonderful accessibility through his writing, which provides valuable context to the man who founded England's most famous dynasty. She was Edward's heir since the presumed death of her brothers, the Princes in the Tower, King Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. Catherine's mother Isabella I of Castile had died and Catherine's sister Joanna had succeeded her; Catherine was, therefore, daughter of only one reigning monarch and so less desirable as a spouse for Henry VII's heir-apparent. [24][17][25] He was 29 years old, she was 20. The new prince was the embodiment of the red and white rose, he was the Tudor rose incarnate. Henry VII ruled as Machiavelli, just after his reign, was to advise usurpers to do through fear rather than love. Watch with Prime I couldn't even stay awake reading this. 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. [26] Henry married Elizabeth of York with the hope of uniting the Yorkist and Lancastrian sides of the Plantagenet dynastic disputes, and he was largely successful. Henry VII, grown rich from Morton's Fork and other squeezes, was far from a bumpkin trying to break into the royal circles of western Europe--he was being courted, and he knew very well to play Castile (Hapsburg) and Aragon off against one another after Isabella died (and Catherine might very well have been packed off home to marry someone else, it was common). This was excellent. Many influential Yorkists had been dispossessed and disappointed by the change of regime, and there had been so many reversals of fortune within living memory that the decision of Bosworth did not appear necessarily final. [66], Henry wanted to maintain the Spanish alliance. But, his enemies didnt agree. Together, they had seven children. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). At Rennes Cathedral on Christmas Day 1483, Henry pledged to marry Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of Edward IV. 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. [citation needed], To secure his hold on the throne, Henry declared himself king by right of conquest retroactively from 21 August 1485, the day before Bosworth Field. 1517. Thomas Penns Winter King in a brilliant mash-up of gothic horror and political biography. To be notified of special offers, news, new courses, and new tutors, please subscribe to our newsletter. 1) The number of books on Henry VII can basically be counted on one hand 2) This is Penns first book. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Henry himself was clearly a distant figure who governed through his ministers, but this means that it's quite hard to get much of a sense of his character from the few sources available. Henry spared Richard's nephew and designated heir, John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, and made the Yorkist heiress Margaret Plantagenet Countess of Salisbury suo jure. They did as much to endanger his throne as to secure it. Penn explained how Henry reworked recent events to suit him. Present were exiles from Richards court, friends of Edward IVths queen, but King Richard was able to bribe the ageing Duke of Brittany to relinquish Henry in return for funds to fight an increasingly hostile French king, whereupon Henry Tudor flew to the French court for sanctuary. Updates? England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy, violence, murders, coups and countercoups. Henry VII ruled - as Machiavelli, just after his reign, was to advise usurpers to do - through fear rather than love. Henry decided to keep Brittany out of French hands, signed an alliance with Spain to that end, and sent 6,000 troops to France. Dydd Gyl Dewi Hapus! [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. Penn ended the programme by visiting the tombs of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York in Henrys chapel at Westminster Abbey, a chapel that remains at the heart of political life. 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. One of their sons was Edmund, Henry's father. 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. [44] Following Henry VII's death, Henry VIII executed Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley, his two most hated tax collectors, on trumped-up charges of treason. 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. He spent money lavishly, held big parties. [59][60][61], He was content to allow the nobles their regional influence if they were loyal to him. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Today is Shrove Tuesday time for pancakes! Henry VIII was spring and Henry VII was winter. I'm beginning to wonder if all of the kings beginning with the conquest weren't a little off their rocker in some way. Why was Henry VII called the Winter King? In that, he was quite successful, but he was neither loved nor admired. For many he remained a usurper, a false king. Henry, son of Edmund Tudor, earl of Richmond, and Margaret Beaufort, was born nearly three months after his fathers death. Indeed he was born in winter, on January 28th 1457, in Pembroke Castle, in Wales and that is one of the reasons why the Welsh dragon always formed part of his insignia. Wolf Hall this is not. [74] Margaret Tudor wrote letters to her father declaring her homesickness, but Henry could do nothing but mourn the loss of his family and honour the terms of the peace treaty he had agreed to with the King of Scotland. [77][78] His mother died two months later on 29 June 1509. [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. Life at court was merry under Henry 8th, a fresh new beginning likened to springtime. Henry was building a myth, the idea that he and his family were the true royal blood of England. Shakespeare, drawn to the colour on either side of the reign, skipped it. It is not known precisely where Cabot landed, but he was eventually rewarded with a pension from the king; it is presumed that Cabot perished at sea after a later unsuccessful expedition. He stabilised the government's finances by introducing several new taxes. 4. Before Henry VIII, English kings were addressed as "Your Grace" or "Your Highness.". Henry VII was king of England from 1485 to 1509. Henry was also worried by the treason of Edmund de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, the eldest surviving son of Edward IVs sister Elizabeth, who fled to the Netherlands (1499) and was supported by Maximilian. 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. I really enjoyed it. [31] Despite such precautions, Henry faced several rebellions over the next twelve years. (ROYAL HISTORY) Directors Stuart Elliott Genres Documentary, International Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages English. Henry gained the support of the Woodvilles, in-laws of the late Edward IV, and sailed with a small French and Scottish force, landing at Mill Bay near Dale, Pembrokeshire. [12], Henry lived in the Herbert household until 1469, when Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (the "Kingmaker"), went over to the Lancastrians. 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. Henry VII was king of England from 1485 to 1509. After his victory at Bosworth Field, Henry married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth of York. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The dispute eventually paid off for Henry. Henry VII can look a dull king, so dull that Thomas Penn's title omits his name. Lincoln was killed in battle and Henry was victorious. Henry VII was succeeded by his second son, Henry VIII. Royal Collection Trust At the summit, even dinnerware testified to its owner's status. Herbert was captured fighting for the Yorkists and executed by Warwick. [a] Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a descendant of the Lancastrian branch of the House of Plantagenet. At the same time, Flemish merchants were ejected from England. This was accomplished through the targeted imposition of fines and bonds through extrajudicial councils. [citation needed], Henry honoured his pledge of December 1483 to marry Elizabeth of York and the wedding took place in 1486 at Westminster Abbey. [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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [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). Henry VIII was the first English king to be called "Your Majesty.". The Lancastrian Henry and his Yorkist wife Elizabeth strove to reconcile the factions, but unreconciled Yorkists, to whom he was no more than a usurper, harassed his reign. An easy read? France, Burgundy, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain and the Hanseatic League all rejected the treaty, which was never in force. [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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. [38], Unlike his predecessors, Henry VII came to the throne without personal experience in estate management or financial administration. If he trusted anyone, it would be his queen and why not, since both had so much in common both being familiar with being in sanctuary, and pawns in the game of power? Henry VII was also shown, but his black line just traced back to Owen Tudor, a chamber servant. Detailed Information. Next month find out more on someone known as The Winter Queen! Stanleys betrayal led to a complete security overhaul and his privy chamber going into lockdown. Penn showed a genealogical roll that had belonged to the de la Pole family which showed Henry VI being the end of the Lancastrian line and the Yorkist line continuing on to Richard III. Why did the nobility accept the curtailment of the military power it had wielded in the wars of the roses and swallow the elevation of upstarts at Henry's court? [70] Henry VII falls among the minority of British monarchs that never had any known mistresses, and for the times, it is very unusual that he did not remarry: his son Henry was the only male heir left after the death of his wife, thus the death of Arthur created a precarious political position for the House of Tudor. Backdating Henry's Reign. Then in 1491 appeared a still more serious menace: Perkin Warbeck, coached by Margaret to impersonate Richard, the younger son of Edward IV. That is, suspicious, insecure and crafty but also determined, patient and fiercely proud of his Lancastrian ancestry. To say the least, Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England is quite an interesting read. Otherwise, at the time of his father's arranging of the marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the future Henry VIII was too young to contract the marriage according to Canon Law and would be ineligible until age fourteen. He passed laws against "livery" (the upper classes' flaunting of their adherents by giving them badges and emblems) and "maintenance" (the keeping of too many male "servants"). [65] Henry VII was shattered by the loss of Elizabeth, and her death impacted him severely. If you are new the era, this wouldn't the first book I would pick up because it does flip flop around a bit in the beginning-but if you want to understand the players that ultimately have a significant impact on Henry VIII, this is the book for you. - and that was only about 50% of the book, it was only about 50% interesting to me. How did a precariously enthroned ruler, lacking a police force or a standing army, manage to run roughshod over the law? Famed British author Thomas Penn takes an extraordinary journey into the dark and chilling world of the first Tudor King, Henry VII. 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. Annoyingly, much of the most interesting stuff concerns his son, and whenever Penn comments intelligently on how the events here affected the future Henry VIII's reign I found myself perking up such as the suggestion that Henry VII's marriage to Elizabeth was the kind of marriage that their second son, Prince Henry, would spend his whole life trying to find. [citation needed], Henry began taking precautions against rebellion while still in Leicester after Bosworth Field. Their powers and numbers steadily increased during the time of the Tudors, never more so than under Henry's reign. Edmund was created Earl of Richmond in 1452, and "formally declared legitimate by Parliament". After Edward retook the throne in 1471, Henry Tudor spent 14 years in exile in Brittany. That was to prevent the King of France capturing him and letting him loose on the English as a rival. Warbeck won the support of Edward IV's sister Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy. His dynasty was hanging by a thread and all his hopes had to rest on his youngest son, Henry, and Elizabeth of York producing another son, a spare. [72] Immediately afterwards, Henry became very sick and nearly died himself, allowing only his mother Margaret Beaufort near him: "privily departed to a solitary place, and would that no man should resort unto him. He attained the throne when his forces, supported by France, Scotland, and Wales, defeated Edward IV's brother Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the culmination of the Wars of the Roses. Overblown prose trumpeting his reign seemed to be the order of the day. Yet Henry's techniques of power went beyond the needs of surveillance and survival. Henry had only been accepted as King because the Princes in the Tower, the sons of Edward IV, were dead, so when Yorkist exiles groomed Perkin Warbeck to pose as one of the princes and raised an army it was a huge threat. Both parties realised they were mutually disadvantaged by the reduction in commerce. The rebels were defeated (June 1487) in a hard-fought battle at Stoke (East Stoke, near Newark in Nottinghamshire), where the doubtful loyalty of some of the royal troops was reminiscent of Richard IIIs difficulties at Bosworth. He created the sovereign coin to spread the message that he was King. Well written and really interesting about an often ignored king. The fact that a Cockney could provide a recognisable representation of him gives away part of his enduring appeal; in national memory, Henry was one of the lads, the only English king to have. : (April 25, 1883. Penn notes something else about the paeans on the son's accession: later in the Tudor period, apologists for the regime would remember Henry VII as the restorer of national peace and unity, but in 1509 it was the king's death, not his rule, that was held to have ended a long era of dark instability. The usual courts and justice system were totally circumvented, and there was no chance of appeal other than purchasing extremely high priced royal pardons. He was the founder of the Tudor dynasty, and his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville brought together the too sides that were facing off during the Wars of the Roses (the Lancasters and the Yorks) basically uniting the two houses into a single family. The usurpation of Richard III (1483), however, split the Yorkist party and gave Henry his opportunity. With the English economy heavily invested in wool production, Henry VII became involved in the alum trade in 1486. In many ways, it highlights that Henry VIII was a feckless inheritor of the tools of Machiavellian power, but had no idea to what productive end to put them. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Castles of . Henry Tudors claim to the throne was, therefore, weak and of no importance until the deaths in 1471 of Henry VIs only son, Edward, of his own two remaining kinsmen of the Beaufort line, and of Henry VI himself, which suddenly made Henry Tudor the sole surviving male with any ancestral claim to the house of Lancaster. If Penn's interpretation can sometimes seem slanted, its exposition would be hard to over-praise. Omissions? Even if the king outfaced his enemies in his lifetime, would they not forestall a Tudor succession? In 1621 Francis Bacon's history of. He is credited with many administrative, economic and diplomatic initiatives. On 7th August 1485, he dropped anchor at Mill Bay, Milford Haven, and when he reached the beach he prayed Judge me, O Lord, and favour my cause. The odds were stacked against him in his quest to take the throne of England. Much of the ruthless machinery of control was designed to deal with ongoing challenged like pretenders and Yorkist sleepers and expats. Henry VIII Books Exploring the Best Books on Englands Most Infamous King, 18 February 1516 The birth of Queen Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The union was both symbolic and necessary. Hed achieved the impossible, hed risen from refugee to King of England. His claim to the throne was tenuous and permanently contested. Loyalty was ensured, and the nobility was effectively neuteredand Henry became the richest monarch in Europe. Doubtless the plotters were encouraged by the deaths of Henrys sons in 1500 and 1502 and of his wife in 1503. However, King Henry the VIII was much more self-centered as most of his spending was inappropriate and did not benefit England much. He died shortly afterwards in Carmarthen Castle. King Henry the VII and King Henry the VIII both feared being invaded by foreign countries. From his victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, to his secret death and the succession of his son Henry VIII, the film reveals the ruthless tactics . Henry's father, Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, a half-brother of Henry VI of England and a member of the Welsh Tudors of Penmynydd, died three months before his son Henry was born. But definitely rewarding! Henry, recognizing that Simnel had been a mere dupe, employed him in the royal kitchens. To strengthen his position, however, he subsidised shipbuilding, so strengthening the navy (he commissioned Europe's first ever and the world's oldest surviving dry dock at Portsmouth in 1495) and improving trading opportunities. ), The Reign of Henry VII. For me, history is alive and energizing - not something static and remote. Accordingly, he arranged a papal dispensation from Pope Julius II for Prince Henry to marry his brother's widow Catherine, a relationship that would have otherwise precluded marriage in the Church. In turn, Antwerp became an extremely important trade entrept (transshipment port), through which, for example, goods from the Baltic, spices from the east and Italian silks were exchanged for English cloth. For him, it was never about glory and battle. In 1622 Francis Bacon published his History of the Reign of King Henry VII. I don't read a lot of NF because I usually find it to be tedious, but The Winter King certainly wasn't that. Four different kinds of cryptocurrencies you should know. Penn then went on to talk about the heir to the throne, the young Prince Henry, who seemed very different to the King. Claire is going live on YouTube on 11 February! Four good reasons to indulge in cryptocurrency! He had, Bacon added, much to be suspicious about, "his times" being "full of secret conspiracies and troubles". [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. He became paranoid and made the decision that if his people couldnt love him then they should fear him. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Happy 14th Birthday to the Anne Boleyn Files! [citation needed], By 1509, justices of the peace were key enforcers of law and order for Henry VII. The father's government was an exercise in discoloration. 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. He had brought the country to the brink of dynastic ambition, but not quite, so his closest advisers kept his death secret until St Georges Day, the annual meeting of the Order of the Garter. [citation needed], In 1506, Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller Emery d'Amboise asked Henry VII to become the protector and patron of the Order, as he had an interest in the crusade. People saw him as being like a traditional king and hoped that his reign would bring positive change. Henry the eighth was a renaissance King. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-VII-king-of-England, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Henry VII, English Monarchs - Biography of Henry VII, Henry VII - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Henry VII - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). It was not until 1506, when he imprisoned Suffolk in the Tower of London, that Henry could at last feel safe. To unite the opponents of Richard III, Henry had promised to marry Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV; and the coalition of Yorkists and Lancastrians continued, helped by French support, since Richard III talked of invading France. Henry VII: Winter King was aired last night on BBC2 and was the latest programme in BBC2s Tudor Court Season. Claiming the throne by just title of inheritance and by the judgment of God in battle, he was crowned on October 30 and secured parliamentary recognition of his title early in November. The father's government was an exercise in discoloration. So 4 stars. Philip died shortly after the negotiations. Henry VII is also known as Henry Tudor. Indeed he was born in winter, on January 28th 1457, in Pembroke Castle, in Wales and that is one of the reasons why the Welsh dragon always formed part of his insignia. His younger brother, Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke, undertook to protect Edmund's widow Margaret, who was 13 years old when she gave birth to Henry. When Henry VII became king, the royal exchequer was effectively bankrupt. [15], By 1483, Henry's mother was actively promoting him as an alternative to Richard III, despite her being married to Lord Stanley, a Yorkist. Seriously, got nudged by my partner when I'd nodded off.
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