You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 10 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
Henry Tudor's victory at the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485 was one of the most improbable events in English history. A man with a tenuous claim to the throne, who had spent most of his life in exile, defeated the reigning king and founded a dynasty that would rule England for over a century. This lesson examines how Henry VII secured his position, neutralised threats, and established the foundations of Tudor governance.
Henry's claim to the English crown was remarkably weak by the standards of the time.
| Factor | Detail |
|---|---|
| Lancastrian descent | Through his mother, Margaret Beaufort, Henry was descended from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (third son of Edward III), via the illegitimate Beaufort line — legitimised by Richard II but barred from the succession by Henry IV |
| Welsh descent | Through his father, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Henry could claim descent from Welsh princes, giving him support in Wales |
| Right of conquest | Henry dated his reign from the day before Bosworth (21 August 1485), making those who had fought for Richard III technically traitors |
| Parliamentary confirmation | Parliament confirmed Henry's title by statute in November 1485, though this was deliberately vague about the basis of his claim |
| Marriage to Elizabeth of York | In January 1486, Henry married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edward IV, uniting the Houses of Lancaster and York |
Key Definition: The Tudor rose was a political symbol combining the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York, representing the union of the two houses through Henry and Elizabeth's marriage. It became a powerful piece of dynastic propaganda.
Exam Tip: When assessing Henry VII's claim, note that he deliberately had himself crowned (30 October 1485) before marrying Elizabeth of York (18 January 1486). This was to demonstrate that he ruled in his own right, not through his wife. This distinction mattered enormously for the legitimacy of the Tudor dynasty.
The battle itself was decided less by military genius than by political betrayal.
| Phase | Detail |
|---|---|
| Richard III's position | Richard had a larger army (approximately 10,000–15,000 men) and held the high ground on Ambion Hill |
| Henry's forces | Henry had approximately 5,000 men, including French mercenaries and Welsh supporters gathered during his march through Wales |
| The Stanley factor | Lord Thomas Stanley and Sir William Stanley commanded approximately 6,000 men but remained uncommitted on the flanks, waiting to see which side would prevail |
| Richard's charge | Richard III made a bold cavalry charge directly at Henry's position, hoping to kill his rival and end the battle |
| Stanley intervention | Sir William Stanley's forces intervened on Henry's side at the critical moment, surrounding Richard's men |
| Richard's death | Richard III was killed in the fighting — the last English king to die in battle |
| Crown on the field | According to tradition, the crown was found on a hawthorn bush and placed on Henry's head by Lord Stanley |
Historian Sean Cunningham argues that Bosworth was less a triumph of Lancastrian right than a gamble that succeeded largely because of the Stanleys' last-minute decision. S.B. Chrimes emphasises that Henry's real achievement was not winning the battle but consolidating power in the years that followed.
Henry faced an immediate problem: he had won the crown by force, and others could try to take it the same way. His approach to security was systematic and multi-layered.
| Measure | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Dating his reign from 21 August 1485 | Anyone who had fought for Richard at Bosworth could be attainted as a traitor, giving Henry leverage over the Yorkist nobility |
| Coronation before marriage | Established that Henry ruled by his own right, not through Elizabeth of York |
| Act of attainder | Parliament passed attainders against 28 of Richard III's supporters, confiscating their lands and titles |
| Creation of the Yeomen of the Guard | England's first permanent bodyguard, providing personal security for the king |
| Bonds and recognisances | Financial instruments that bound subjects to good behaviour under threat of heavy financial penalties |
| Strategic use of patronage | Henry rewarded key supporters (e.g., his uncle Jasper Tudor was made Duke of Bedford) while keeping the peerage small |
Key Definition: An attainder was an act of Parliament that declared a person guilty of treason, resulting in the forfeiture of their lands, titles, and goods. Henry VII used attainders extensively — 138 during his reign — but also reversed some as a tool of political management.
The most dangerous threats to Henry VII came from Yorkist pretenders who challenged the legitimacy of his rule.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Identity | A boy of humble origin (possibly a joiner's son from Oxford) who was trained to impersonate Edward, Earl of Warwick (nephew of Edward IV and Richard III) |
| Backers | John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln (himself a potential Yorkist claimant); Margaret of Burgundy (sister of Edward IV); Irish lords who crowned Simnel as "Edward VI" in Dublin |
| Military threat | An invasion force of approximately 8,000 men, including 2,000 German mercenaries provided by Margaret of Burgundy, landed in Lancashire |
| Battle of Stoke Field (16 June 1487) | Henry's army defeated the rebels decisively. Lincoln was killed. This is sometimes called the true last battle of the Wars of the Roses |
| Henry's response | Remarkably lenient: Simnel was put to work in the royal kitchens as a turnspit, later promoted to falconer. The real Earl of Warwick was paraded through London to discredit the imposture |
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Identity | A young man from Tournai in Flanders who claimed to be Richard, Duke of York (the younger of the Princes in the Tower) |
| Backers | Margaret of Burgundy (again); Charles VIII of France; James IV of Scotland (who married Warbeck to his cousin, Lady Catherine Gordon); various discontented English nobles |
| Duration | The threat persisted for eight years (1491–1499), demonstrating how vulnerable Henry remained |
| Attempted invasions | Failed landing at Deal, Kent (1495); invasion from Scotland (1497); landing in Cornwall (1497) |
| Capture and execution | Warbeck surrendered in 1497, confessed his imposture, and was initially treated leniently. After attempting to escape from the Tower in 1499, he was executed alongside the real Earl of Warwick |
Exam Tip: Warbeck's significance lies not in the military threat he posed (which was modest) but in the diplomatic complications he created. Foreign powers used Warbeck as a tool to pressure Henry, and the prolonged crisis reveals the fundamental insecurity of Henry VII's position. John Guy argues that the Warbeck affair shaped Henry's increasingly suspicious and authoritarian character in his later years.
Henry VII is often characterised as a financially astute — or even avaricious — monarch. His financial policies served both to fill the royal coffers and to control the nobility.
| Source | Detail |
|---|---|
| Crown lands | Henry was an energetic manager of royal estates, increasing their yield significantly through efficient administration |
| Customs duties | Revenue from trade (tonnage and poundage) was granted to Henry for life by Parliament |
| Feudal dues | Henry exploited feudal rights (wardship, marriage, relief) to their maximum, generating both revenue and political control |
| Bonds and recognisances | Financial agreements that required subjects to pay large sums if they misbehaved; by 1509, approximately 75% of the peerage were bound by such agreements |
| Profits of justice | Fines and forfeitures from courts generated significant income |
| Parliamentary taxation | Henry requested direct taxation relatively rarely, preferring to "live of his own" |
This controversial body, established around 1495 and active especially from 1500 onwards, became the chief instrument of Henry's financial control.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To enforce the king's financial rights and administer bonds and recognisances |
| Key figures | Sir Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley, widely hated as the king's ruthless financial enforcers |
| Methods | Operated without juries; imposed enormous financial penalties; pursued debts aggressively |
| Impact | Created widespread resentment among the nobility and gentry. S.B. Chrimes defends Henry's financial policies as necessary for stability, while John Guy suggests they became oppressive and counterproductive in the final years |
| Legacy | Empson and Dudley were arrested immediately after Henry VII's death and executed in 1510 by Henry VIII, who used them as scapegoats to win popular support |
Key Definition: Bonds and recognisances were written agreements in which subjects acknowledged a debt to the Crown, payable if they failed to meet certain conditions (e.g., keeping the peace, remaining loyal). They were a powerful tool of political control because the threat of financial ruin kept the nobility obedient.
Henry VII's foreign policy was cautious and pragmatic. He sought to secure recognition of his dynasty, avoid expensive wars, and use marriage alliances to strengthen England's position.
| Alliance/Treaty | Date | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Treaty of Medina del Campo | 1489 | Alliance with Spain; included agreement for the marriage of Prince Arthur to Catherine of Aragon |
| Treaty of Etaples | 1492 | Ended conflict with France; Henry received an annual pension of £5,000 |
| Magnus Intercursus | 1496 | Trade agreement with Burgundy, restoring vital cloth trade; also involved Burgundy withdrawing support for Warbeck |
| Marriage of Arthur and Catherine of Aragon | 1501 | Cemented the Spanish alliance; after Arthur's death (1502), Henry negotiated Catherine's marriage to his second son, the future Henry VIII |
| Marriage of Margaret Tudor to James IV of Scotland | 1503 | Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Scotland; this marriage would eventually lead to the union of the English and Scottish crowns in 1603 |
Exam Tip: Henry VII's foreign policy is best understood as dynastic rather than strategic. Every treaty and marriage was designed to win international recognition for the Tudor dynasty and deter foreign powers from supporting pretenders. S.B. Chrimes argues this was Henry's greatest achievement: by 1509, no foreign power seriously questioned Tudor legitimacy.
Historians have debated whether Henry VII was a successful king or a tyrant who became increasingly oppressive.
| Historian | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| S.B. Chrimes (1972) | Henry was a successful and shrewd king who restored stability after the Wars of the Roses; his financial policies, though harsh, were necessary |
| John Guy (1988) | Henry's later years saw a descent into avarice and suspicion, with the Council Learned creating a "fiscal feudalism" that amounted to a reign of terror against the nobility |
| Sean Cunningham (2007) | Henry was a pragmatic politician whose methods were harsh but effective; he left England stable and solvent |
| Thomas Penn (2011) | Henry's final years were characterised by paranoia and rapacity; the regime became a "Tudor police state" maintained through financial intimidation |
The concept of the "new monarchy" — the idea that Henry VII represented a break from medieval kingship and introduced more modern, centralised governance — has been challenged by revisionist historians.
| Position | Argument |
|---|---|
| Traditional view | Henry VII was a "new monarch" who established strong, centralised government, tamed the nobility, and laid the foundations for Tudor absolutism |
| Revisionist view | Henry's methods were largely traditional; he used existing institutions and feudal rights rather than creating new ones. The real innovation lay in the intensity with which he applied these traditional tools |
Exam Tip: A-Level essays on Henry VII should avoid simple "success or failure" judgements. The best answers will acknowledge that Henry's early reign (consolidation, defeating pretenders, building alliances) was broadly successful, while his later years (Council Learned, excessive bonds) remain controversial. Always support your argument with specific evidence and historiographical references.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 22 August 1485 | Battle of Bosworth |
| 30 October 1485 | Henry VII's coronation |
| 18 January 1486 | Marriage to Elizabeth of York |
| 16 June 1487 | Battle of Stoke Field (defeat of Lambert Simnel) |
| 1489 | Treaty of Medina del Campo |
| 1491–1499 | Perkin Warbeck crisis |
| 1492 | Treaty of Etaples |
| 1496 | Magnus Intercursus |
| 1501 | Marriage of Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon |
| 1503 | Marriage of Margaret Tudor and James IV of Scotland |
| 21 April 1509 | Death of Henry VII |