Henry VII

Portrait by unknown artist (1505)

Regnal name: King Henry VII of England

Birth name: Harri Owain Edmwnd Tudur o Benfro

Born: 28 January 1457, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Marches of Wales

Father: Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond

Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort

House: Tudor

Nationality: Welsh

Religion: Catholicism

Claim: Right of conquest and descendant of Edward III 

Reign: 22 August 1485 - 21 April 1509 (23 years)

Coronation: 30 October 1485

Predecessor: Richard III

Successor: Henry VIII 

Died: 21 April 1509 (aged 52), Richmond, Middlesex, Kingdom of England

Cause: Tuberculosis

Burial: Westminster Abbey

Motto: God and my right 

Spouse(s):

• Princess Elizabeth of York (m. 1486 - 1503) 

Children:

• With Princess Elizabeth of York 
• Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486 - 1502)
• Margaret, Queen of Scotland (1489 - 1541)
• King Henry VIII of England and Ireland (1491 - 1547)
• Princess Elizabeth (1492 - 1495)
• Mary, Queen of France then Duchess of Suffolk (1496 - 1533)
• Prince Edmund, Duke of Somerset (1499 - 1500)
• Princess Katherine (1503 - 1503) 

Appearance:

He is often described as more delicate in appearance, as well as slender, but still strong, especially in his youth. He was also described as tall, with small eyes which were blue in colour. His hair was likely dark brown in colour, though this turned grey as he grew older. 

 

His face is also described as cheerful and handsome, and his complexion was pale and sallow. He also lost a lot of teeth in his life, and the few that he retained were rotten and black.

 

Character:

Henry was well known for his prudent, wise, and shrewd personality, and his high level of intelligence. He is described as well-mannered and friendly, and was also praised for his generosity. 

 

He loved his family dearly, and was close with both his wife and children. 

 

He also had a strong sense of justice and could be notorious for harsh punishments on those who committed crimes, which was praised by those who wished to live peaceful lives. 

 

Henry was also a very brave and strong warrior, tackling King Richard III's forces head-on, going on to defeat him and the previous royal forces in battle. He also had a skill for diplomacy, such as agreeing to marry Elizabeth of York to end the Wars of the Roses, and betrothing his son to Katherine of Aragon to secure a powerful alliance with Spain. 

 

Towards the end of his life, his personality became a lot harsher as he profoundly grieved the death of his wife, and became very miserly. 

 

He also enjoyed card games.

 

Biography:

Henry was born in Pembroke, Marches of Wales in 1457, and was the only child of Lady Margaret Beaufort and her husband, Edmund Tudor. His mother was just 13 years old when she gave birth to him, and his father would die while his mother was still pregnant with him. Henry was a descendent of the House of Lancaster, and was the grandson of a previous English consort, Catherine of Valois, who, after the death of King Henry V, married Owen Tudor, a Welsh courtier. 
 
After his father's death, his mother was taken in by Edmund's brother, Jasper Tudor, though he was forced to flee into exile when the Yorkist King Edward IV seized the throne in 1461. The Earldom of Pembroke was then given to the Yorkist faction, and Henry and his mother's care was given to William Herbert. Henry would continue to live here until 1469 when Herbert was captured and executed by the Earl of Warwick. 

 

The Lancastrian faction retook the throne and King Henry VI was restored in 1470. His uncle, Jasper, was able to return to England, and began taking Henry to the English court. However, this would not last even a year, as in early 1471, Edward IV had once again recaptured the throne, and this time, Henry VI was captured and murdered. 

 

Henry was forced to flee to Brittany where he was taken in by the Duke of Brittany. He would spend 14 years here until the Duke fell ill, and members of his court, who hoped to maintain peace with the Yorkist regime, surrendered Henry to English envoys. Henry cunningly pretended to be ill so that their ships would miss the tides and be unable to return to England, before he once again escaped and claimed sanctuary in a monastery.
 
Back in England, Henry's mother promoted him as the alternative monarch to King Richard III of England. Henry was able to gain the popular support of Wales, Scotland, and France in his plans to seize the throne of England. While plotting, Henry also agreed to marry Princess Elizabeth of York, the daughter of the previous king, Edward IV, in order to unite the two houses and hopefully bring an end to the Wars of the Roses. Richard III attempted to capture Henry, but he managed to evade this and fled to France. There, he was able to gain even more supplies and support for his invasion. Though he was able to amass a large army, and gain even further numbers when he landed in Wales, his forces were still greatly outnumbered by Richard III's. 
 
The Battle of Bosworth Field commenced in 1485. Beforehand, Henry had himself crowned King Henry VII of England, so that anyone who was now against him could be considered treasonous. During the battle, many key allies of Richard III switched sides, which ultimately turned the battle in Henry's favour. Richard was killed at some point during the fighting, and Henry's Lancastrian forces claimed victory; Henry was now officially king by right of conquest. 
 
Henry immediately went about calming the tensions that had occurred during the Wars of the Roses, and attempted to bring about a new beginning in England. He declared that as long as people were loyal to him now, he would spare them, regardless of any previous affiliation. Henry also finally married Elizabeth of York in 1486, when he was 29 years old, and Elizabeth was 20. The Houses of York and Lancaster were now officially united, and the Tudor Dynasty could begin. 
 
Although the marriage was politically arranged, both Henry and Elizabeth would fall deeply in love with each other, and they remained loyal and happy throughout their marriage. Together, they would have seven children together, though only four of them would survive infancy. Henry enjoyed a close family life, and frequently spent time with his wife and children. His mother would also continue to play a large role in his life, and would be one of his closest advisors. 
 
In 1490, an imposter, Perkin Warbeck, claimed to be Elizabeth of York's brother, Prince Richard, one of the princes who had disappeared in the Tower of London during the reign of their uncle, Richard III. This resulted in rebellion, as he would technically be the rightful heir to the throne. This posed the largest threat to Henry's life, and the event would leave him paranoid for the rest of his life. However, the imposter soon confessed, and in exchange for his confession, Henry released him from prison, and allowed him to live at court. Warbeck attempted to escape, but was once again arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he would then be executed after another escape attempt in 1499. 
 
In 1502, Henry experienced a great deal of tragic loss. Just a few weeks after his marriage to Princess Katherine of Aragon, Henry's son and heir, Prince Arthur, tragically died. Henry was absolutely devastated by the loss and would openly cry in public. His wife, Elizabeth, attempted to comfort him upon first hearing the news, reassuring him that they were both still young and could have more children to secure their new dynasty. However, when his wife left the room, she collapsed, and Henry was retrieved by servants so that he could comfort his wife. 

 

It indeed would not be long before Elizabeth fell pregnant again, and in 1503, she gave birth to their seventh and final child, Princess Katherine. Unfortunately, Elizabeth would soon die of a postpartum infection, and the new baby would also die shortly afterwards, further devastating Henry. In his grief, he completely shut himself away, and refused to speak to anybody apart from his mother. Henry would never be the same again after the loss of Elizabeth. 
 
There were small attempts made for Henry to remarry, but he showed little to no interest. Even though his second eldest son, Prince Henry, was now his heir, he did nothing to prepare his son for the role. 

 

Henry's depression was further worsened when his eldest daughter, Princess Margaret, left England to marry King James V of Scotland. He would never see her again and would miss her terribly. They would keep in touch through letters, and he attempted to sooth her homesickness, but he missed her just as much as she missed him and the rest of the family. 
 
In 1509, Henry contracted tuberculosis and died not long afterwards.

 

Rule:

During his reign, Henry's main aim was to maintain peace and boost the English economy. When he came to the throne, the exchequer was practically bankrupt, and Henry would became known for his shrewd economic policies that would enrich both the kingdom and the crown. He improved tax collection, and also more heavily taxed the nobility, enabling for the rise of the middle class within England. However, this became more motivated by his own personal greed during his later years, and would decrease his popularity. 

 

One of his larger successes was ending the Wars of the Roses and uniting the two warring factions, the House of York, and the House of Lancaster. This would ensure that his children and heirs would create a stable dynasty in which there would be no further wars for the throne. Though this was successful, it was not without its issues, as it placed increasing pressure on both him and his descendents to successfully produce a male heir to continue the new, fragile dynasty. 

 

Despite the war having ended, Henry still also faced rebellions from the more extreme end of the Yorkist faction. He had the son of Richard III's brother arrested and imprisoned, and had to deal with rebellions from the Stafford brothers, and from an imposter who impersonated the missing King Edward V, who had disappeared in the Tower of London. Though some of these received support from the Kingdom of Scotland, Henry was once again able to defeat any challenges to his power. 

 

He achieved peace with Scotland by arranging the marriage of his daughter, Margaret, to King James IV. He also formed an alliance with Spain by betrothing his eldest son, Arthur, to the Spanish princess, Katherine of Aragon, who would later be betrothed to his son Henry instead after Arthur's sudden death. He also formed an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire, and was able to persuade the Pope to excommunicate anyone who challenged his claim to the throne. 

 

Henry would also promote peace and unification among the Christian kingdoms, particularly against the Ottoman Empire. 

 

His reign also oversaw the restoration of centralised power within London, power which was seized from the nobility, and the restoration of a small, private council to aid the king in his duties. He increased peace enforcement officers, and offered tax breaks to those who volunteered for the role. This all helped reduce corruption and helped guarantee loyalty from both the nobility and the gentry.

 

Trivia: 

• N/A

 

Quotes:

 

"Judge me, O God, and favour my cause."

Prayer before the Battle of Bosworth Field. 

 

"Being given to understand your good devoir and entreaty to advance me to the furtherance of my rightful claim, due and lineal inheritance of that crown, and for the just depriving of that homicide and unnatural tyrant which now unjustly bears dominion over you."

Letter regarding the rule of King Richard III. 

 

 

 

Timeline of Reign:

| 1486: Lovell Rebellion - Rebellion led by Viscount Francis Lovell is defeated.

| 1487: Battle of East Stoke - Rebellion led by Lambert Simnel is defeated.

| 1489: Brittany independence - Henry VII supports Brittany's independence from France.

| 1489: Thirsk Rebellion - Rebellion in the north of England is defeated.

| 1489: Anglo-Spanish alliance - Marriage between Prince Arthur and Katherine of Aragon arranged.

| 1497: Cabot voyage - Henry VII supports Robert Cabot's voyage to America.

| 1497: Warbeck Rebellion - Rebellion led by Perkin Warbeck defeated.

| 1499: Execution of Perkin Warbeck - Former pretender to the throne executed for treason.

| 1500: Invention of spinning wheel - Textile production rapidly improves.

| 1500: The Letter 'J' begins usage - The letter 'J' begins use in the English alphabet. 

| 1502: Death of Prince Arthur - Sudden death of Prince Arthur fuels fears of succession crisis.

 

  

Sources & Further Reading:

Cartwright, M. (2020). Henry VII of England. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Henry_VII_of_England/

Enrique VII de Inglaterra, por un artista anónimo.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2019.) Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Enrique_VII_de_Inglaterra,_por_un_artista_an%C3%B3nimo.jpg 

Fleming, A. (2019). Henry VII - Historic UK. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Henry-VII/ 

Morrill, J. S., & Myers, A. R. (2019). Henry VII | Biography & Facts. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-VII-king-of-England

Birthplace of Henry VII - Pembroke Castle. (2025). Pembroke Castle. https://pembrokecastle.co.uk/history/birthplace-of-henry-vii/ 

PixelToCode pixeltocode.uk. (2013). Henry VII and Elizabeth of York | Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/henry-vii-and-elizabeth-of-york