Although it is a metaphorical title, King Henry VII was often referred to as the Winter King. So it seemed more than appropriate to look at his life in February for this Monarch of the Month. (It is still very much the depths of winter here in Canada.) People will almost always leave Henry VII behind for any of the other Tudors, but I’ve always been fascinated with him and his reign. Let’s take a look at King Henry VII and why he deserves more of our attention!
Monarch of the Month: Henry VII Fast Facts
Birth Date: 28 January 1457
Death Date: 21 April 1509
Reign: 22 August 1485- 21 April 1509
Coronation Date: 30 October 1485
Predecessor: Richard III
Successor: Henry VIII
House: Tudor
Father: Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond
Mother: Lady Margaret Beaufort
Spouse(s): Elizabeth of York
Why Do We Know Henry VII?
I’ve always thought this was unfair, but Henry VII largely seems to exist as a prequel to his larger than life son. Or if someone has very strong feelings about Richard III, he’s either a footnote of a hero or a villain. (I have no thoughts on it either way…) In my university courses, we spent a fair amount of time on Henry, but outside of academia, and The White Princess, he’s not really discussed much.
Henry VII’s Early Life- An Escape
Born at Pembroke Castle in 1457, Henry was born to Lady Margaret Beaufort and Edmund Tudor, the 1st Earl of Richmond. His grandfather, Owen Tudor, a Welsh page at Henry V’s court may have secretly married Henry’s widow, Catherine de Valois. Henry’s Lancastrian claim to the throne was through his mother and the House of Beaufort. She was the great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, who was the fourth son of Edward III. (A rather tenuous claim.)
The Earl died 3 months before Henry was born, and his mother was a 13 year old widow when she gave birth. His uncle, Jasper Tudor- Earl of Pembroke, swore to protect Margaret and would play a significant role in Henry’s life. When Edward IV became king, Jasper fled and lost his Earldom.
William Herbert was granted the Earldom of Pembroke along with the guardianship of Margaret and Henry. He lived in Herbert’s household until 1469. However, with a new king on the throne, Herbert was executed in 1470, but Edward IV recaptured his throne and Henry fled to Brittany with several other Lancastrians.
Life Abroad, a Difficult Return, and a Battle
Under the protection of Francis II, the Duke of Brittany, Henry spent 14 years abroad. Not surprisingly, power continued to shift in England, and by 1483, Margaret was suggesting her son as King instead of Richard III. After a first failed attempt at landing, with the support of the Woodvilles, his uncle, and the 13th Earl of Oxford, he landed in Pembroke with a small force. As a Lancastrian with Welsh heritage, he capitalised on Welsh support and moved forward.
On 22 August 1485, Henry’s smaller Lancastrian forces defeated Richard’s Yorkist forces. Richard was killed and Henry was crowned. Richard’s body was left behind, and those who fought with Henry were rewarded at the Tudor court. (And yes, Richard’s body was THAT skeleton found under a Leicester carpark in 2012.)
A Tudor Dawn
Henry VII was a shrew political leader- he understood the importance of optics and support. He dated his reign to the 21st of August- the day prior to the Battle of Bosworth- so that anyone who fought against him would be guilty of treason. This conveniently allowed him to seize their lands and holdings, and give them to his followers who fought alongside him. He also ensured that he didn’t have to call Parliament until after his coronation at the end of October 1485.
On 18 January 1486, Henry married Princess Elizabeth of York to unite the Lancastrians and Yorks. The white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster formed the newly minted Tudor Rose. (You will see the Tudor Rose all over Hampton Court Palace, as Henry VIII stayed on-brand.)
The Pretenders
Henry VII’s reign was largely marked by various insurrections and attempts on the throne. Notably, there were two different Pretenders that claimed his throne. In 1487, Lambert Simnel pretended to be Edward Plantaganet, 17th Earl of Warwick, or Edward VI of England. (Not THE Edward VI that we know.) He studied under an Oxford priest, Richard Simon, who recognised that he looked very similar to the actual Earl. He took the boy to Dublin when he was roughly 10 and Yorkist supporters crowned him King in Christ Church Cathedral. They landed in England with small forces but they were quickly defeated. Because of his young age, Simnel was pardoned and put to work in the palace kitchens.
Perkin Warbeck was a more serious threat to Henry’s reign. Most likely born in Tournai, he spent much of his life in Antwerp. He was approached by Yorkist supporters and quickly claimed that he was Richard of Shrewsbury, the Duke of York- one of the Princes in the Tower who never emerged. Like Simnel, he first gathered support in Ireland and then landed in England in 1495. Although the English weren’t overly accepting of him, he found support in Scotland where James IV knew that instability in England would help Scotland. Warbeck married Lady Catherine Gordon, a daughter of the 2nd Earl of Huntly, securing Scottish support. In 1497, he attempted to land in England again, and was captured. Henry kept him as a prisoner for just over 2 years, but he was eventually hanged at Tyburn.
Henry VII’s Heirs
Elizabeth was pregnant 8 times, with four of their children living past toddlerhood. Prince Arthur was born in 1486, and was raised in Wales (as befitting the Prince of Wales). Betrothed to Princess Catherine of Aragon to secure a Spanish alliance, they married in 1501 and it is unclear if the marriage was ever consummated. He died in 1502 after contracting an unknown illness, sickly for much of his life.
Princess Henry was born in 1491, and was the opposite of his quieter older brother. Gregarious and an extrovert, he easily stepped into the role of heir after Arthur’s death. He would go on to marry Catherine after his father’s death, but that is for another Monarch of the Month post…
Princess Margaret would go on to marry the King of Scotland (and would be the grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots). Princess Elizabeth married the King of France, but he died soon after. She then married Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, best friend to her brother, after the King died.
Jane Austen on Henry VII
This Monarch soon after his accession married the Princess Elizabeth of York, by which alliance he plainly proved that he thought his own right inferior to hers, tho’ he pretended to the contrary. By this Marriage he had two sons & two daughters, the elder of which was married to the King of Scotland & had the happiness of being grand-mother to one of the first Characters in the World. But of her, I shall have occasion to speak more at large in future. The Youngest, Mary, married first the King of France & secondly the D. of Suffolk, by whom she had one daughter, afterwards the Mother of Lady Jane Grey, who tho’ inferior to her lovely Cousin the Queen Scots, was yet an amiable young woman and famous for reading Greek while other people were hunting. It was in the reign of Henry 7th that Perkin Warbeck & Lambert Simnel before mentioned made their appearance, the former of whom was set in the Stocks, took shelter in Beaulieu Abbey, & was beheaded with the Earl of Warwick, & the latter was taken into the King’s Kitchen. His Majesty died, & was succeeded by his son Henry whose only merit was his not being quite so bad as his daughter Elizabeth.
Interestingly, almost all of Austen’s thoughts on Henry VII are not about Henry, but rather those that came after him! (Further proving my point that he seems to largely exist in history to usher in his son…)
Henry VII: Interesting Facts
– Henry was the first English king to have a recognisable portrait on his coinage, rather than a “stock” portrait.
– Also known for being a miserly spendthrift, he utilised taxation to the fullest, and introduced countless new taxes on his subjects. (Which was spent quickly by Henry VIII in his reign…)
– After Arthur’s death, Henry suggested that he marry Catherine of Aragon himself, but her father quickly rejected that.
– He was the first English monarch to sponsor British intercontinental explorations- he partially sponsored the Cabots’ North American voyages.
Further Readings on Henry VII
Cunningham, Sean. Henry VII. London: Routledge, 2007.
Penn, Thomas. Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2012.
Rex Factor Podcast. Henry VII episode.
Looking for my earlier Monarch of the Month posts? Read about Mary I here! And read About Anne here! Edward the Confessor more your speed? Or William IV? Edward IV? Maybe James I? Or our own Queen’s grandfather, George V? Perhaps Mary, Queen of Scots? George VI?
Cheers,
The Historian
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