CONSOLIDATION OF THE TUDOR DYNASTY• . ENGLAND, Henry Vil, 1485-1509 REVISION PROGRESS 1 The consolidation of power RECAP England had experienced political instability in the 15th century. The unsuccessful reign of Henry VI had in 1455 in the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses between the royal houses of CUIminated Lancaster and York. Between from 30 years of intermittent 1455and 1485, England had suffered civil war and five violent changes of monarch. The unpopularity of the Yorkist King Richard Ill allowed Henry Tudor to successfully seize the throne at the Bosworth in August 1485, beginning the reign of the Tudors. However Battle of his claim to the throne was weak: • He was descended through the female line, through his mother Lady Margaret Beaufort. • The Beaufort line came from John of Gaunt's third wife; their son had been born before their marriage many considered him illegitimate. and • Henry was the Lancastrian claimant only because there was no other suitable candidate. As a result, the early years of Henry Vll's reign were characterised by insecurity, and by fears of a potential Yorkist challenge. Proclaimed king on the battlefield by the hesitant Lord Stanley (later Earl of Derby), who finally declared for Henry, the new king was cheered on his arrival in London, where the unpopularity of Richard Ill was enough for the public to accept him. HOUSE OF YORK HOUSE OF LANCASTER Philippa Edward Ill of Hainault Plantagenet 1314-69 1312-77 Lionel Duke Isabella Edmund of Langley Edward Joan Blanche John of Gaunt Constance of Clarence of Castile Duke of York Prince of Kent Plantagenet Duke of Lancaster Katherine of Castile 1338-68 1341-1402 of Wales 1340-99 (wifeI) (wife 2) Swynford Richard Il Plantagenet (wife 3) 1367-1400 The Beauforts Anne Richard Earl Edward Duke Henry IV Mary of Elizabeth Catherine Mortimer of Cambridge of York Bolingbroke Bohun of Lancaster of Lancaster Richard 1375-1415 1373-1415 1367-1413 1368-94 1363-1426 Duke of York 1411-60 Cecily Richard Jacquetta Henry V Catherine Sir Owen Neville Woodville of Luxemburg of Lancaster of Valois Tudor 1405-60 1415-72 1386-1422 1401-37 1400-61 Richard Ill Anne Edward IV Elizabeth Margaret Henry VI Edmund Margaret of York Neville of York Woodville of Anjou Lancaster Tudor Beaufort 1452-85 1456-85 1442-83 1437-92 1430-82 1422-71 1431-56 1443-1500 Edward Prince of Wales (2) 1453-71 Ferdinand Edward Edward V Elizabeth Henry VII Richard of Castile Prince of Wales (3) of York Duke of York of York Tudor 1473-84 (2) 1470-c1483 1473-c1483 1466-1503 1457-1500 Key Catherine DIRECT LINE Henry Of Aragon OF SUCCESSION Tudor INDIRECT LINE OF SUCCESSION The houses of Lancaster and York 10 HENRY Vil 1485-1509 Henry Vll's character and aims been brought Henry Vll had not up to rule. He had lived in exile in Brittany since the age of 14, following at the Battle the Yorkist victory of Tewkesbury, in which many of his relations, the Lancastrians, died Henry fled or were executed. to France, where he lived for most of the time as a fugitive in the Duchy of Brittany. Many of his personality traits (he was shrewd, calculating and self-restrained) were probably shaped by his life as a fugitive. From 1485, Henry's main aim was to consolidate his power in order to keep his throne. He accomplished this through both political actions and military success. Henry had to work to retain his throne and establish his dynasty. Above all, he had to reduce the power of nobles who had used the previous period of instability to enhance their own authority. He also had to improve the Crown's financial position and secure the recognition of foreign powers. KEY CHRONOLOGY Henry Vll's steps to secure the throne 1485 Aug He dated his reign from 21 August, the day before the Battle of Bosworth; thus anyone who had fought on the Yorkist side could be accused as a traitor He publicly rewarded many key supporters (e.g. by conferring 11 knighthoods) He detained the Earl of Warwick (Edward IV's nephew), whose claim to the throne could be seen to be much greater than his own Oct He arranged his coronation for a week before the meeting of his first parliament in November, to show that his right to the throne was hereditary, and not just based on parliamentary sanction He made key appointments to his council and household (e.g. Sir Reginald Bray as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Sir William Stanley as Chamberlain of the Household) He issued parliamentary Acts of Attainder against Yorkists who had fought at Bosworth; their property became forfeit to the Crown He further increased his income by demanding the customs revenues of tonnage and poundage for life at his first parliament 1486 Jan Having consolidated power in his own right, Henry married Elizabeth of York. This enabled royal propaganda to exploit the union of the houses of Lancaster and York 1489 sept An heir, Prince Arthur, was born REVISION PROGRESS Establishing the Tudordynasty Henry's position was extremely insecure at first. There were several threats: John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln Ill • Nephew of Edward IV and Richard Yorkist supporters • Designated successor of Richard Ill (e.g. Lovell and the Lambert • Regarded as the Yorkist leader Staffords) after Bosworth Simnet Yorkist claimants Threats Pretenders Edward, Earl of Warwick • Nephew of Edward IV and Richard Ill Perkin • Imprisoned in Tower of London, 1485, aged 10 Margaret of Burgundy Warbeck • Beheaded for alleged conspiracy with • Sister of Edward IV and Richard Ill Perkin Warbeck, 1499 • Able and willing to fund Yorkist ambitions Viscount Lovell and the Staffords Minorrising, focused on traditional Yorkist heartlands of Yorkshire and the Midlands: • Led by Viscount Lovell (Yorkshire) and Humphrey Stafford, with his brother Thomas Significance 1486 (Midlands) Showed that there • Attracted little support and was easily suppressed was little support for a Yorkist rising at this • Lovell escaped to Burgundy; Humphrey Stafford was captured and executed (though point homas was pardoned) Yorkists realised the need for a figurehead and funds Lambert Simnel and the rebellion of the Earl of Lincoln Yorkist conspiracy arranged by the Earl of Lincoln, using Lambert Simnel as a figurehead: • Simnel impersonated the imprisoned Earl of Warwick, and was crowned as King Edward in Ireland in May 1487 • Henry exhibited the real Earl of Warwick in London • Lincoln fled to the court of Margaret of Burgundy and joined Lord Lovell; they persuaded Margaret to support Simnel and to pay for a force of mercenaries to invade England Significance • Henry neutralised Yorkist effectivel support in the north by reinstating the Earl of Northumberland, a his battle traditional Yorkist of th supporter, to power in the north as his supporter (a calculated gamble) ended the Wars Henry's 1487 • The rebels landed on the north-west coast of England in Cumberland, and tried to muster Roses and became support in the Yorkist heartland of the North Riding of they failed to position Yorkshire; however not attract followers afe, though secure com letel • Henry's army defeated the mercenary army at the Battle of Stoke Field, June 1487; the Earl of Lincoln was killed Reasons for Henry's victory: • His own shrewdness and hard work • Organisatlonal skills and military leadership of his key supporters illin ness of(andownersin man artso the ountr to su ort his cause 12 HENRYVII, 1485-1509 Henry's lenient treatment of the rebels won over some Yorkists who had previously opposed him He also began to develop the policy of using bonds of good behaviour, providing lump sums of money to landowners that they did not have to repay if they behaved well The Perkin Warbeck imposture Significance llmposture of a cloth trader from Flanders, who claimed to be Richard, Duke of York Patronage from (one of Edward IV's sons, and one of the two murdered 'princes in the Tower'): foreign rulers made 1491: Warbeck began to impersonate Richard, Duke of York, in Ireland Warbeck a potentially serious threat and 01492: He fled to the court of Margaret of Burgundy, was trained as a potential Yorkist demonstrated how prince, and began to draw English courtiers into his conspiracies fragile Henry's position 1495: He attempted to land in England in 1495, but was quickly defeated; he fled to the was considered to be court of James IV of Scotland by other rulers 1491-99 1496: He tried to invade England with a small Scottish force; this soon retreated, and The involvement (in James IV agreed to marry Henry's daughter, Margaret u1495) in the conspiracy of Sir William Stanley 1497: He tried to claim the throne by exploiting the Cornish Rebellion; his forces were (Henry's step-uncle crushed; Warbeck surrendered; he was treated leniently at first but tried to escape and Lord Chamberlain, 11499: He was tried and executed along with the Earl of Warwick the head of the royal household) showed how vulnerable Henry was even within his own household Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk and Richard de la Pole, 'The White Rose' Significance Younger brothers of the Earl of Lincoln: The imprisonment Edmund (Suffolk) largely lived in exile from 1498 to 1506, under the protection of of Suffolk effectively 1506 Margaret of Burgundy; returned in 1506 and was imprisoned in Tower of London; eliminated the executed in 1513 by Henry Vlll remaining threats, • Richard de la Pole was exiled until his death fighting for France at the Battle of leaving only Richard de; Pavia, 1525 la Pote at targe in exile SUMMARY • Having successfully seized the throne at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, Henry's immediate aim was to consolidate his power.