Henry VII Biography

The Tudors had been involved in a long and bitter war against the house of York, known as The War of the Roses. At Bosworth Field in August 1485, Henry led his men against the forces of Richard III.

The Lancastrians, followers of Henry Tudor, defeated Richard, who died in the battle: Henry Tudor now became King Henry VII of England and Wales.

Henry’s claim to the throne was solidified by his marriage to Elizabeth of York, the eldest child of the late King Edward IV. Henry had seven children by Elizabeth, four of whom survived infancy.

The main challenge for Henry was to restore the strength and confidence of the monarchy. He also had to deal with other claimants, some of whom had a far stronger claim than his own. Over time he increased his own power at the expense of the barons and nobles.

Henry also faced a treasury that was nearly bankrupt. The English monarchy had never been one of the wealthiest of Europe and was even less so after the War of the Roses. However, he managed to steadily accumulate wealth during his reign so that, by the time he died, he left a considerable fortune to his son, Henry VIII.

In order to preserve good relations with Spain, Henry arranged for his eldest son, Arthur, to marry a Spanish princess called Catherine of Aragon, but Arthur soon died. Henry then arranged for Catherine to marry his second son, Henry (the future Henry VIII).

Henry VII died in 1509.