Overspending by Henry VIII to pay for his lavish lifestyle and to fund foreign wars with France and Scotland are cited as . Henry was thus handed over to English envoys and escorted to the Breton port of Saint-Malo. [20] He amassed an army of about 5,0006,000 soldiers. At any rate, the Wars of the Roses had ended with a victory by which the winner took all, and regardless of his somewhat dubious Plantagenet ancestry. Henry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 to his death. - and that was only about 50% of the book, it was only about 50% interesting to me. Wolf Hall this is not. In 1494, Henry embargoed trade (mainly in wool) with the Burgundian Netherlands in retaliation for Margaret of Burgundy's support for Perkin Warbeck. The Great Debasement (1544-1551) was a currency debasement policy introduced in 1544 England under the order of Henry VIII which saw the amount of precious metal in gold and silver coins reduced and in some cases replaced entirely with cheaper base metals such as copper. Before Henry VIII, English kings were addressed as "Your Grace" or "Your Highness.". 1) The number of books on Henry VII can basically be counted on one hand 2) This is Penns first book. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Rarely was a father's reign so widely disparaged and disowned on the accession of the son. He cemented his claim by marrying Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV. The usual courts and justice system were totally circumvented, and there was no chance of appeal other than purchasing extremely high priced royal pardons. Their chief task was to see that the laws of the country were obeyed in their area. The purpose of the agreement was to prevent France from annexing Brittany. But definitely rewarding! While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [57], In 1506, Henry extorted the Treaty of Windsor from Philip the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy. How like a winter hath my absence been From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year! [2] His father died three months before his birth. Thomas Penn's Winter King is not really a biography of Henry VII, and more a study of what he was directing his government to do in his name. I'm beginning to wonder if all of the kings beginning with the conquest weren't a little off their rocker in some way. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [48], Henry later concluded a treaty with France at Etaples that brought money into the coffers of England, and ensured the French would not support pretenders to the English throne, such as Perkin Warbeck. If you missed the programme then here is the YouTube video for you enjoy! Philip died shortly after the negotiations. His supportive policy toward England's wool industry and his standoff with the Low Countries had long-lasting benefit to the English economy. With the English economy heavily invested in wool production, Henry VII became involved in the alum trade in 1486. [58], Henry's principal problem was to restore royal authority in a realm recovering from the Wars of the Roses. Consultant editor for the. Yorkist malcontents had strength in the north of England and in Ireland and had a powerful ally in Richard IIIs sister Margaret, dowager duchess of Burgundy. He explained how Henry VII had achieved what he set out to do, he had passed on the crown successfully. Henry Tudors claim to the throne was, therefore, weak and of no importance until the deaths in 1471 of Henry VIs only son, Edward, of his own two remaining kinsmen of the Beaufort line, and of Henry VI himself, which suddenly made Henry Tudor the sole surviving male with any ancestral claim to the house of Lancaster. Several of Richard's key allies, such as Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, and also Lord Stanley and his brother William, crucially switched sides or left the battlefield. There were too many powerful noblemen and, as a consequence of the system of so-called bastard feudalism, each had what amounted to private armies of indentured retainers (mercenaries masquerading as servants). No. [59][60][61], He was content to allow the nobles their regional influence if they were loyal to him. The research was thorough and it was presented well and kept me engaged. The King, normally a reserved man who rarely showed much emotion in public unless angry, surprised his courtiers by his intense grief and sobbing at his son's death, while his concern for the Queen is evidence that the marriage was a happy one, as is his reaction to Queen Elizabeth's death the following year, when he shut himself away for several days, refusing to speak to anyone. Detailed Information. His first chance came in 1483 when his aid was sought to rally Lancastrians in support of the rebellion of Henry Stafford, duke of Buckingham, but that revolt was defeated before Henry could land in England. He rewrote history by backdating his reign to 21st August 1485, the day before the Battle of Bosworth Field. In 1407, Henry IV, Gaunt's son by his first wife, issued new Letters Patent confirming the legitimacy of his half-siblings but also declaring them ineligible for the throne. He spent his entire reign fixated on eliminating or disarming his enemies, and stabilizing England after the bloody, seemingly endless War of the Roses. ||Wordpress installation and design by http://www.MadeGlobal.com, FREE Anne Boleyn If you are new the era, this wouldn't the first book I would pick up because it does flip flop around a bit in the beginning-but if you want to understand the players that ultimately have a significant impact on Henry VIII, this is the book for you. The nobility was forced into bonds, legal agreements that they would act as the King wanted or be fined. [26] Henry married Elizabeth of York with the hope of uniting the Yorkist and Lancastrian sides of the Plantagenet dynastic disputes, and he was largely successful. [citation needed] Henry also formed an alliance with Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (14931519) and persuaded Pope Innocent VIII to issue a papal bull of excommunication against all pretenders to Henry's throne. [46] In 1506 he resumed the construction of King's College Chapel, Cambridge, started under Henry VI, guaranteeing finances which would continue even after his death. The insurrections fronted by the pretenders Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck emerged from wide and formidable networks of conspiracy that drew in foreign rulers and leading English magnates, and infiltrated Henry's court. Henry VII was also shown, but his black line just traced back to Owen Tudor, a chamber servant. Henry VIII, (born June 28, 1491, Greenwich, near London, Englanddied January 28, 1547, London), king of England (1509-47) who presided over the beginnings of the English Renaissance and the English Reformation. [34], When the King's agents searched the property of William Stanley (Chamberlain of the Household, with direct access to Henry VII) they found a bag of coins amounting to around 10,000 and a collar of livery with Yorkist garnishings. [35] In 1499, Henry had the Earl of Warwick executed. During his 23-year reign, Henry had only two Lord High Treasurers, and this continuity helped provide stability. The Lancastrian Henry and his Yorkist wife Elizabeth strove to reconcile the factions, but unreconciled Yorkists, to whom he was no more than a usurper, harassed his reign. It was not until 1506, when he imprisoned Suffolk in the Tower of London, that Henry could at last feel safe. I wasn't disappointed because, as usual, he did a great job with the narration. Henry VII ruled as Machiavelli, just after his reign, was to advise usurpers to do through fear rather than love. These bonds were enforced by the Council Learned in the Law, a council of legal advisers who were only answerable to the King. That was to prevent the King of France capturing him and letting him loose on the English as a rival. By 1500, Henry felt safer and things were looking good. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In 1485 Henry landed at Milford Haven in Wales and advanced toward London. Henry gained the support of the Woodvilles, in-laws of the late Edward IV, and sailed with a small French and Scottish force, landing at Mill Bay near Dale, Pembrokeshire. [citation needed] Nonetheless, by 1483 Henry was the senior male Lancastrian claimant remaining after the deaths in battle, by murder or execution of Henry VI (son of Henry V and Catherine of Valois), his son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, and the other Beaufort line of descent through Lady Margaret's uncle, Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset. He had to pay a 500 fine to save himself, to buy a pardon for the crime. For him, it was never about glory and battle. [47], Henry VII's policy was to maintain peace and to create economic prosperity. I was disappointed by this it was decent but I think it was somewhat overhyped. It was the end of the union of Lancaster and York and many had only accepted Henry as King because of his wifes Yorkist roots, so Henry was once more on shaky ground with his old enemies resurfacing and raising armies. There's a lot of cloak-and-dagger stuff here, something Henry and certain of his counselors seemed especially skilled at, and it was those parts that I particularly enjoyed. Castles of . Through luck, guile and ruthlessness, Henry VII, the first of the Tudor kings, had clambered to the top of the heap--a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England's throne. [72] Immediately afterwards, Henry became very sick and nearly died himself, allowing only his mother Margaret Beaufort near him: "privily departed to a solitary place, and would that no man should resort unto him. His younger brother, Jasper Tudor, the Earl of Pembroke, undertook to protect Edmund's widow Margaret, who was 13 years old when she gave birth to Henry. The union was both symbolic and necessary. Serious disputes involving the use of personal power, or threats to royal authority, were thus dealt with. Henry Tudor, named after his father, Henry VII, was born by Elizabeth of York June 28, 1491 in Greenwich Palace. Both parties realised they were mutually disadvantaged by the reduction in commerce. Bacon wanted the future Charles I to learn from Henry's reign, but the financial methods that would provoke fatal opposition to Charles look pale beside the exactions levied by Henry from often innocent subjects, who were denied legal process or threatened with trumped-up prosecutions and had to buy their freedom (though at moments of apparently impending death the king would repent of his methods and have the jails cleared and pardons issued). [45], Henry VII established the pound avoirdupois as a standard of weight; it later became part of the Imperial[46] and customary systems of units. Effectively an orphan, he had spent wretched years as a fugitive in Brittany. I picked this audiobook up because it was narrated by Simon Vance. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. All the information is from Thomas Penn. Poor Henry VII. Claiming to be Edward, earl of Warwick, the son of Richard IIIs elder brother, George, duke of Clarence, he had the formidable support of John de la Pole, earl of Lincoln, Richard IIIs heir designate, of many Irish chieftains, and of 2,000 German mercenaries paid for by Margaret of Burgundy. [5], The descent of Henry's mother, Margaret, through the legitimised House of Beaufort bolstered Henry's claim to the English throne. Henry VIII Books livestream YouTube 18 February 2023, February 13 A queen and her lady-in-waiting are beheaded. "King Henry VII" redirects here. Letters to relatives have an affectionate tone not captured by official state business, as evidenced by many written to his mother Margaret. An ally of Henry's, Viscount Jean du Qulennec[fr], soon arrived, bringing news that Francis had recovered, and in the confusion Henry was able to flee to a monastery. Loyalty was ensured, and the nobility was effectively neuteredand Henry became the richest monarch in Europe. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. I found this really interesting, but Im a history nut. He was supported in this effort by his chancellor, Archbishop John Morton, whose "Morton's Fork" was a catch-22 method of ensuring that nobles paid increased taxes: those nobles who spent little must have saved much, and thus could afford the increased taxes; in contrast, those nobles who spent much obviously had the means to pay the increased taxes. [69] The wedding never took place, and the physical description Henry sent with his ambassadors of what he desired in a new wife matched the description of his wife Elizabeth. In response to this threat within his own household, the King instituted more rigid security for access to his person. Thomas More hailed the end of "slavery" and the return of "liberty", "the end of sadness, the beginning of joy". Penn went on to show Henry VIIs wax funeral effigy, which I saw on my recent trip to London, and which shows his fine-boned features and his crooked eye, but also a face bearing the signs of stress and illness. He was crowned on October 30 and secured parliamentary recognition of his title early in November. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Iain Hollingshead reviews Henry VII: Winter King, a BBC Two documentary which examines how the first Tudor monarch came to power and went on to have a 23-year reign. [32], Next, in 1487, Yorkists led by Lincoln rebelled in support of Lambert Simnel, a boy they claimed to be Edward of Warwick (who was actually a prisoner in the Tower). Warbeck was finally captured in 1497 and executed. These laws were used shrewdly in levying fines upon those that he perceived as threats. There are an awful lot of books written about the Tudor era, both fiction and non-fiction, so you have to ask whether this book adds anything new. He was a ruler to be feared, a ruler to be paid. [39] Despite this, during his reign he became a fiscally prudent monarch who restored the fortunes of an effectively bankrupt exchequer. Wow, it was like being battered by facts without remission for good intentions. He passed laws against "livery" (the upper classes' flaunting of their adherents by giving them badges and emblems) and "maintenance" (the keeping of too many male "servants"). [citation needed], Henry began taking precautions against rebellion while still in Leicester after Bosworth Field. My obsession is European history from the 12th through 17th centuries - especially British history - so of course, when I was offered the chance to review this book, my interest was piqued immediately. Herbert was captured fighting for the Yorkists and executed by Warwick. He invited artists, musicians and scholars to live at his court. Henry VII declared himself king by just title of inheritance and by the judgment of God in battle, after slaying Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. By the way, dont forget that Ian Mortimers Time Travellers Guide to Elizabethan England is on tonight on BBC2 at 9pm. By subscribing you confirm that you have read and agree to the Privacy Policy [opens in new window] and the Terms & Conditions [opens in new window]. Henry VIII Books Exploring the Best Books on Englands Most Infamous King, 18 February 1516 The birth of Queen Mary I, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. He died shortly afterwards in Carmarthen Castle. [55] Since alum was mined in only one area in Europe (Tolfa, Italy), it was a scarce commodity and therefore especially valuable to its land holder, the Pope. Before taking the throne, he was known as Henry Tudor, earl of Richmond. Henry VII: The Winter King. His history plays depicted the dramatic conflicts of the wars of the roses, which Henry's accession after his victory at Bosworth in 1485 brought to an end. Henry attained the throne when his forces defeated King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the culmination of the Wars of the Roses. [13] When the Yorkist Edward IV regained the throne in 1471, Henry fled with other Lancastrians to Brittany. King Henry the VII and King Henry the VIII both feared being invaded by foreign countries. This is why he named the book the "Winter King". [56] This trade made an expensive commodity cheaper, which raised opposition from Pope Julius II, since the Tolfa mine was a part of papal territory and had given the Pope monopoly control over alum. In 1837 Henry VIII's tomb was eventually marked in the chapel with a commemorative marble slab. [21], Henry devised a plan to seize the throne by engaging Richard quickly because Richard had reinforcements in Nottingham and Leicester. Historians debate the extent of Henry's rapacity. Henry VII was king of England from 1485 to 1509. Henry VIII had become heir to the throne when his elder brother, Arthur, died in 1502. There were some sections I had to skim because I didn't feel they were relevant to the storyline, but mostly I was hooked into this very complex King. [66], Henry wanted to maintain the Spanish alliance. Shakespeare later turned to Henry's son and successor Henry VIII, whose rule brought marital sensation, renaissance spectacle and the reformation. He entertained thoughts of remarriage to renew the alliance with Spain Joanna, Dowager Queen of Naples (a niece of Queen Isabella of Castile), Queen Joanna of Castile, and Margaret, Dowager Duchess of Savoy (sister-in-law of Joanna of Castile), were all considered. Please check your email to confirm your subscription. Since we are in the middle of winter, Ive been thinking of a volume on my shelves on Henry VII, who could be called the Winter King. Henry VII can look a dull king, so dull that Thomas Penn's title omits his name. If he trusted anyone, it would be his queen and why not, since both had so much in common both being familiar with being in sanctuary, and pawns in the game of power? Accordingly, he arranged a papal dispensation from Pope Julius II for Prince Henry to marry his brother's widow Catherine, a relationship that would have otherwise precluded marriage in the Church. This was accomplished through the targeted imposition of fines and bonds through extrajudicial councils. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. His early reign was plagued by pretenders to the throne, giving the new Tudor dynasty a rocky start and a fear of conspiracy which dogged Henry VII throughout his life. Henry VIII was the first English king to be called "Your Majesty.". It was presented by historian Thomas Penn, author of Winter King and was an excellent examination of the King who, as Penn pointed out, tend to be eclipsed by Richard III, the glamour and notoriety of Henry VIII and the charisma of Elizabeth I. Henry VII The Winter King is also the title of a book by Thomas Penn, and a useful read. His father, Henry VII, was a cold, calculating man (he wasn't called "the Winter King" for nothing), a greedy monarch who during his last years on the throne had squeezed every last drop. [11] When Edward IV became King in 1461, Jasper Tudor went into exile abroad. In 1497 Warbeck landed in Cornwall with a few thousand troops, but was soon captured and executed. [18] He was welcomed by the French, who readily supplied him with troops and equipment for a second invasion. People saw him as being like a traditional king and hoped that his reign would bring positive change. From his victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, to his secret death and the succession of his son Henry VIII, the film reveals the ruthless tactics . When Richard III became King, Henrys strategy, planned by Margaret Beaufort, the mother whom he had not seen for years, was to declare in public, in Brittanys Rennes Cathedral, that he would marry Edward IVs daughter Elizabeth, then in sanctuary with her mother, and thus bury the enmity between Lancaster and York by making her his queen.