how did henry tudor become the king of england?

what was henry tudor’s claim to the english throne based upon? potential problems?

• son of edmund tudor (grandson of servant owen tudor) and lady margaret beaufort

• stronger claim to the throne was from maternal line - mother was descended from an illegitimate branch of the lancastrian family tree, making him a distant descendant of john of gaunt, duke of lancaster

why did henry become the main lancastrian claimant in 1471?

• henry vi’s only son, edmund, died and henry vi was imprisoned in the tower before swiftly dying

• henry vii became sole surviving male with any ancestral claim to the house of lancaster

why was legitimacy important to the claimants to the throne?

• provided legal and moral right to the throne

• henry vii had ancestral claim AND viable claim through the right of conquest, defeating richard iii at battle of bosworth. able to claim divine right of kings

who supported henry tudor’s climate initially?

• john de vere, earl of oxford

• lady margaret beaufort and second husband, lord thomas stanley

• charles viii, french king → provided financial and military backing for battle

• francis ii, duke of brittany

• uncle jasper tudor, duke of bedford

• welsh gentry and commoners

• sir william stanley

who was henry’s stepfather and how did he help him win in battle?

• lord thomas stanley

• changed allegiance form supporting richard to supporting henry

• stood aside during battle, neutral until require to act to give henry upper hand

• launched final and potent attack on richard and his men when they suddenly advanced in battle

why did henry win the battle of bosworth?

• recruited steadfast support in wales

• strong politician and exploited richard’s poor choices to gain public favour

• henry tudor had french support AND yorkist support

• stanleys deserted richard at bosworth

• richard iii was killed in battle→ claim right of conquest

what 7 problem would henry face at the beginning of his reign?

1. succession and securing of dynasty

2. challenges of nobility

3. yorkist opposition

4. financial state of the crown

5. ensuring legitimacy

6. control of the regions

7. foreign threats

threat of securing succession and the tudor dynasty

• unmarried, no children → succession crisis needed addressing with moderate urgency → needed to marry elizabeth of york and produce an heir relatively quickly

• sole remaining lancastrian claimant

future challenges of nobility

• needed to gain support

• must manage and limit the sizes of their retainers to reduce impact of possible future rebellions

• mistrust and unfamiliarity was rife, henry had been in exile in brittany for 14 years and appeared as a virtual stranger. needed to establish working relationships and loyalty

problem of yorkist threats

• supporters of richard iii and the house of york were seeking retribution and the opportunity to regain the throne

• remaining threat from the princes in the tower and the possibility of impersonation in order to maintain a ‘legitimate’ claim to the throne to justify rebellion

financial status of the crown

• had bankrupt royal accounts, weak royal revenue and inefficient collection of money

• money spent throughout the war of the roses and the hundred years’ war

• needed to establish regular permanent sources of income to gain independence from parliament

problem of legitimacy

• indirect, tenuous claim via distant blood relation in his maternal line to king john of gaunt

• usurped he throne, exacerbate by marital status and lack of children

problem of control of the regions

• specifically territory within the north, areas more difficult to control surrounding yorkshire → remaining yorkist sympathisers

problem of foreign threats

• potential of a foreign invasion

• could provide financial succour and military support to yorkist rebels and pretender threats

• e.g. king james iv of scotland and duchess margaret of burgundy (richard iii’s sister)