Henry VII- Foreign Policy

Aims of foreign policy

Aims of foreign policy

National security

Recognition of the Tudor Dynasty

Trading interests

Spain - Treaty of Medina Del Campo

The treaty agreed the marriage of Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon, England and Spain would not make friends with France and wouldn’t help pretenders. When Prince Arthur died in 1502, Catherine and Prince Henry were betrothed.

Scotland - Foreign policy

Most traditional enemy. Scotland had a history of alliances with France. James IV helped Perkin Warbeck. 1497 Treaty of Ayton ended (Perkin fled) 1502 Treaty of Perpetual Peace agreed that James IV would marry Princess Margaret, Henry VII’s daughter in 1503.

France - Foreign policy

Relations with France were getting worse as henry supported Brittany in fighting for independence. France retaliated by backing pretender to the throne Perkin Warbeck and sending more troops to Brittany. Henry was granted money through extraordinary revenue and raised 12,000 troops to fight France. France was after Italy and wasn’t too keen on fighting England. France and England signed the Treaty of Etaples in 1492 which agreed that Henry would get a pension of 5,000 pounds a year from France.

Burgundy - Foreign policy

Margaret of Burgundy, Richard III’s sister hated Henry. 1486 Henry signed a Treaty of Dordrecht promising to send troops to Burgundy which he didn’t. Relations worsened when Margaret supported Perkin Warbeck. Henry but an embargo on trade with Burgundy until 1496, when the Intercursus Magnus was signed removing all trade barriers. 1506 Henry persuaded Philip of Burgundy (son of Maximillian and Mary of Burgundy) to sign the Treaty of Windsor (including the Intercursus Malus) when he and Joanna took shelter in England en route to Spain.

Ireland - Foreign policy

Ireland was mostly ruled by independent chieftains apart from an area around Dublin known as The Pale. Henry removed the Earl of Kildare, the lord lieutenant of Ireland who supported pretenders to the throne. Sir Edward Poynings became the new Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and passed Poynings Law – Irish laws had to be approved by the king of England first. Earl of Kildare was reappointed and became a loyal servant to Henry who secured land from former chieftains ensuring that Henry had reasonable control over Ireland by 1500.

Brittany - Foreign Policy

Henry felt a loyalty towards Brittany as he grew up there. Henry signed the Treaty of Redon promising to send troops to Brittany who were paid for by Anne of Brittany. Anne surrendered in 1491 and married Charles VIII of France merging the two countries together as Brittany became a part of France.