Henry Tudor's hold on the throne, 1485-87
Background
A nation’s government, security and well-being depended on the character and strength of its ruler. This was particularly true during the Middle Ages, when kings had the power to pass laws, raise revenue and make war. Richard III’s seizure of the throne encouraged claimants like Henry Tudor to challenge him for the crown. However, following Henry Tudor’s seizure of the throne in 1485 he became the target of claimants who thought of him as the usurper and their claim to be superior. Therefore the first two years of Henry’s reign would define his kingship and either strengthen his hold on the throne or weaken it.
Claim to the throne
Henry’s claim to the throne was open to challenge because it was so weak. He was well aware that recent history was against him. Richard III’s two-year reign had been successfully challenged so Henry knew that he must do all he could to consolidate his hold on the throne.
Henry’s claim came through his mother, Margaret Beaufort, who was a direct descendant of Edward III by the marriage of his third son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, to Katherine Swynford. However, the fact that John and Katherine’s son John Beaufort (Margaret’s grandfather) had been prior to their marriage weakened any future claim to the throne by this line of descent.
Henry inherited royal blood from his father, Edmund Tudor. Edmund’s French mother, Catherine, had been married to Henry V before she became the wife of Edmund’s Welsh father, Owen. Edmund was the half-brother of Henry VI, who raised him to the peerage by creating him Earl of Richmond. Therefore, Henry VII was the half-nephew of the King of England and extended royal family.
In reality Henry’s claim to the throne rested on his victory in battle. That he had defeated and killed King Richard III was regarded as a sign that God approved of Henry’s assumption of power.
Keeping the throne
Henry VII aimed to maintain his hold on the throne and establish his dynasty by securing the unchallenged succession of his descendants. His policies at home and abroad were shaped and dictated by this aim. Therefore, his goals were simple: to secure his throne and strengthen his dynasty.