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. It was a fantastic programme and I highly recommend Thomas Penns book on Henry VII Winter King. Their powers and numbers steadily increased during the time of the Tudors, never more so than under Henry's reign. I had an idea Henry VII was a force for stability; in fact he was a terrifying kleptocrat, abusing the law with arbitrary fines and imprisonment, scheming to effectively steal entire estates and wring every penny out of subjects as well as impose political control through financial means. Annoyingly, much of the most interesting stuff concerns his son, and whenever Penn comments intelligently on how the events here affected the future Henry VIII's reign I found myself perking up such as the suggestion that Henry VII's marriage to Elizabeth was the kind of marriage that their second son, Prince Henry, would spend his whole life trying to find. He likens the beginning of Henry VIIIs reign to a metaphorical spring, a second coming of sorts because Henry VIII seemed to be the opposite of his father. [13] When Warwick restored Henry VI in 1470, Jasper Tudor returned from exile and brought Henry to court. Thomas More hailed the end of "slavery" and the return of "liberty", "the end of sadness, the beginning of joy". [17] Now supported by Francis II's prime minister, Pierre Landais, Richard III attempted to extradite Henry from Brittany, but Henry escaped to France. Unfortunately, since all I really wanted to know about was learning about Henry the 7th and his family as people - the things that happened to them, what kind of people they were, etc. According to John M. Currin, the treaty redefined Anglo-Breton relations. Reasonably interesting overview of the reign of Henry VII of England. 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. Henry VII is known for successfully ending the War of the Roses between the houses of Lancaster and York and for founding the Tudor dynasty. [36] However, he spared Warwick's elder sister Margaret, who survived until 1541 when she was executed by Henry VIII. Penn explained how Henry reworked recent events to suit him. Martin Luther 95 thesis. Henry VII of England - Wikipedia Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. He was the first Tudor king after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in August 1485. Henry then consolidated his reign with magnificent architecture, an opulent household and money. The father's government was an exercise in discoloration. Doubtless the plotters were encouraged by the deaths of Henrys sons in 1500 and 1502 and of his wife in 1503. 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. I thought the book was well written, even though a bit dry is spots. Hidden under the floor in St George's Chapel in Windsor, England where thousands of people walk every day, a forgotten tomb lies. This was excellent. He was a ruler to be feared, a ruler to be paid. One of their sons was Edmund, Henry's father. After winning the throne of England, he wed Elizabeth of York, the eldest daughter of the dead Yorkist king Edward IV. Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England by Thomas Penn - review [4] Owen is said to have secretly married the widow of Henry V, Catherine of Valois. How like a winter hath my absence been From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year! 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 . In 1837 Henry VIII's tomb was eventually marked in the chapel with a commemorative marble slab. Author Thomas Penn takes an extraordinary journey into the dark and chilling world of the first Tudor King, Henry VII. He created the sovereign coin to spread the message that he was King. "King Henry VII" redirects here. What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen! 3.5 Stars. Warbeck was finally captured in 1497 and executed. Detailed Information. His dynasty was hanging by a thread and all his hopes had to rest on his youngest son, Henry, and Elizabeth of York producing another son, a spare. Present were exiles from Richards court, friends of Edward IVths queen, but King Richard was able to bribe the ageing Duke of Brittany to relinquish Henry in return for funds to fight an increasingly hostile French king, whereupon Henry Tudor flew to the French court for sanctuary. He had, Bacon added, much to be suspicious about, "his times" being "full of secret conspiracies and troubles". 1) The number of books on Henry VII can basically be counted on one hand 2) This is Penns first book. [citation needed] The first was the 1486 rebellion of the Stafford brothers, abetted by Viscount Lovell, which collapsed without fighting. The rebellion was defeated and Lincoln killed at the Battle of Stoke. Early life People saw him as being like a traditional king and hoped that his reign would bring positive change. His regime was magnificent, yet terrifying and oppressive. Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a descendant of the Lancastrian branch of the House of Plantagenet. Henry was also worried by the treason of Edmund de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, the eldest surviving son of Edward IVs sister Elizabeth, who fled to the Netherlands (1499) and was supported by Maximilian. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Well written and really interesting about an often ignored king. Penn ended the programme by visiting the tombs of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York in Henrys chapel at Westminster Abbey, a chapel that remains at the heart of political life. I'm not giving this a star rating because I suspect it's me at fault not the book. He made huge gobs of money binding his subjects to him with loyalty bonds. [75], Henry VII died of tuberculosis at Richmond Palace on 21 April 1509 and was buried in the chapel he commissioned in Westminster Abbey next to his wife, Elizabeth. Castles of . [citation needed], During his lifetime the nobility often criticised Henry VII for re-centralizing power in London, and later the 16th-century historian Francis Bacon was ruthlessly critical of the methods by which he enforced tax law, but it is equally true that Henry VII was diligent about keeping detailed records of his personal finances, down to the last halfpenny;[71] these and one account book detailing the expenses of his queen survive in the British National Archives, as do accounts of courtiers and many of the king's own letters. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The reigns of his three predecessors were interrupted or foreshortened. [70] Henry VII falls among the minority of British monarchs that never had any known mistresses, and for the times, it is very unusual that he did not remarry: his son Henry was the only male heir left after the death of his wife, thus the death of Arthur created a precarious political position for the House of Tudor. [a] Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a descendant of the Lancastrian branch of the House of Plantagenet. [10] A contemporary writer and Henry's biographer, Bernard Andr, also made much of Henry's Welsh descent. So 4 stars. He is credited with many administrative, economic and diplomatic initiatives. The devastated King became so ill that he was close to death, but then he recovered and Penn explains that when he took control once more, he was remorseless. Henry VII died on 21 April 1509, and the 17-year-old Henry succeeded him as king. Serious disputes involving the use of personal power, or threats to royal authority, were thus dealt with. Henry VII: Winter King (TV Movie 2013) - IMDb Raised in France, admiring of Italian-trained lawyers (and reaping the reward of the return of a whole generation of educated English commoners who sat out the War of the Roses abroad), with good taste in Renaissance art and advised by his gracious wife and steely mother, Henry VII is a major figure, not a prequel. Anne Boleyn | Biography, Children, Portrait, Death, & Facts - Britannica Winter King: Henry VII and the Dawn of Tudor England Why was Henry VII called the Winter King? - AnswersAll When he met Richard III at Bosworth Field, Henry found that his army of dissidents and mercenaries was completely outnumbered. When they married in 1396 they already had four children, including Henry's great-grandfather John Beaufort. Edward would have liked to rid himself of Henry, a rival to his throne, but Francis kept Henry safe. Until the death of his wife, the evidence is clear from these accounting books that Henry was a more doting father and husband than was widely known and there is evidence that his outwardly austere personality belied a devotion to his family. Their main aim was money. Its goals, relentlessly pursued until Henry's death in 1509, were the establishment of a royal house, the elimination of opposition, and the steady accumulation of power and wealth. After his victory at Bosworth Field, Henry married Edward IVs daughter Elizabeth of York. Henry VII was also shown, but his black line just traced back to Owen Tudor, a chamber servant. Henry was building a myth, the idea that he and his family were the true royal blood of England. Yet in the hands of a narrator as accomplished as Penn, the reign acquires its own, troubling fascination. 1517. This battle saw the end of the Wars of the Roses which had brought instability to England. [23] After his coronation Henry issued an edict that any gentleman who swore fealty to him would, notwithstanding any previous attainder, be secure in his property and person. Royal Collection Trust At the summit, even dinnerware testified to its owner's status. The last few years of his reign were ones of repression. Still, as Penn observes, the national sense of relief in 1509 was palpable. Catherine's mother Isabella I of Castile had died and Catherine's sister Joanna had succeeded her; Catherine was, therefore, daughter of only one reigning monarch and so less desirable as a spouse for Henry VII's heir-apparent. He spent most of the next 14 years under the protection of Francis II, Duke of Brittany. Henry VII was succeeded by his second son, Henry VIII. Henry showed remarkable clemency to the surviving rebels: he pardoned Kildare and the other Irish nobles, and he made the boy, Simnel, a servant in the royal kitchen where he was in charge of roasting meats on a spit. They did as much to endanger his throne as to secure it. Richard III's death at Bosworth Field effectively ended the Wars of the Roses. [65] Henry VII was shattered by the loss of Elizabeth, and her death impacted him severely. [citation needed] 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. 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. Together, they had seven children. When he died, his only surviving son, Henry VIII, succeeded him without a breath of opposition. A King from upstart usurper to renaissance monarch to Machiavellian schemer. 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. He would learn better as the new reign unfolded. Penn showed a genealogical roll that had belonged to the de la Pole family which showed Henry VI being the end of the Lancastrian line and the Yorkist line continuing on to Richard III. He led attempted invasions of Ireland in 1491 and England in 1495, and persuaded James IV of Scotland to invade England in 1496. Watch Henry VII: The Winter King | Prime Video - amazon.com Next month find out more on someone known as The Winter Queen! One interesting thing about him is his early youth and the fourteen years he spent in exile in France Brittany to be precise and those, I believe, made him the man he was eventually to become. Henry VII was the King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 to his death. From 1527 Henry pursued what became known as "the King's great matter": his divorce from Catherine. 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. Claiming the throne by just title of inheritance and by the judgment of God in battle, he was crowned on October 30 and secured parliamentary recognition of his title early in November. [7] He came from an old, established Anglesey family that claimed descent from Cadwaladr, in legend, the last ancient British king,[8] and on occasion Henry displayed the red dragon of Cadwaladr. When Henry VIII Wrestled the King of Franceand Lost Sonnet XCVII - Massachusetts Institute of Technology [citation needed] John Cabot, originally from Genoa and Venice, had heard that ships from Bristol had discovered uncharted new found territory far west of Ireland. Henry Tudor is a familiar name to students of English history, especially the military side of it. He was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle. He paid very close attention to detail, and instead of spending lavishly he concentrated on raising new revenues. He was probably baptised at St Mary's Church, Pembroke,[1] though no documentation of the event exists. Philip died shortly after the negotiations. Henry VII can look a dull king, so dull that Thomas Penn's title omits his name. For inheriting an unstable throne, holding it for 25 year and leaving England relatively stable, Henry VII deserves his own biography and a lot more credit. While most of us are familiar with Henry VIII and Elizabeth I and we probably have a sense of the Wars of the Roses in England, but how many of us are familiar with Henry VII. "[73] Further compounding Henry's distress, his older daughter Margaret had previously been betrothed to King James IV of Scotland and within months of her mother's death she had to be escorted to the border by her father: he would never see her again. This book was way too focused on what happened, but not so much on the why or why it was important. At the same time, Flemish merchants were ejected from England. When the Lancastrian cause crashed to disaster at the Battle of Tewkesbury (May 1471), Jasper took the boy out of the country and sought refuge in the duchy of Brittany. Penn then moved on to how Henry became King. Warbeck won the support of Edward IV's sister Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy. He had unified the kingdom, accrued immense wealth and created the most notorious dynasty in English history: the Tudors. He created the Tudor dynasty. 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. After obtaining the dispensation, Henry had second thoughts about the marriage of his son and Catherine. Elizabeth had died in childbirth, so Henry had the dispensation also permit him to marry Catherine himself. Overblown prose trumpeting his reign seemed to be the order of the day. [74] Margaret Tudor wrote letters to her father declaring her homesickness, but Henry could do nothing but mourn the loss of his family and honour the terms of the peace treaty he had agreed to with the King of Scotland. Stephens, "affords some illustrations of the avaricious and parsimonious character of the king". [8], In 1456, Henry's father Edmund Tudor was captured while fighting for Henry VI in South Wales against the Yorkists. He spent money lavishly, held big parties. Henry was the only child of Edmund Tudor , Earl of Richmond , and Margaret Beaufort . 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. For instance, the Stanley family had control of Lancashire and Cheshire, upholding the peace on the condition that they stayed within the law. Many of the entries show a man who loosened his purse strings generously for his wife and children, and not just on necessities: in spring 1491 he spent a great amount of gold on a lute for his daughter Mary; the following year he spent money on a lion for Elizabeth's menagerie. Henry was devastated. The King was heavily guarded. Henry VII: The Winter King. [citation needed], To secure his hold on the throne, Henry declared himself king by right of conquest retroactively from 21 August 1485, the day before Bosworth Field. Herbert was captured fighting for the Yorkists and executed by Warwick. Effectively an orphan, he had spent wretched years as a fugitive in Brittany. I thought the way he controled the nobility was fascinating - keeping them in check as well a raising vast sums of money at the same time. In 1621 Francis Bacon's history of the reign called Henry "a dark prince, and infinitely suspicious". Amateur historians Bertram Fields and Sir Clements Markham have claimed that he may have been involved in the murder of the Princes in the Tower, as the repeal of Titulus Regius gave the Princes a stronger claim to the throne than his own. Though this was not achieved during his reign, the marriage eventually led to the union of the English and Scottish crowns under Margaret's great-grandson, James VI and I, following the death of Henry's granddaughter Elizabeth I. : (April 25, 1883. The future Henry VIII, in contrast,. Henry VII | Biography & Facts | Britannica