Introduction and Consolidation of Power

Question 1

Who was Henry VII

Answer 1

The man who started the Tudor dynasty.

Question 2

How long was his rule

Answer 2

1485 - 1509, 23 years and 7months

Question 3

What was his claim to the throne

Answer 3

Incredibly weak, his claim came from this mother, Margeret Beauford, who was Edward III’s descendant, from the marriage of his son John of Gaunt.

Question 4

How did Henry VII gain power

Answer 4

Through the Battle of Bosworth

Question 5

What was the battle of Bosworth

Answer 5

The final battle of the war of roses where Henry Tudor from the House of Lancaster met King Richard III, a Yorkist from Bosworth Field to decide who would be king.

Question 6

Date of the Battle of Bosworth

Answer 6

22nd August 1485

Question 7

Background to the Battle

Answer 7

Henry was exiled for almost all of his adult life, so on the 1st of August 1485 he set said on England from France where he landed in Pembroke, wales as he marched towards the English he gained support from many people - especially from a powerful welsh landowner, Rhy Thomas.

Question 8

Outcome of the Battle

Answer 8

Richard III lost the battle as although he had a larger army, he lost support from many people, notably Sir Thomas Stanley and the Stanley Family as a whole. Henry VII gained the support of the Stanley family and Richard III was killed in the battle as a result. This signalled the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty.

Question 9

Why did Richard III lose the support of Sir Thomas Stanley

Answer 9

Richard III kept the son of Sir Thomas Stanley hostage in order to ensure his support, this made Richard III unpopular and Sir Thomas Stanley didnt want to risk losing the patronage of Henry VII if Henry VII won the Battle.

Question 10

Why did Henry VII need to consolidate power?

Answer 10

Though he had won the battle and gained the throne his main problem was keeping the throne as he had a weak claim to the throne and was seen as a usurper, this would also attract a lot of opposition to his rule which made it clear that he needed to consolidate his power.

Question 11

Ways he consolidated his power

Answer 11

Dating his reign from the day before the battle of Bosworth
Coronated himself early
Marriage to Elizabeth of York
Royal Progression
Control of Nobility

Question 12

Significance of Dating his reign from the day before the battle of Bosworth.

Answer 12

The first thing he did was to declare himself King by Conquest and he dated his reign from the 21st of August 1485, the day before the battle in order to declare all of the men who fought for Richard, traitors. He was able to imprison Yorkists who had supported Richard III and had a better claim to the throne than him as a result for example the Earl of Warwick, Richard III’s nephew.

Question 13

Date of his Coronation

Answer 13

October 30th 1485

Question 14

Significance of coronating himself early

Answer 14

He legitimised his claims to the throne by organising his coronation to take place early. It was more than a public spectacle confirming the power of the Monarch it signified the approval of the church and through this, of God himself.

Question 15

How did the Coronation impact the nobility

Answer 15

It required the nobility to swear an oath of loyalty to the King which would not be broken, it also conferred a divine status that defined rebellion as a sin against God and a crime against the state.

Question 16

How did his coronation impact parliament

Answer 16

He organised his coronation a week before parliament met so that no one could oppose him by stating that parliament made him king, as due to his weak claim to the throne he would have needed a parliamentary sanction to legitimise his claim to the throne. But organising the ceremony first showed that he had a legitimate claim to the throne based on hereditary rights.

Question 17

How significant was his coronation overall

Answer 17

The speed of his coronation was a safety measure as well as a symbol that he was a rightful king, not just by conquest or through parliament or through marriage.

Question 18

How significant was his marriage to Elizabeth of York?

Answer 18

He united the Tudors together by marrying Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV in Jan 1486. This was an essential part of his strategy to win support and consolidate the house of York and Lancaster, it led to the creation of the Tudor rose, which was used as propaganda for Henry VII.

Question 19

How significant was the date of his marriage to Elizabeth of York?

Answer 19

He was careful to ensure that his coronation took place before his marriage so that no one could say that he had gained the throne through his wife.

Question 20

Significance of the marriage overall.

Answer 20

Marriage was particularly important in consolidating power, as his wife gave birth to an heir to the throne, Prince Arthur of Wales in September 1486. This helped Establish a future for the new Tudor dynasty, creating a greater sense of permanence about the change that had taken place in 1485.

Question 21

Royal Progression

Answer 21

To cement his power further, Henry VII summoned parliament as it was the traditional act of the King, on November 1485 and he embarked on a royal progress to the North in April 1486.

Question 22

Significance of the Royal Progress

Answer 22

The Royal Progress was essentially a tour of the kingdom by the monarch and his court. During the progress, it was traditional for the king to hear petitions and cases and to grant justice and favours. In this way, he could demonstrate his royal authority and presence to his subjects.

Question 23

Consolidating Power through control of the nobility

Answer 23

Henry displayed the same kind of tactical and political awareness in his handling of the nobility over his victory, he rewarded his supporters for loyalty and fighting alongside him and he punished those disloyal to him who fought with Richard III.

Question 24

Examples of Rewarding
John De Vere and Thomas Stanley

Answer 24

John De Vere who had joined him in France became Earl of Oxford.
Lord Stanley was honoured for deserting Richard at Bosworth with the title of Earl of Derby and the hand of Henry’s mother in marriage.

Question 25

Significance of Rewarding John De Vere and Thomas Stanley

Answer 25

It gave Henry two loyal supporters in the east midlands and the north-west. Governing over it on behalf of Henry.

Question 26

Examples of Rewarding
Jasper Tudor

Answer 26

His Uncle, Jasper Tudor became the Duke of Bedford and Chief Justice of Wales, representing royal authority in Wales as a result.

Question 27

Rewarding Other Supporters
- Sir Thomas Lovell
- Sir William Stanley
- John Morton

Answer 27

Other supporters were rewarded with high offices.
Sir Thomas Lovell was made Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1485.
Sir William Stanley became Lord Chamberlain
John Morton was Lord Chancellor from 1486-1500 and later Archbishop on Canterbury and a cardinal.

Question 28

Significance of Rewarding

Answer 28

It ensured that Henry VII had the ability to maintain talented men and this was a key element in maintaining the stability of the government as he had key people dotted around the country who he could use to enforce laws and gain order around the country.

Question 29

Consolidating Power through punishing

Answer 29

Henry’s handling of opponents was also carefully balanced, dating this reign from a day before the battle of Bosworth allowed him to treat Richard’s supporters as traitors and imprison them as a result.

Question 30

Examples of Punishing
William Catesby
Earl of Warwick

Answer 30

William Catesby who fought alongside Richard III at the battle of Bosworth was executed and he was the only member of the opposition who suffered this fate.
Earl of Warwick was the ten-year-old nephew of Richard III, he was sent to the Tower of London and not allowed to see other relatives as he had a decent claim to the throne.

Question 31

Examples of Punishing
John De La Pole
Earl of Surrey
Earl of Northumberland - Henry Percy

Answer 31

John De La Pole -
Earl of Surrey- imprisoned until 1489
Earl of Northumberland - Henry Percy - example of calculated mercy, released from prison in 1485 and given control of the North on behalf of the king

Question 32

Act of Attainder

Answer 32

Nobility whose loyalty was suspect were stripped of their lands and titles through the Act of Attainder, which simultaneously reduced the wealth of the nobility and decreased their power by transferring their property to the crown.

Question 33

what were the problems facing Henry VII

Answer 33

Nobles as their wealth and territorial power made them potential rivals to the crown
The uneven control that the crown had over the kingdom, especially in border lands was made worse by the lack of local administration
The poor finances of the crown which had been depleted by wars at home and abroad

Question 34

Aims of Henry VII

Answer 34

To establish and secure his right to the throne
To strengthen the royal government through better control of the nobility
To strengthen and secure the monarchy and the kingdom with stong financial foundations

Question 35

did Henry VII have guaranteed loyalty across the kingdom?

Answer 35

No. Although he had won the crown by right of conquest this was not sufficient to guarantee him loyalty

Question 36

from who did Henry VII face the most threat

Answer 36

From the House of York who lived on through the De La Pole brothers

Question 37

why were the De La Pole brothers a threat to Henry

Answer 37

They had a claim to the throne as valid as henry’s

Question 38

what other threat did Henry VII have

Answer 38

Threat from Margeret of Burgundy who was Edward IV’s and Richard III’s sister married to the Duke of Burgundy.

Question 39

why was Margeret of burgundy a threat

Answer 39

Burgundy was a powerful dukedom and a key trading partner with England, which Margeret became a powerful figure in after the death of her husband in 1477

Question 40

what can Henry’s consolidation methods be grouped into

Answer 40

Initial Actions
Control of the Nobility
Government and Finances
Foreign Policy
Putting down rebellions