Full Name: Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond
Profession: King of England
Biography: Henry VII was a British monarch who founded the Tudor dynasty. He is best known for ending the Wars of the Roses through his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field and marrying Elizabeth of York Henry's reign marked the beginning of a period of stability and economic reform in England.
Henry Tudor became King Henry VII after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in August of 1485. This victory ended the Wars of the Roses and he was subsequently crowned king. To strengthen his tenuous claim to the throne and to unify the warring factions of Lancaster and York, he married Elizabeth of York in 1486.
Throughout his reign, Henry focused on consolidating power and reestablishing royal authority. His financial policies rebuilt the strength of the monarchy after years of conflict. He also formed the Court of Star Chamber, enhancing the crown's control over legal matters.
Through strategic marriages, such as his son Arthur's to Catherine of Aragon and his daughter Margaret's to James IV of Scotland, he also strengthened England's position in Europe.
Henry VII died in April of 1509, and was succeeded by his second son, Henry VIII, paving the way for a notable royal lineage. His reign is recognized for setting England on a course towards the Renaissance and the Reformation and for establishing a stronger, centralized monarchy that would last for generations.
His life has inspired works such as William Shakespeare's Henry VII and television portrayals in The White Queen (2013) and The White Princess (2017).
Born: January 28, 1457
Birthplace: Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Star Sign: Aquarius
Died: April 21, 1509 (aged 52)
Cause of Death: Tuberculosis
Married Life
- 1486-01-18 King Henry VII of England marries Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV
Historical Events
- 1485-08-01 Henry Tudor's army sails to England (future Henry VII)
- 1485-08-07 Henry Tudor's (Henry VII to be) army lands in Milford Haven, South Wales
- 1485-08-22 Battle of Bosworth Field: Henry Tudor's forces defeat English King Richard III during last battle in the Wars of the Roses. Richard is killed, the last English monarch to die in battle.
- 1485-10-30 Henry VII of England crowned at Westminster Abbey
- 1487-06-16 Battle of Stoke Field, Nottinghamshire: English Tudor King Henry VII defeats the remaining Yorkists led by John de la Pole and Lord Lovell in the last battle of the Wars of the Roses
- 1492-10-02 King Henry VII of England invades France
- 1492-11-03 Peace of Étaples signed between Henry VII of England and Charles VIII of France, ending an English invasion of France and French support for the Yorkist Pretender Perkin Warbeck
- 1496-02-24 England's Henry VII ends commercial dispute with Flanders
- 1496-03-05 English King Henry VII grants John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) a commission to explore for new lands
- 1497-06-17 Battle of Deptford Bridge - forces under King Henry VII soundly defeat Cornish rebels led by Michael An Gof
- 1497-08-10 John Cabot tells King Henry VII of his trip to "Asia"
- 1498-02-14 Treaty of Dordrecht establishes an anti-French alliance between Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and King Henry VII of England
- 1507-11-07 First named reference to royal trumpeter John Blanke, the first black person whose image survives from Tudor England, in payment for services by Henry VII
- 1516-02-19 Consecration of Henry VII's Lady Chapel, part of Westminster Abbey, called "one of the most perfect buildings ever erected in England"
Biographies and Sources
- Architecture [of the Abbey] - Westminster Abbey
- Henry VII - Historic UK
- Henry VII - Oxford Reference
- John Blanke - Historic Royal Palaces
- King Henry VII - Royal Museums Greenwich
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