Date of Birth: January 27, 1457Died: April 21, 1509
Reigned: 1485- 1509 Parents: Edmund Tudor (1431-1456) & Lady Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509) Spouse: Elizabeth of York (1466-1503) Religion: Roman Catholic Children: Henry VIII (1491-1547) Arthur (1486-1502), Mary (1496-1533), Roland de Velville (1474-1535), Edward (1537-1553), Margaret (1489-1541), Elizabeth (1492-1495), Edmund (1499-1500) & Katherine (February 2- 10, 1503) Buried: Westminister Abbey Successor: Henry VIII Henry came to the throne on August 22, 1485, after defeating Richard III at the Battle of the Bosworth Field (commonly known as the Battle of the Roses.) In order to secure his spot to the throne, he married Elizabeth of York, thus uniting the Lancaster and Yorkhouses. Once he had secured the power he used traditional monarchy tools to strengthen the government. One of these tools was forced marriage, which he used on his children to promote unity. In order to secure peace with Scotland, he married his daughter Margaret to King James IV. This marriage ultimately led to the unification of Scotland and England. He also married his eldest son Arthur to Catherine of Argon, but after his untimely demise, he remarried her to Henry VIII. Like many kings at the time, he used forced loans on the nobility in order to squash their independence. Although he restored political peace to England, he was a lavish spender and was later criticized for spending the state's money. |
1500s |
Henry VII |