He is known as one of the most controversial personalities in the history of England, the founder of the long-lived royal family of Tudors. It was he, Henry VII, who ended the long-standing War of the Roses (1455-1485). He set the world for long, by the standards of those years, 24 years.
Origin
Henry VII Tudor, also known as Count Richmond, was from an ancient family of royal bloods, which, however, could never claim the throne due to the illegitimate marriage of Henry's ancestor - Owen Tudor - with Catherine Valois (widow of King Henry V). We will not go into the intricacies of royal genealogies, just say that the grandfather of Richmond was the founder of the Lancaster house, John Gaunt.
The baby was welcome and the only one of her mother Margarita Beaufort, widowed 3 months before giving birth. But immediately after giving birth, the baby was sent to Wales by order of the mother, and later to Brittany. From Brittany the young count was transported to France. Thus Margarita saved him from the Yorks, who were determined to destroy all potential Lancaster heirs to the throne.
Way to the throne
The path to the throne was hard and bloody for him. Henry VII owes much to his mother. It was she who set the stage for his return with the army in 1483, seizing for him the heiress to the throne, Elizabeth of York.
Heinrich's triumphant return to his homeland was marked by his victory at Bosworth. Having destroyed the army of the ruling Richard III, Henry VII crowns himself right on the battlefield with a crown removed from the murdered ruler! Then he begins his march to London, where a war-tormented city falls at his feet. New king recognized! This was the best way out for England, because such a ruler was able to maintain power and prevent new bloodshed. In 1486, Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York and combines the roses of their genera into the famous red and white rose of the Tudors.
In power
Having come to power, Henry VII, interesting facts about which are covered in the article, begins his reign with the centralization of power, and also finishes off the remnants of militant Yorkists, which was not so difficult. The king relies on the royal courts, every year giving them more and more rights.
His mother Margarita claimed power along with him, but she did not conflict with her son, and the king, in turn, in every way pleased the mother, whose affection he had been deprived of for many years. Margarita was allowed a lot, even putting the letter R next to her signature, which meant the royal title.
Fighting Enemies
Trying to protect his position, Henry was still soft to his potential enemies. So, he kept some for himself, punishing them only with posts like a cook or a floor washer, and sent more dangerous ones to prison, but only a few were executed. But he had no tolerance for the conspirators, and if someone did not want to take a second chance, he would certainly be sentenced to death. But Henry Tudor did not like to watch executions.
Fines and taxes
But the most controversial and at the same time the most effective method of his struggle for a strong state was the introduction of a huge number of far-fetched fines and taxes. For this, Henry VII Tudor was called a mean, insatiable and noble tyrant. Some fines imposed by him were for already committed actions. The king himself was very fond of giving his rich vassals deliberately impossible tasks, in order to recover exorbitant fines from them. For the sake of replenishing the treasury, he did tricks with blackmail and ransom, putting the rich in jails, hinting to relatives that he could release an innocent convict for a fee.
He played the same joke at a much higher level, when he demanded a round sum from parliament for military operations in France. In fact, France was completely unprepared to fight and paid Henry VII a double amount to avoid war. To maintain the image, the king of England nevertheless spent a couple of battles, after which he “triumphantly” returned to London.
The heirs
But we must give him his due: not having accumulated a huge fortune, Henry strengthened the position of the crown, leaving his heirs full treasury and well-fed officials who did not want to overthrow such a king.
What heirs did Henry VII Tudor leave behind? His children are three sons and four daughters. Speaking of heirs, it is worth mentioning two of his three sons: Arthur and Henry. Arthur was named after the legendary Arthur, in which Heinrich Tudor persistently sought (and did not find) his roots. According to a legend created by the king’s close associates, the great king from ancient times was embodied in the newborn Arthur in order to revive the former power of England. But the son was weak. He died young, a few months after an extremely important dynastic marriage with Catherine of Aragon. The second son, Henry VIII, had to marry the widow of his brother.
He also had four daughters, Henry VII. Maria Tudor was married to the King of France Louis XII, Elizabeth was extradited to the King of Scotland, Jacob IV, and pursued a pro-English policy until the death of her father. They played a significant role in the formation of England. Brothers and sisters clashed a lot and after the death of his father almost destroyed the fragile world built by Heinrich Tudor.
Chapel of Henry VII at Westminster Abbey
The monarch thought about death early and in 1503 he began construction, which now causes awe among the inhabitants of London and admiration among tourists.
The Chapel of Henry VII is located in Westminster Abbey. In itself, it is a restructuring of the chapel of Henry III. Crazy money was allocated for perestroika! But the result justified the means.
The Chapel of Henry VII is an example of the highest manifestation of late English Gothic. The building looks light, elegant and spacious. The chapel glows from the inside thanks to the use of terracotta and white marble. The openwork of the structure gives it heavenly calm and airiness. The abundance of arches, as well as the world-famous arches with terracotta pendants, made it one of the most rented buildings.
In the chapel there is the so-called corner of poets. Among those buried there are Handel and Dickens, Oscar Wilde and Uliam Blake.
Death and repose
King Henry VII Tudor passed away 10 years before the completion of the restructuring of the chapel. It happened in 1509, death came from tuberculosis, which tormented the monarch for several years.
It is in this masterpiece of architecture that the king himself and the family of Henry VII are buried. His wife, children, distant heirs, and even rival queens, Elizabeth Tudor and Maria Stuart the Bloody, found their last refuge in these walls. Their tombs are decorated with subtle sculptures of the hands of Pietro Torrigiano.
Meaning in history
The personality of Heinrich is ambiguous and that is why it excites the minds of historians. Being decisive, he was known as cruel, but was recognized as an excellent politician, reformer and economist. The personality of the first of the Tudors mixed together selfishness and devotion to the country, cruelty and flexibility.
This was Henry VII - the great king of England, who laid the foundation for one of the most influential dynasties of all time.