Henry VII aims

 DID HENRY VII MEET HIS AIMS?

To unite the houses of York and Lancaster

-  Henry married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward VI in January 1486. This symbolised a union between the houses of Lancaster and York and an end to the War of the Roses. Henry created the Tudor Rose as a propoganda symbol. It is a combination of the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York.

To remain King

- The Lovell Rebellion                                                                                                         The first rising against Henry occured in Easter 1486 and was led by Francis, Viscount Lovell (who had prospered as a key supporter of Richard III) and Humphrey Stafford. Lovell tried to raise a rebellion in Richard's heartland of support; the North Riding of Yorkshire, whilst Stafford tried to raise forces against Henry drawing upon another area of Yorkist support in the Midlands. Lovell escaped capture but Humphrey Stafford was captured and executed though his younger brother and accomplice, Thomas, was pardoned.

- Lambert Simnel (1486-87) and the Battle of Stoke Field                                   Leading Yorkists realised they needed to change their strategy. First they needed a figurehead to claim to be a Yorkist prince, and secondly they needed the financial support to generate significant military threat to Henry. Their figurehead was Lambert Simnel (who was just a boy). Simnel was being passed off as the Earl of Warwick (who was imprisoned by Henry and crowned as King Edward in Ireland in May 1487). The conspiracy was put together by John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln. Henry had the real Earl of Warwick exhibited and Lincoln fled to Margaret Burgundy's court in the Netherlands (where Lord Lovell currently was) and persuaded her to support Lamnel's claims and pay for a force of mercenaries to invade England).

Rebels landed on the northwest coast of England in Cumberland and crossed the Pennies in order to drum up support in Richard III's old heartland in the North Riding of Yorkshire. Henry had lots of notice of a rebellious conspiracy. Given that Richard's main power base was in the North of England he reinstated the Earl of Northumberland, who led a major portion of Richard's army in the Battle of Bosworth, to neutralise his old power base and ensure the Yorkist Howard family's support. Henry gathered a group of advisors (including former Yorkists). The two armies met at East Stoke. The Earl of Lincoln was killed in battle. Henry's victory at the Battle of Stoke Field brought an end to the Wars of the Roses.

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