TUDORS CONSOLIDATION: HENRY VII

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CONSOLIDATION - HENRY VII

1. WAS HENRY SECURE?

Henry's power was insecure, with a weak claim to the throne and his enemies were very keen to see him experience the same fate as Richard III. Due to this it was essential for him to consolidate his power by establishing his dynasty and ensuring that nay rivials to the throne were dealt with strongly.

2. HOW STRONG WAS HENRY'S CLAIM TO THE THRONE? 

Weak claim through his mother Lady Margaret Beaufort (his mother)  as she was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, fourth son of Edward IIIThus Henry's claim was somewhat tenuous: it was from a woman, and by illegitimate descent. 

3. WAS HENRY WELL BY THE PUBLIC?

1485, Henry went to London to meet with the Lord Mayor of London, the London crowd was celebrating - cheering the new monarch as Richard had become such an object of suspicion because of the disapperance of the princes in the Tower, as well as other crimes. It literally didn't matter who Henry was the people were just happy It was no longer Richard III. 

4. HENRY'S MAIN PURPOSE WAS TO MAKE SURE HE KEPT HIS THRONE AS FOUR MONARCHS FROM THE PAST HUNDRED YEARS HAD MET UNTIMLEY DEATHS HOW DID HE CONSOLIDATE HIS THRONE? 

  • He dated his reign the day before the Battle of Bosworth (21nd of August 1485) to get rid of anybody who supported and defended Richard III. 
  • Publicly rewarded those who stood by him knighting them/ awarding them with the Order of the Gartor which was more of an honorary title, didn't give you land through. (avioding an arising fraction in court) 
  • Arranged for his supporters to capture Elizabeth of York and Edward IV's nephew as they could be seen as having a large claim to the throne than him. 
  • Had his coronation before his first parliamnet (30th of October) to show that his right to the throne was based on hereditary right rather than when Parliamnet allowed it. 
  • The parlimentary Acts of Attainder against Yorkist who fought for Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth made sure that their land was forefitted to the Crown which increased royal income and granted Henry VII the customs revenues of tonnage and poundage for life. 
  • Henry married Elizabeth of York daughter of Edward IV in 1486 after he started consolidation to show that his marriage didn't make his claim to the throne legitminate. He also used it for propaganda purposes unifying the two houses of York and Lancaster creating the Tudor Rose (joining the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York). 
  • A VITAL STEP OF SECURING THE THRONE WAS HAVING AN HEIR - ARTHUR TUDOR WAS BORN ON SEPTEMBER 1489.  

5. WHAT WERE THE THREATS TO HENRY'S REIGN?

  • Yorkist weren't satisfied with his marriage to Elizabeth and called him usurper 
  • Potential Yorkist claimants to the throne like the Earls of Warwick and Lincoln, Edward IV's nephews. 
  • The pretenders who

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