THE FOUNDING OF A ROYAL HOUSE
The Lancastrian King in 1505 |
The Yorkist Queen |
Henry VII 
Elizabeth The War of the Roses ended when Henry Tudor of the House of Lancaster (Red Rose) married Elizabeth of York (White Rose), eldest daughter to Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV and sister to the little princes (Edward V and Richard, Duke of York), who were rumored to have been killed in the Tower by their uncle Richard of Gloucester (aka Richard III). With their union, the House of Tudor was established; the Tudors would reign for 118 years.
Henry's claim to the throne was descended illegitimately through his mother, Margaret Beaufort. The link traces back to Edward III's son, John of Gaunt, and his mistress Katherine Swynford (whom he later married). Henry VII's illegitimate claim was strengthened by his victory on Bosworth field against Richard III and by his marriage to Elizabeth, Edward IV's legitimate heir (given the death of her brothers).
As a result of his tenuous grip on the crown, pretenders emerged to challenge his rule. The first pretender was a simpleton named Lambert Simnel. He posed as the Earl of Warwick but was easily defeated. Rather than execute him, Henry instead engaged him to work in his household kitchens. The second pretender was Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be Richard of York, one of the princes last seen in the tower. His fate on defeat was execution. These insurrections highlighted the extent to which the Tudor dynasty was unstable. Henry was resolved to ensure the Tudor dynasty's continuation by providing legitimate male heirs and by allying his daughters to foreign powers. Fortunately, although his first son, Arthur, died young, his second son, Henry, grew to robust adulthood. His daughters, Margaret and Mary, were duly married off to the kings of Scotland and France, respectively.
As king, Henry established an effective and fiscally responsible government. Without the tumult that accompanied the Wars of the Roses, the country was able to establish trade with their European neighbors and prosper. As a result, historian Polydore Vergil described him as follows:
His spirit was distinguished, wise and prudent; his mind was brave and resolute and never, even at moments of the greatest danger, deserted him. He had a most pertinacious memory. Withal he was not devoid of scholarship. In government he was shrewd and prudent, so that no one dared to get the better of him through deceit or guile. He was gracious and kind and was as attentive to his visitors as he was easy of access. His hospitality was splendidly generous; he was fond of having foreigners at his court and he freely conferred favours of them. But those of his subjects who were indebted to him and who did not pay him due honour or who were generous only with promises, he treated with harsh severity. He well knew how to maintain his royal majesty and all which appertains to kingship at every time and in every place.
Henry VII's Signature
THE TUDOR FAMILY TREES
