Challenging the Succession, 1485-99 Flashcards
What was Henry VII’s claim to the throne?
- Tenuous claim.
- Based on descent from Edward III via illegitimate line.
- Mother: Margaret, last of the Beauforts
- Beaufort family: descendants of the third son of Edward III, John of Gaunt.
What else was contentious about Henry VII’s claim to the throne?
- Transmitted to him through a woman.
- Medieval period: women could not rule but could pass on a claim to their sons
- This claim would not be as strong as one that had come through a man.
Names of Henry’s rival claimants?
John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln
Edward Plantagenet, Earl of Warwick
Edward IV’s children = Edward + Richard (Princes in the Tower)
What was John de la Pole’s claim to the throne?
- Earl of Lincoln.
- Leading Yorkist claimant.
- Nephew of Edward IV + Richard III
- During Richard’s reign was heir presumptive.
- Potential figurehead of Yorkist rising
- Rapidly became focus of opposition to Henry in first 2 years of reign.
What was a heir presumptive?
- Most likely to be next monarch
- Can be displaced in line of succession by the birth of a child to current ruler.
- John de la Pole was heir presumptive because Richard III had no surviving children.
What was Edward Plantagenet’s claim to the throne?
- Earl of Warwick.
- Nephew of Edward IV + Richard III.
What happened to Edward Plantagenet?
1485: only 10 years old - youth made it easy for Henry VII to control him.
- Placed in the Tower, where he spent the rest of his life.
What happened to Edward IV’s children: Edward + Richard?
- Known as the Princes in the Tower.
- 1483: They disappeared at the start of Richard IIIs reign
- Probable that they were dead.
What happened at the Battle of Bosworth?
August 1485: Henry Tudor defeated Richard III and won the throne
- Now Henry VII
Why did Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth?
- Had smaller force of about 5000 men
- Richard had twice this
- Henry won due to miscalculation + actions of some of Richard’s leading nobility.
Which leading nobility aided Henry’s win of the Battle of Bosworth?
- The Stanley’s = loyalties were split as Thomas Stanley (Lord Stanley) married Henry’s widowed mother.
- Chose to watch the battle before from the sidelines
- Sir William (Thomas Stanley’s brother) later committed his troops in support of Henry.
- Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland = brought troops to the battle but didn’t fight at all.
How did Richard’s actions help Henry win the Battle of Bosworth?
- Richard saw the opportunity to finish the battle by killing Henry
- However became separated from majority of his troops.
- Then Sir William Stanley chose to intervene
- He directed his troops to attack Richard and possibly saved Henry’s life.
What was the significance of the nobility betraying Richard?
- Powerful nobility (Stanleys + Northumberland) betrayed their king and acted in own best interests.
- Previously had King’s trust
- Could easily do the same to Henry, a ruler with a very weak claim to throne.
Example of other Yorkists who had turned against Richard?
- The Woodville family: turned against Richard when he usurped the throne from nephews.
- Supported Henry as a method to get rid of Richard, no guarantee that they would keep supporting him.
What idea did Henry need to reinforce after Bosworth?
That God wanted him to be King
What measures did Henry use to secure his claim to the throne?
- He was crowned
- Summoned his first parliament
- Used parliament to date his reign the day before Bosworth
- Cancelled the Titulus Regius
- Married Elizabeth of York
- Rewarded his supporters
- Dealt with the men who actively supported Richard III
- Went on a progress
- Attempted to make the Crown’s finances more secure through an Act of Resumption
What was the significance of crowning Henry VII?
- Process of crowning a monarch involved coronation oath where monarch swore to protect his realm + uphold its laws.
- Coronation: the moment at which they were considered to have been chosen + anointed by God.
- Important step for Henry in reasserting his God-given right to be King.
