Henry VII consolidation of power

Question 1

How did Henry VI lose his throne in 1461?

Answer 1

He was overthrown by Edward IV

Question 2

How did Edward IV lose his throne in 1470?

Answer 2

Warwick forced him into exile

Question 3

How did Henry VI lose his throne in 1471?

Answer 3

Henry and his son and heir Edward were killed at the battle of Tewkesbury

Question 4

How did Edward IV lose his throne in 1483?

Answer 4

He died suddenly leaving his 13 year old son, Edward as king

Question 5

How did Edward V lose his throne in 1483?

Answer 5

His uncle, Richard placed him and his brother, Richard in the tower of London for their safety but they both disappeared

Question 6

How did Richard III lose his throne in 1485?

Answer 6

Henry Tudor defeated him at Bosworth field

Question 7

Why was Henry VII’s throne weak?

Answer 7

• Many people still supported Yorkists and heirs still remained
• His only claim to the throne was through his mother Margaret Beaufort, who was illegitimately descended from Edward III’s son John of Gaunt and his paternal grandmother was Catherine of Valois, Henry V’s wife
• The country was at the backfoot of 150 years of war
• The last 4 monarchs met untimely deaths

Question 8

What is Thomas Penn’s opinion about Henry VII’s ability to rule?

Answer 8

Henry’s ability to think like a fugitive proved to be useful political training for his future as ruler

Question 9

Who proclaimed Henry as king?

Answer 9

Lord Stanley

Question 10

What were the long - term challenges for Henry VII?

Answer 10

• lack of support for him
• political instability
• lots of enemies
• ruiling a weaker economic and political country
• there wasn’t an official end to the war of the roses
• potential claimants would weaken his consolidation of power

Question 11

When and why did Henry live in France and Brittany?

Answer 11

• When he was 14 in 1471
• The battle of Tewkesbury left no Lancastrian heirs to the throne so Henry’s life was in danger

Question 12

How did Henry consolidate his throne?

Answer 12

• He dated his reign from the 21st of August, the day before Bosworth so people who fought on the Yorkist side can be seen as traitors
• He rewarded many of his key supporters for example, he gave 11 of them knighthoods
• He put the earl of Warwick in the tower of London as he had a stronger claim than Henry
• He made key appointments to his council and household including Sir Reginald Bray as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Sir William Stanley as Chamberlain of the household
• His coronation was on the 30th of October and his first parliament meeting was the 7th of November to show it was his hereditary right to rule
• On the 24th of September1485, Henry allowed Richard III’s supporters in the northern lands to be pardoned if they want to
• The acts of attainder was passsed which allowed Yorkist land toi be forfitted to the crown increasing royal income
  Henry was also granted custom revenuesof tonnage and poundage for life
• On the 18th of January 1486, Henry married Elizabeth of York to unite the warring families
• In September 1486, Arthur was born helping to secure the dynasty

Question 13

When did Henry ride into London?

Answer 13

3rd of September 1485

Question 14

What was the viscount Lovell and Stafford rebellion of 1486?

Answer 14

Whilst Henry was touring Yorkshire and Lincolnshire at Easter, Francis Lovell raised support for a rebellion in North Yorkshire. At the same time, Humphrey Stafford raised support in the Midlands. Henry raised an army to put down the rebellion. Lovell escaped whilst Humphrey and his brother, Thomas were caught in sanctuary. This raised questions about their punishment as sanctuary shouldn’t be violated. Humphrey was executed but Thomas was pardoned.

Question 15

Why was the earl of Warwick in the tower of London and when was he executed?

Answer 15

• He was Edward IV’s nephew and as a potential claimant, he posed a threat to Henry’s consolidation of power
• With Warbeck, he was accused of trying to escape the tower of London so he was executed in 1499

Question 16

Who sent the mercenaries to Stokefield?

Answer 16

Margaret of Burgundy

Question 17

How did Henry plan for the Battle of Stokefield?

Answer 17

• He reinstated the earl of Northumbria in order to neutralise Richard III’s old power base
• He reinforced coastal defenses in East Anglia

Question 18

What happened at the battle of Stokefield?

Answer 18

On the 16th of June 1487, Henry’s army of former Yorkist and close relatives and allies met Simnel and the Earl of Lincoln’s army. The earl of Oxford led the army and they managed to kill the Earl of Lincoln. This meant that the mercenaries couldn’t land. Many historians see the battle as the end of the war of the roses.

Question 19

Where did Lord Lovell go and who joined him after the earl of Warwick was imprisoned?

Answer 19

Margaret of Burgundy’s court and the earl of Lincoln

Question 20

Who was Lambert Simnel?

Answer 20

He first pretended to be Richard of Shrewsbury but Simnel then changed to the Earl of Warwick who was still alive. On the 24th of May 1487, the earl of Kildare made him King or Ireland except in Waterford who rejected him. At the battle of Stokefield, he was captured and he became a servant at Henry VII’s court

Question 21

What happened to Perkin Warbeck?

Answer 21

• He was born in Tournai in the Netherlands in 1475
• In 1490, his boss sent him to Ireland to impersonate Richard of Shrewsbury but many of the lords didn’t support him and Henry sent an army
• He fled to Charles VIII’s court who made him a prince. But the treaty of Etaples forced him to move to Margaret of Burgundy’s court and he was trained as a prince
• A trade ban was place over Burgundy so he went to Holy Roman emperor, Maximillian’s court and Maximillian was made Warbeck’s heir
• He then tried to attack Waterford in an all day siege but Sir Edward Poynings stopped him
• Warbeck fled to James IV’s court and he married James’ cousin Lady Catherine Gordon
• In 1496, Scottish troops tried to invade England for him
• In 1497, a rebellion rose in Cornwall but on the 7th of September, Warbeck arrived in Cornwall to support the rebels but he went into sanctuary at Beaulieu monastery, the new lord chamberlain, Giles Lord Daubeney, persuaded Warbeck to give himself in
• He and the earl of Warwick were caught trying to escape the tower of London so he was executed in 1499

Question 22

Why was Stanley executed?

Answer 22

He was accused By Robert Clifford of being supportive of Warbeck

Question 23

How were the de la poles heirs to the throne?

Answer 23

They were nephews of Edward IV

Question 24

How did Edmund de la pole pose a threat to Henry?

Answer 24

• He fled to Flanders in 1498
• He then fled to Maximillian’s court in 1501 which made him safe from harm as Margaret of Burgundy was against Henry VII
• During the treaty of Windsor in 1506, Maximillian had to give up Edmund
• He was then imprisoned in the tower of London until his execution in1513

Question 25

How did Richard de la pole pose a threat to Henry?

Answer 25

• He grew up in Louis XII’s court where he gained support
• Louis did support him during invasion but there was a peace treaty signed
• In 1525, there was a second invasion, but he was killed in the battle of Pavia fighting for the French