Foreign relations

• Foreign policy plans were straight forward. Had no plans to assert English power in Europe but more concerned of maintaining good relations and defence:

  • national security
  • recognition of the Tudor dynasty
  • expand trade
• • 1487 - French Invasion of Brittany
  • 1488 Anglo French truce
  • 1489 Treaty of Redon with Brittany + Medina del Campo with Spain
  • 1492 England invades France + Treaty of Etaples
  • 1496 Magnus Intercursus + Scotland invade England
  • 1497 - Treaty of Ayton
  • 1501 - Marriage of Arthur and Catherine
  • 1502 - Arthurs death
  • 1503 - Marriage of Margaret and James IV
  • 1504 - Death of Isabella of Castile
  • 1506 - Malus Intercursus and death of Philip of Burgundy
• France: determined to unsettle English monarchy

  1489 - Treaty of Redon witg Henry and Brittany. H7 sent 6000 troops in return for Anne promising not to marry Charles VIII of France.

  1491 Anne marries Charles

  1492 - H7 invaded France, but Charles more concerned with Italian wars and so agreed Treaty of Etaples - pension of 159,000 paid 5000 annually. Charles also agreed to withdraw support for Warbeck
• Burgundy:

  • Margaret hated H7 and supported to pretenders to the throne. 1487 welcomed Simnel to her court and supplied 3000 Germany mercenaries. Also sheltered Warbeck, leading to H7 placing a trade embargo 1493
  • Resolved 1496 with Intercurus Magnus ensuring withdrawal of support for Warbeck and free trade throughout Burgundy
• Holy Roman Empire:

  • 1506 Phillip shipwrecked and effectively H7's prisoner
  • Intercurus Malus signed with huge benefits to English so treaty was never enforced. It did see the return of Edmund de La Pole
  • Following death of Elizabeth 1503 Henry considered marriage to a number of princesses with links to HRE , Joanne of Castile , all proposals proved unsuccessful
• Spain:

  • 1489 Treaty of Medina Del Campo - marriage alliance between Arthur and Catherine of Aragon, formalised a common foreign policy aim against France and reduced trade tariffs
  • thrown into crisis when Arthur died in 1502
  • When Ferdinand took control left H7 in a very vunerable position, luckily most major powers distracted by Italian wars
• Scotland:

  • James IV encouraged Warbeck to invade England in 1496. Henry outraged and raised an army and 125,000 £ through taxation. Yet this triggered the Cornish rebellion
  • 1497 signed treaty of Ayton which led to Warbecks capturing
  • 1502 Treaty of Perpetual Peace ensured peace along the boarder. Formalised by the marriage of Margaret to James
• Trade: cloth made up 90 % of exports

  • H7 earning around 40,000 per year and dropped even more in first 2 years as was distracted by security concerns
  • 1485 Navigations act limited trade on non-English ships
  • 1489 banned trade of unfinished cloth. Provided more profits and employment
  • by 1509 60 % more finished cloth was exported
  • H7 tried to diversify trade ensuring all treaties he signed involved trade clauses
  • funded John Cabot who discovered Newfoundland 1497
  • attempted to access Italy by Treaty with Florence 1490 but Itlaian wars dominated Italy
• Castilian Succession Crisis:

  • Isabella of Castile died - her territory contested between her Husband Ferdinand and her son in law Phillip
  • Philip sailed to attack Ferdinand but was shipwrecked in England and Henry forced him to sign Intercursus Malus 1506, returning Suffolk and setting out good trade terms for the English
  • Angered Ferdinand and he refused to allow the marriage of Henry viii to Catherine of Aragon until H7's death
• Trade Expansion:

  • Intercrusus Magnus - free trade in Netherlands which significantly boosted cloth exports
  • Intercurus Malus - extremely favourable terms to English Merchants - but short lived
  • Medina del Campo - expanded access to Spains growing markets
  • Treaty with Florence - increased access to lucrative Italian markets
  • 1490s Trading privileges with Hanseatic League - luxury goods
  • John Cabot was sponsored - showing Henrys interest - but not profitable
• • Treaty of Medina del Campo (1489): marriage of Prince Arthur to Catherine of Aragon - international recognition.
  • Treaty of Étaples (1492): Charles VIII agreed to expel Warbeck -reduced Yorkist threats abroad.
  • Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502): Alliance with Scotland through Princess Margaret's marriage to James IV,
  • European powers accepted Henry as rightful king, making foreign support for pretenders (e.g. Warbeck, Simnel) harder to justify.
  • Trade agreements (like Intercursus Magnus, 1496) with Burgundy ended support for Warbeck and strengthened economic/political ties.
  • Henry’s diplomatic marriages and treaties isolated pretenders, gained recognition of his dynasty, and laid a stable foundation for Tudor succession. Cautious, calculated diplomacy helped prevent foreign intervention in England's dynastic politics.
• Further evidence of failure in final years:

  • failed marriage alliances: Death of Elizabeth 1503 meant potential marriage plans but all collapsed like Joanaa of Castille 1506
  • Ferdinand stalled Catherine and Arthur marriage
  • Left out of League of Cambrai 1508. Isolation from France Spain and HRE
  • Consequence:
  • Undermined earlier successes; foreign policy ended with uncertainty and reduced prestige.