Restore and develop power of the monarchy

• Restoring/developing the powers of the monarchy

  Key question being examined
• Henry VII is a really important king who did some incredible things in a very difficult situation
• Henry VII created a wonderful position for the crown, which Henry VIII largely blew when it came to finances but developed in terms of the actual power of the monarchy in different ways
• Situation in 1485


  • Crown was in a really weak position, drained of finances due to the War of the Roses
  • Country was divided between the House of Lancaster and the House of York
  • Nobility had become very powerful and difficult to control
• Henry VII


  • A relative unknown who had lived most of his life in exile
  • Had a very weak blood claim to the throne, so his rule was not necessarily going to be accepted
• Henry VII's actions after becoming king

  1. Declared anyone who fought against him as traitors and demanded they owe him money

  2. Won the throne at the Battle of Bosworth

  3. Was officially coronated before marrying Elizabeth or meeting with Parliament

  4. Resumed control of Crown lands that had been lost during the War of the Roses

  5. Sent trusted allies to control Wales, Ireland, and the North

  6. Married Elizabeth of York to unite the houses of Lancaster and York

  7. Began royal progresses to show himself and his wife to the population

  8. Had a son, Prince Arthur, securing the succession
• Tudor Rose


  Propaganda combining the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster, symbolising the unification of the two houses
• Henry VII was ruthless in consolidating his power, reducing the number of noble families from 62 to 42 through acts of attainder
• Henry VII's methods of controlling the nobility

  1. Limiting patronage and rewarding loyalty and service rather than noble status

  2. Passing laws against retaining, fining and bankrupting nobles who maintained their own armies

  3. Sending powerful nobles to areas where they had no power base

  4. Controlling feudal rights and marriage licenses, generating revenue from wardships
• Justices of the Peace (JPs)

  • Henry VII increased their power, often appointing lower gentry rather than high nobility
  • JPs were responsible for arresting poachers and hunters, and serving on juries
• Henry VII was brilliant with finances, increasing royal revenue significantly during his reign
• Nursery rhyme: '"The king is in his Counting House, counting out his money, The queen is in the parlor, eating bread and honey"'
• If you are suspected of doing something wrong, you may have to pay a bond or recognizance, which is another way for the authorities to take money from people if they are seen as disloyal
• The group that Henry VII seemed to trust the most were the JPs (Justices of the Peace), and he increased their power, such as by arresting poachers and hunters
• The people who were often appointed to these JP roles were from the gentry, rather than the high nobility, and this highlighted the importance of loyalty and service, which would be rewarded with more power
• Henry VII was very skilled with finances, and greatly increased the crown's annual income from 29,000 to 42,000 between 1485 and 1509
• Henry VII raised money through feudal dues, customs duties, profits of justice, bonds and recognizances, taxes from Parliament, clerical taxes, and a French pension
• Henry VII had to deal with several rebellions during his reign, including the Lovell Rebellion, the Lambert Simnel Rebellion, the Yorkshire Rebellion, and the Cornish Rebellion, all of which he was able to suppress
• Henry VII also had to deal with the long-running Perkin Warbeck Rebellion, which involved Warbeck gaining support from various foreign powers, but Henry was able to negotiate treaties to have Warbeck expelled from these places
• Henry VII was successful in consolidating his power and securing the Tudor dynasty by having a clear line of succession, with his son Arthur and then Henry VIII as the heir
• Henry VII also strengthened the legitimacy of the Tudor dynasty through strategic marriages, such as the marriage of Arthur and Catherine of Aragon, and the marriage of Margaret Tudor to James IV of Scotland