Foreign Policy

• France and England had fought each other in the Hundred Years War up until 1453 so relationships were strained at best.
• In 1487, France invaded Brittany, which Henry still had some loyalty to.
• The treaty of Redon between England and Brittany agreed that Duchess Anne would pay for a small English army to defend against the French.
• Anne surrendered before the English arrived and married Charles VIII
• The Treaty of Etaples in 1492 between France and England was signed and a pension was given to England as compensation as well as France withdrawing support from Warbeck.
• Burgundy, the Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire were very closely related through family connections.
• England had issued with Burgundy and trade due to the Yorkist Dowager Duchess Margaret, who alongside Emperor Maximillian I and his son Philip openly supported Warbeck.
• England imposed a trade embargo on Burgundy in retaliation which lasted until the Intercursus Magnus in 1496.
• Following the Treaty of Windsor and the death of Queen Isabella of Castile, Henry took advantage of Philips weakness and made him sign the Intercursus Malus, which never came to full effect.
• In 1489, Henry signed the Treaty of Medina del Campo with Spain, agreeing on the marriage between Catherine and Arthur as well as an agreement of mutual protection and a promise not to harbour rebels.
• In 1502, Arthur died and Ferdinand was reluctant to let Catherine marry Henry VIII because he wasn't keen on an English alliance anymore and the necessary papal dispensation would be expensive.
• In 1506 Philip and Juana shipwrecked in England and Henry took advantage of them, making Philip sign the Treaty of Windsor. This promised the return of Suffolk to England, made Henry recognise Philip and Juana as rulers of Calais and proposed a marriage between Henry VII and Philips sister.
• Philip died soon after the Treaty of Windsor, Juana was declared mad and Ferdinand was very unhappy with Henry, refusing to allow the marriage between their children until Henry VII died in 1509.
• In 1495 James IV of Scotland supported Warbeck with pension and Aristocratic marriage and encouraged him to cross the border.
• Henry retaliated with the invasion of Scotland in 1496, raising taxes for funding.
• In 1497, the Cornish rebellion began as a result to taxes being raised and a truce was made. The Treaty of Perpetual Peace was quickly signed in 1502 as neither the Scottish nor the English could afford a continuation.
• The Treaty of Perpetual peace resulted in the marriage between James IV and Margaret.
• English control over Ireland extended only to the Pale (an area around Dublin)
• The Earl of Kildare had been Lord Deputy of Ireland since 1477 but supported Warbeck and Simnel.
• Henry VII made his son lieutenant of Ireland and made Poynings his deputy
• In 1495 Poynings law was forced through Irish parlement which stated that all decisions had to go through the English Crown first. He also tried to implement English law but before he could do so, Henry grew tired of the expenses. Kildare was relied on again, staying loyal until Henry's death.