Foreign Policy

• Henry's foreign policy aims


  • National security
  • Recognition of the Tudor dynasty
  • Defence of English trading interests
• Brittany and France


  Following an invasion in 1487 it looked as if the French would gain complete control of Brittany
• Henry's actions regarding Brittany


  1. In 1489 he summoned parliament to grant him extraordinary revenue to raise an army against the French

  2. Reasons: his sense of obligation to the Bretons, his fear that direct French control of Brittany could increase potential French threat to England
• Treaty of Redon


  England and Brittany agreed that the Duchess Anne would pay for a small English army to defend Brittany from French threat. The English army went to Brittany but Anne surrendered and married Charles VIII, leaving the army stranded and meaning Maximillian lost interest. Situation became worse by Warbeck seeking French backing for his claim to English throne.
• Henry's responseto Anne surrendering


  1. He launched an invasion of France in 1492

  2. The French quickly sought a peace settlement

  3. Treaty of Etaples, Charles VIII agreed to withdraw support for Warbeck
• Scotland


  • The only country with which England shared a border, where cross-border lawlessness was the way of life
  • Often worked closely with France as part of the 'auld alliance', which was explicitly anti-English
• Spain


  • The marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella in 1469 helped to bring the 2 kingdoms together
  • The death of Isabella in 1504 weakened that perception
  • The next few years saw Ferdinand involved with conflict to reassert his control over Castile which impacted Henry VII's foreign policy
• France


  • The most powerful European country, seeking to bring duchies like Brittany and Burgundy more directly under control of the French Crown
  • France and England shared a long-standing hostility which included the Hundred Years War, 1337-1453
• Holy Roman Empire


  • Loose federation of about 300 states, mostly situated in what is now Germany
  • The emperor was elected and Maximillian I was elected in 1486 and became emperor in 1493
• Burgundy, Netherlands and the Holy Roman Empire


  • Most of England's exports went through the ports of the Netherlands, such as Antwerp and Bruges, which came under Burgundy's rule
  • The presence of Margaret, the widowed Duchess of Burgundy and sister of Edward IV and Richard III, complicated matters
  • She enlisted help of stepson Maximilian who passed rule in Netherlands to Philip.
  • Relations with England and Burgundy deteriorated as Maximilian and Philip offered support to Warbeck.
• Henry's actions regarding Burgundy

  1. He gambled and put an embargo on English trade with Burgundy

  2. Relations didn't improve until Warbeck left Burgundy and Henry & Philip were able to agree to the Intercursus Magnus in 1496 which brought the end to the trade embargo

  3.Philip and Maximillian agreed to hand over their Yorkist fugitive, the Earl of Suffolk, whom Henry imprisoned in the tower
• Intercursus Malus


  A trade deal which would've given a much stronger trading position to English merchants in the Netherlands if the deal was enforced
• Treaty of Medina del Campo 1489


  The 2 monarchies offered mutual protection, agreed not to harbour rebels or pretenders, and arranged a marriage alliance between Arthur, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Aragon. The marriage took place in 1501 but Arthur died in 1502.
• Complicated relations with Ferdinand

  1. Ferdinand was reluctant to agree to a marriage between Prince Henry and Catherine

  2. In 1504, Henry lost enthusiasm for the marriage, when the death of Isabella made Ferdinand a less significant political figure

  3. The Treaty of Windsor (1506) secured a stronger relationship with Joana & Philip
• Treaty of Windsor


  Henry agreed to recognise Joana and Philip as rulers of Castile and Henry will marry Margaret of Savoy, Philip's sister, to strengthen his rule. But this marriage never happened.

  Philip's death soon after their arrival in Spain foiled the treaty and it left Ferdinand with the opportunity to become regent of Castile, isolating Henry
• Anglo-Scottish relations


  1. 1485-95 were relatively cordial

  2. 1495-96 a turning point as 1495 King James IV offered hospitality to Perkin Warbeck, who received a pension from the king and an aristocratic marriage to king's cousin.

  3. 1598-1503 relations significantly improved as James no longer had any diplomatic use of Warbeck and it was agreed that James would marry Henry's daughter princess Margaret.
• Ireland


  • Henry's power only extended as far as the 'Pale', the area of land which surrounded Dublin
  • The dominant figure was the Earl of Kildare, Lord Deputy of Ireland since 1477, who had Yorkist sympathies and Kildare supported Simnel and Warbeck.
• Henry's actions regarding Ireland


  1. He attempted a more costly approach of rule of the 'Pale' through an Englishman, backed by armed forces

  2. He appointed his son Prince Henry as Lieutenant of Ireland and appointed Sir Edward Poynings as his deputy

  3. Poynings was successful in requiring the Irish parliament to pass the 'Poynings Law' in 1495

  4. By 1500 Henry eventually secured some level of peace with Ireland
• Royal marriage alliances, foreign policy and the succession


  • Marriage alliances were an essential part of international diplomacy, used to enhance power and influence
  • Henry planned to maintain an alliance with Spain by securing the marriage between Catherine of Aragon and his oldest son, Arthur, and then his youngest son Prince Henry
  • Henry arranged for his daughter Margaret to be married to James IV of Scotland to strengthen relations and weaken Warbeck's threat
  • Henry's youngest daughter Mary would marry the much older Louis XII, King of France during his reign to secure peace relations