Overview Battles Biographies Genealogies Map Timeline

Overview:

Years ruled: 1485 - 1509 Son of: Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond and Margaret Beaufort Married to: Elizabeth of York (1486) Children: Henry VIII

Biography:

Henry VII, crowned king in 1485, was the first ruler from the Tudor line. During the later part of the Wars of the Roses (1471 - 1485), Henry lived in Northwest France in the Duchy of Brittany. After the deaths of Henry VI and his son Edward, Henry through his mother's ancestry became the head of the House of Lancaster. The acts of Richard III brought Henry closer to the throne during the turbulent period from 1483 - 1485. In August 1485 Henry landed in Pembrokeshire and marched north. He defeated the Yorkist army at the battle of Bosworth where Richard III was killed. Later that year he was crowned king. Henry married Elizabeth of York in 1486 to strengthen his claim to the throne and to try to unite the rival houses. He defeated several more Yorkist attempts to recapture the throne most notably at Stoke in 1487 and Blackheath in 1497. Henry built the magnificent Richmond Place and rebuilt the Chapel in Westminster Abbey. He died in April 1509 at the age of 52.

Principal Battles:	Stoke (1487 )

About | Contact