Henry VII Part 1.

HENRY VII: Part 1

Before we talk about Henry VII, I want to explain to you a little about the world in which he was born. England was in the grip of a civil war called the War of the Roses. England was in chaos, and was an extremely dangerous place politically, power struggles and war was commonplace.

The Wars of the Roses: A Struggle for the English Crown

The Wars of the Roses was a civil wars fought in England between 1455 and 1487. The conflict arose from a power struggle between two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the red rose, and the House of York, represented by the white rose. The wars began when discontent with the weak rule of King Henry VI (a Lancastrian) allowed Richard, Duke of York, to challenge his authority. Over the next three decades, both houses fought for control of the English throne, leading to shifting alliances, multiple battles, and several changes of monarch. Key battles included Towton in 1461, where Edward IV of York claimed the throne, and Barnet and Tewkesbury in 1471, which crushed Lancastrian hopes. However, Yorkist rule weakened after Edward's death, especially under the controversial reign of Richard III. The conflict ended in 1487 when Henry Tudor, a Lancastrian with a distant claim, became king and married Elizabeth of York, uniting the warring factions. Their marriage symbolically ended the feud and began the Tudor dynasty. The Wars of the Roses were marked by bloodshed, betrayal, and dynastic rivalry, reshaping the English monarchy and paving the way for a more centralized, stable rule compared to what had been.

Now lets talk about the early part of Henry Tudors life...

The Early Life of Henry VII: A Journey Shaped by Conflict and Exile

Henry VII

Henry VII was born on January the 28th 1457, at Pembroke Castle in Wales during the height of the Wars of the Roses. From the moment of his birth, Henry’s life was entwined with political instability and danger.

His father, Edmund Tudor, was the half-brother of the Lancastrian King Henry VI. A nobleman of Welsh descent, Edmund was captured by Yorkist forces in South Wales and died in captivity, only months before Henry was born. This left Henry’s mother, a young noblewoman named Margaret Beaufort, widowed and alone. Though she descended from royal blood, her family's claim to the throne was not without controversy, and her influence at this stage of Henry’s life was limited by her youth. Following Edmund’s death, Henry was placed under the protection of his uncle, Jasper Tudor, a loyal Lancastrian and Earl of Pembroke. Jasper became a key figure in Henry’s early life, acting as his guardian and political shield in an era of constant power shifts. When Edward IV of the House of York took the throne in 1461, control of Pembroke Castle and young Henry passed to William Herbert, a Yorkist noble appointed by the new king. Henry was raised in the Herbert household for several years - safe, but in the care of the rival faction. This arrangement ended in 1469 when Herbert was executed after a political fallout. Jasper Tudor returned to escort Henry to the court during the brief restoration of the Lancastrian King Henry VI in 1470. But after Edward IV reclaimed power the following year, Henry was forced to flee once again, this time to Brittany, along with Jasper. Henry remained in exile for 14 years under the protection of Duke Francis II of Brittany and also in France. His childhood was as you can imagine far from stable, he was constantly moved in order to protect him from Yorkist supporters. He narrowly escaped attempts by English envoys to return him to Yorkist control. In one instance, he pretended to be ill to delay departure and ultimately found sanctuary in a monastery until the danger passed. With the deaths of key Lancastrian figures in battle or by execution, Henry gradually became the primary claimant to the Lancastrian cause. Though his claim was not the strongest by strict hereditary standards, he became a symbol of resistance and hope for those opposed to Yorkist rule. His Welsh heritage also became a powerful asset, Henry’s supporters drew on legend, claiming he was descended from Cadwaladr, the last ancient British king, and rallied behind his red dragon banner.

Henry's early life was defined by loss, exile, and survival. But these formative years shaped him into a cautious, politically savvy figure destined for a far greater role in England’s future.

I want to discuss more about Henrys parents Edmund Tudor and Margaret Beaufort, both Lancastrians and both had an strong influences on Henrys childhood even though Edmund had died before Henrys birth and Margaret only got to visit him rarely. The ties they had with him strongly shaped Henrys childhood. 

Edmund Tudor, Father of a Dynasty

Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, was the father of Henry VII and a key figure in the lead-up to the Tudor dynasty. The son of Owen Tudor and Catherine of Valois the widow of Henry V, Edmund was born around 1430. His parents married in secret, defying a statute that forbade marriage to a dowager queen without royal consent. He was raised initially by the Abbess of Barking and he later came under the care of his half-brother, King Henry VI, who ensured his education and legitimized both Edmund and his brother Jasper in 1452. Edmund was made Earl of Richmond and given the wardship of the wealthy heiress Margaret Beaufort. In 1455, he married Margaret, she was just 12 years old and he was 24, she soon became pregnant, but Edmund would not live to see the birth of their son.

On the 10th of August 1456, during the early stages of the Wars of the Roses, Edmund was captured by Yorkist forces and imprisoned at Carmarthen Castle in Wales. He died after contracting Bubonic plague on 1st November, just two months before Henry VII was born, though murder was suspected and a trial was held, no one was found to be guilty. He was originally buried at Grey Friars in Carmarthen but his remains were later moved by his grandson Henry VIII to St David’s Cathedral, where they rest today.

Brass rubbing of Edmond Tudor's tomb at St.David's Cathedral, Wales.

Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty

Margaret Beaufort, Henrys mother, was born on the 31st May 1443 at Bletsoe Castle, she was a descendant of King Edward III through her father, John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset. After her father’s downfall and early death 

 -possibly by suicide- Margaret became his sole heiress, inheriting both wealth and a distant claim to the throne. At just one year old, Margaret’s wardship was granted to William de la Pole, who arranged a childhood marriage between her and his son, John. This union was later dissolved, and her guardianship passed to Edmund and Jasper Tudor, half-brothers of King Henry VI. In 1455, twelve-year-old Margaret married Edmund Tudor, who died the following year while she was seven months pregnant. At just thirteen, Margaret gave birth to Henry at Pembroke Castle. She never bore another child due to complications from the birth. Her son was raised by Jasper Tudor, while Margaret remarried twice, using her marriages to protect Henry’s interests. After the Lancastrians fell from power, Henry fled to France. Margaret, determined to see her son crowned, remained at court and later allied with Elizabeth Woodville against Richard III. She helped orchestrate Henry’s claim and supported his eventual rise to kingship. As “My Lady the King’s Mother,” Margaret gained rare legal and political autonomy, overseeing royal affairs and championing education, founding colleges at Cambridge. After Henry VII’s death in 1509, she ensured a smooth succession for her grandson, Henry VIII. She died shortly after his coronation. Margaret Beaufort was a determined, politically astute woman who played a pivotal role in founding the Tudor dynasty—ensuring her son became king and shaping the future of England.

Pembroke Castle

It was the Battle of Tewkesbury, that was the catalyst to Henry and Jaspers retreat from England.

Battle of Tewkesbury in Brief: The Clash That Sealed Edward IV's Power 

The Battle of Tewkesbury was a decisive conflict during the Wars of the Roses between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Fought on the 4th of May 1471, it marked a turning point in the struggle for the English throne.The Yorkist forces, led by King Edward IV, faced the Lancastrians, commanded by Queen Margaret of Anjou and her son, Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Edward IV had recently regained the throne after returning from exile and was determined to crush Lancastrian resistance. The two armies clashed near the town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire. The Yorkists, well-organized and tactically superior, won a resounding victory. Many prominent Lancastrians were killed or captured. Most notably, Prince Edward, the Lancastrian heir who was killed in the aftermath, either in battle or during his capture, sealing the fate of the Lancastrian cause. Queen Margaret was taken prisoner, and Henry VI, already imprisoned in the Tower of London, was murdered shortly after. The battle effectively left the House of York in control of the English throne. 

The death of Henry VI and his only son, left Henry VII in a hugely dangerous position. He was now an heir to the Lancastrian line, albeit tenuously. They were in no position to fight for the throne, many Lancastrians had been killed in battle and Edward had a lot of support. Henry, only a child at the time, was taken into exile...just waiting for the right time for his return to England and with it the recognition as king.

Part Two coming soon.