Expert: Joseph Logue - 10/8/2007

Question
How was Henry V11 able to bring the country into a position of relative stability? Why was he able to do this so successfully?

Answer
Hello Jake,

The ascent of Henry VII to the throne of England is a fascinating story of political will, victory in battle, and of one of the earliest known propaganda campaigns.

When Henry Tudor engaged Richard III in battle, his claim to the throne was shaky.  True, he was a descendant of Edward III but removed by four generations.  His father's mother was the widow of Henry V.  Together, these family ties made Henry the strongest Lancaster candidate to defeat the House of York.  After Henry's defeat of Richard III at Bosworth Field in 1485, Henry became king by right of conquest.  He had enough royal blood to satisfy the idea of royal descent, and he had rid the country of the dread Richard.

His ability to stabilize the country came, therefore, from his final defeat of Richard and ending the Wars of the Roses.  He shored up the Treasury (he died a very rich man) and began enforcing the laws of the land in a very strict manner:  the Star Chamber (a secret board of judges) came into being during his reign.  He had little use for Parliament, marginalizing it throughout his 24 years on the throne.

The Tudors are known chiefly for their knack for propaganda.  Henry married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV (and niece of Richard III), thus uniting the houses of York and Lancaster.  (The Tudor Rose is a blend of the red of the Lancasters and the white of the Yorks.)  He named his first son Arthur and had him christened at Winchester, hoping to recall the glorious reign of Camelot (Winchester Cathedral was supposedly Arthur's church).  Henry also sought diligently to bolster his claim to the throne, stressing the legitimacy of the Lancaster's superior claim to the younger line of York.  This ability to propagandize would follow him into the next generation with his son Henry VIII (Arthur died before his father), and his grandchildren Edward VI (who took the numeration "VI" to point up that the Yorkist Richard III was implicated in the disappearance of Edward V, the boy king who was one of two of the "Little Princes"); Mary I, who used torture and trials to return England to Rome; and of course Elizabeth I, whose long reign ended with her bearing such names as the "Virgin Queen," "Good Queen Bess," and especially, "Gloriana."

I hope this helps Jake.  Thanks for visiting AllExperts.

Sincerely,

Joseph Logue