Henry VII: interesting facts, children. Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey

He is known as one of the most ambiguous personalities in the history of England, the founder of the durable royal family of the Tudors. It was he, Henry VII, who graduated from the long-standing Rose War (1455-1485). He established the world for long, by the standards of those years, 24 years.

Origin

Henry VII The Tudor, also known as Earl of Richmond, was from an ancient family of royal blood, which, however, could never claim the throne because of the illegal marriage of Henry's ancestor Owen Tudor - with Catherine Valois (widow of King Henry V). We will not go into the intricacies of royal bloodlines, only say that Richmond's grandfather was the founder of the Lancaster House John Gaunt.

The child was desired and unique to his mother Margarita Beaufort, widowed 3 months before the birth. But immediately after the birth of the baby on the order of the mother was sent to Wales, and later to Brittany. From Brittany, the young earl was transported to France. Thus Marguerite saved him from the Yorkians, who were determined to destroy all potential Lancaster heirs to the throne.

The Way to the Throne

The way to the throne was heavy and bloody for him. To many, Henry VII owes his mother. It was she who prepared the ground for his return with the army in 1483, having married him for the heiress of the throne to Elizabeth of York.

The triumphant return of Henry to his homeland was marked by his victory at Bosworth. Destroying the army of the ruling Richard III, Henry VII crowns himself directly on the battlefield with a crown, taken from the murdered ruler! Then he begins his march to London, where the war-weary city falls to his feet. The new king recognized! This was the best way out for England, because such a ruler was able to retain power and prevent new bloodshed. In 1486, Henry VII married Elizabeth of York and unites the roses of their genera in the famous red and white Tudor rose.

In power

Having come to power, Henry VII, interesting facts about which are covered in the article, begins his reign with the centralization of power, and finishes the remnants of militant Yorkists, which was not so difficult. The king relies on the royal courts, every year giving them more and more rights.

On the same level as his mother, Margarita claimed, but she did not clash with her son, and the king, in turn, did everything to please his mother, whose affection was deprived for many years. Margarita was allowed a lot, even put the letter R next to his signature, which meant the royal title.

Fighting the enemies

Trying to secure his position, Henry was still soft to his potential enemies. So, he left some with him, having punished them only with posts like a cook or a floor washer, sent more dangerous ones to prison, but only one was executed. But he had no tolerance for the conspirators, and if someone did not want to take advantage of the second chance, he was surely sentenced to death. Henry Tudor did not like execution.

Penalties and taxes

But the most controversial and at the same time the most effective method of his struggle for a strong state was the introduction of a huge number of far-fetched fines and taxes. For this, Henry VII of Tudor was called a stingy, insatiable and noble tyrant. Some penalties imposed by him were for already committed actions. The king himself was very fond of giving to his rich vassals deliberately impossible tasks, in order to collect from them exorbitant fines. For the sake of the replenishment of the treasury, he also performed tricks with blackmail and ransom, planting the rich in jail, hinting to his relatives that he could release an innocent convict for a fee.

He played the same joke at a much higher level when he asked the parliament for a round sum to conduct military operations in France. In fact, France was completely unprepared to fight and paid Henry VII a double sum to avoid war. To preserve the image of the King of England still spent a couple of battles, after which he "triumphantly" returned to London.

Heirs

But we must give him his due: he did not save himself a huge fortune, Heinrich strengthened the position of the crown, leaving his heirs full treasury and well-fed officials who did not want to overthrow such a king.

What heirs did Heinrich VII Tudor leave behind? His children are three sons and four daughters. Speaking of heirs, it is worth mentioning two of his three sons: Arthur and Henry. Arthur was named in honor of the legendary Arthur, in which Henry Tudor persistently sought (and did not find) his roots. In the legend created by the approximate king, it was said that in the newborn Arthur the great king from distant times was incarnated in order to revive the former might of England. But the son was weak. He died young, a few months after an extremely important dynastic marriage with Catherine of Aragon. The widow of his brother had to marry the second son - Henry VIII.

He also had four daughters, Henry VII. Maria Tudor was married to the King of France Louis XII, Elizabeth was issued for the king of Scotland, Jacob IV, and held pro-British policy until the death of her father. They played a significant role in the formation of England. Brothers and sisters collided a lot and even after his father's death they nearly destroyed the fragile peace built by Henry Tudor.

Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey

The monarch thought about his death early, and in 1503 he started building, which even now arouses trepidation among the inhabitants of London and the admiration of tourists.

The chapel of Henry VII is located in Westminster Abbey. By itself, it is a reorganization of the chapel of Henry III. Perestroika was allocated crazy money! But the result justified the means.

The chapel of Henry VII is an example of the highest manifestation of late English Gothic. The building looks light, elegant and spacious. The chapel glows from the inside thanks to the use of terracotta and white marble. The openwork of the building gives it a heavenly calm and airiness. The abundance of arches, as well as world-famous arches with terracotta pendants made it one of the most photographed buildings.

In the chapel there is a so-called corner of the poets. Among the buried there are Handel and Dickens, Oscar Wilde and Ulam Blake.

Death and repose

King Henry VII Tudor died 10 years before the completion of the restructuring of the chapel. This happened in 1509, the death came from tuberculosis, tormented the monarch for several years.

It is in this masterpiece of architecture that the king himself and members of the family of Henry VII are buried. His wife, children, distant heirs and even the queen-rivals Elizabeth Tudor and Maria Stuart Bloody have found their last refuge in these walls. Their tombs are decorated with fine sculptures of the hand of Pietro Torrigiano.

Importance in History

The identity of Henry is ambiguous and precisely because of the minds of historians. Determined, he was known as cruel, but was recognized as an excellent politician, reformer and economist. The personality of the first Tudor mixed together selfishness and devotion to the country, cruelty and flexibility.

Such was Henry VII - the great king of England, who initiated one of the most influential dynasties of all time.