1. Challenging the succession 1485-1499
❖ Henry Tudor’s hold on the throne 1485-87
❖The nature and extent of the challenges of Lambert Simnel 1486-87
❖The significance of support for the challengers from Burgundy, France,
Scotland and Ireland
Henry Tudor’s hold on the throne 1485-87
How strong was Henry VII’s claim to the throne
Why was his claim to the throne weak?
● He only got the crown because he beaten his rival, Richard III
● Couldn’t trust the nobility because the previous nobles (like the Stanleys and
Northumberlands) betrayed Richard III so they may betray Henry
● Inexperienced
● He arrived to England at 14, so he had no network of people
● Neither his parents (Catherine and Edward III) had a claim to the throne
His rivals had a stronger claim to be king:
➔ Edward and Richard, sons of Edward IV: direct male heirs of the House of York. But
they disappeared at the start of Richard III’s reign, they did not stop Henry’s enemies
from attempting to use the princes as a focus on rebelling the king
➔ Earl of Warwick: Nephew of Edward IV and Richard III, he was only 10 in 1945 so his
youth made it easier for Henry to control him. Henry placed him in the Tower where he
spent his life there, but that didn’t stop him from becoming the focus of plots against
Henry
➔ John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln: Leading Yorkist claimant and nephew of Edward IV
and Richard III. He rapidly became the focus of opposition to Henry in the first 2 years of
his reign because he was the hair presumptive during Richard’s reign
➔ Elizabeth of York: Edward IV daughter and had Yorkist blood. Even though she couldn’t
rule in her own right, she could still pass on their claim to the throne to her children
Furthermore, Margaret of Burgundy was a threat as she was Edward and Richard’s sister. She
wanted to see Henry usurped or overthrown because he killed Richard III, so she was involved
in 2 rebellions. She’s married to the DUKE of Burgundy which means she has access to private
armies.
How was his claim made stronger?
● Deaths of many noble heirs which eliminated potential rivals and meant that their lands
were returned back to the crown.
, ● He was an adult and proved himself as both a leader and soldier. These were admirable
qualities and likely to lessen opposition to his claim to the throne
● He was an only child, no sibling rivalry
● Coming to England at 14 and having no network means he has made no enemies
● He rallied up Yorkist supporters in 1485 by promising to marry Elizabeth of York,
Edward’s eldest daughter. This would bring both the houses together. He needed to
marry Elizabeth to:
Attempt to reconcile the divisions of the Wars of the Roses and prevent anyone else from
marrying her and gaining a claim to the throne.
(He was careful not to marry her until after he was crowned so that it doesn’t appear that he was
using her claim to strengthen his own).
The impact of Bosworth 1485
August 1485, Henry had a small force (around 5,000 men) and Richard had twice.
—> Richard lost the fight because of the actions of some of his leading nobility (Thomas,
Lord Stanley, Sir William, Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland). Richard expected them to fight
for him but:
➔ The Stanley’s loyalties were split. Thomas Stanley married Henry's widowed mother,
Margaret Beaufort. Stanley’s chose to watch the battle.
➔ Sir William eventually committed his troops in support of Henry. Furthermore, when
Richard saw the opportunity to kill Henry, Sir William Stanley intervened by directing his
troops to attack Richard, saving Henry’s life. (this shows that the nobility cannot be
trusted)
➔ Northumberland brought troops to the battle but didn’t fight at all
However, Bosworth also had a positive impact on Henry’s rule:
➔ Richard III was killed in battle which removed a potential political rival and Richard’s only
heir (Edward Prince of Wales) died in 1484
➔ Less than a quarter of the nobility fought/showed up for Richard in the war
➔ Several of Richard’s supporters died in the war
HOWEVER, some of Richard’s supporters escaped the war, like Lord Lovell, Staffords etc in
which both of them joined the early opposition to Henry’s rule in 1486-87.
Measured to secure his throne
Henry focused on securing and justifying his claim to the throne. He did this in 3 steps:
Gaining recognition of his position:
● He was crowned in a formal ceremony in October (2 months after Battle of Bosworth).
This involved a coronation oath in which the monarch swore to protect his realm and to
uphold its laws. The coronation was important as it is considered to have been chosen
by God. This was important for Henry to justify The Divine Rights of Kings
● He followed up the coronation with his first Parliament. He summoned Parliament
(traditional act of a new king) in November 1485 and they declared that Henry was king.
He also used Parliament to punish his opponents at Bosworth. Additionally, Parliament
❖ Henry Tudor’s hold on the throne 1485-87
❖The nature and extent of the challenges of Lambert Simnel 1486-87
❖The significance of support for the challengers from Burgundy, France,
Scotland and Ireland
Henry Tudor’s hold on the throne 1485-87
How strong was Henry VII’s claim to the throne
Why was his claim to the throne weak?
● He only got the crown because he beaten his rival, Richard III
● Couldn’t trust the nobility because the previous nobles (like the Stanleys and
Northumberlands) betrayed Richard III so they may betray Henry
● Inexperienced
● He arrived to England at 14, so he had no network of people
● Neither his parents (Catherine and Edward III) had a claim to the throne
His rivals had a stronger claim to be king:
➔ Edward and Richard, sons of Edward IV: direct male heirs of the House of York. But
they disappeared at the start of Richard III’s reign, they did not stop Henry’s enemies
from attempting to use the princes as a focus on rebelling the king
➔ Earl of Warwick: Nephew of Edward IV and Richard III, he was only 10 in 1945 so his
youth made it easier for Henry to control him. Henry placed him in the Tower where he
spent his life there, but that didn’t stop him from becoming the focus of plots against
Henry
➔ John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln: Leading Yorkist claimant and nephew of Edward IV
and Richard III. He rapidly became the focus of opposition to Henry in the first 2 years of
his reign because he was the hair presumptive during Richard’s reign
➔ Elizabeth of York: Edward IV daughter and had Yorkist blood. Even though she couldn’t
rule in her own right, she could still pass on their claim to the throne to her children
Furthermore, Margaret of Burgundy was a threat as she was Edward and Richard’s sister. She
wanted to see Henry usurped or overthrown because he killed Richard III, so she was involved
in 2 rebellions. She’s married to the DUKE of Burgundy which means she has access to private
armies.
How was his claim made stronger?
● Deaths of many noble heirs which eliminated potential rivals and meant that their lands
were returned back to the crown.
, ● He was an adult and proved himself as both a leader and soldier. These were admirable
qualities and likely to lessen opposition to his claim to the throne
● He was an only child, no sibling rivalry
● Coming to England at 14 and having no network means he has made no enemies
● He rallied up Yorkist supporters in 1485 by promising to marry Elizabeth of York,
Edward’s eldest daughter. This would bring both the houses together. He needed to
marry Elizabeth to:
Attempt to reconcile the divisions of the Wars of the Roses and prevent anyone else from
marrying her and gaining a claim to the throne.
(He was careful not to marry her until after he was crowned so that it doesn’t appear that he was
using her claim to strengthen his own).
The impact of Bosworth 1485
August 1485, Henry had a small force (around 5,000 men) and Richard had twice.
—> Richard lost the fight because of the actions of some of his leading nobility (Thomas,
Lord Stanley, Sir William, Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland). Richard expected them to fight
for him but:
➔ The Stanley’s loyalties were split. Thomas Stanley married Henry's widowed mother,
Margaret Beaufort. Stanley’s chose to watch the battle.
➔ Sir William eventually committed his troops in support of Henry. Furthermore, when
Richard saw the opportunity to kill Henry, Sir William Stanley intervened by directing his
troops to attack Richard, saving Henry’s life. (this shows that the nobility cannot be
trusted)
➔ Northumberland brought troops to the battle but didn’t fight at all
However, Bosworth also had a positive impact on Henry’s rule:
➔ Richard III was killed in battle which removed a potential political rival and Richard’s only
heir (Edward Prince of Wales) died in 1484
➔ Less than a quarter of the nobility fought/showed up for Richard in the war
➔ Several of Richard’s supporters died in the war
HOWEVER, some of Richard’s supporters escaped the war, like Lord Lovell, Staffords etc in
which both of them joined the early opposition to Henry’s rule in 1486-87.
Measured to secure his throne
Henry focused on securing and justifying his claim to the throne. He did this in 3 steps:
Gaining recognition of his position:
● He was crowned in a formal ceremony in October (2 months after Battle of Bosworth).
This involved a coronation oath in which the monarch swore to protect his realm and to
uphold its laws. The coronation was important as it is considered to have been chosen
by God. This was important for Henry to justify The Divine Rights of Kings
● He followed up the coronation with his first Parliament. He summoned Parliament
(traditional act of a new king) in November 1485 and they declared that Henry was king.
He also used Parliament to punish his opponents at Bosworth. Additionally, Parliament
