Henry VII

Henry VII, born Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, on 28 January 1457 at Pembroke Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales, was the first monarch of the House of Tudor, reigning from 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509. He claimed the throne by defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last king of England to win his throne on the battlefield. Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth of York united the feuding houses of Lancaster and York. His reign is noted for restoring stability to the monarchy after the Wars of the Roses, and for economic and administrative initiatives that benefitted England. He was succeeded by his son, Henry VIII, after a reign of nearly 24 years.

Henry VII’s policies favored the wool industry and he implemented new taxes to stabilize government finances, although posthumous investigations revealed abuses in tax collection. He was known for his attention to detail and for raising revenues rather than spending extravagantly. Henry’s ancestry linked him to the legitimised House of Beaufort through his mother, Margaret Beaufort, and to the Welsh Tudors of Penmynydd through his father, Edmund Tudor. His Welsh heritage was instrumental in garnering military support and ensuring safe passage through Wales. Henry VII’s personal heraldry included the red dragon, a symbol of his Welsh descent, which he displayed on his victory procession through London.