Painting of Henry VII

Henry VII

King Henry VII (1457–1509) was the first Tudor monarch and founder of the Tudor dynasty. He is famous for defeating the Yorkist king Richard III at the battle of Bosworth in 1485 and bringing to an end the dynastic conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. Henry was born in Pembroke Castle, Wales, to Margaret Beaufort and Edmund Tudor. Henry's marriage to Elizabeth of York united the Houses of Lancaster and York. Henry is also remembered for modernising England's government and legal system. Upon his death in 1509 Henry VII was succeeded by his second son, Henry VIII

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How Henry VII seized – and kept – the crown. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A historical portrait of a person in a dark fur‑trimmed garment and black hat is placed before the ruins of a stone building, with a moody, clouded sky behind.

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A collage of Tudor figures. Each square shows a different monarch or noble figure in 16th‑ or early‑17th‑century dress, including ruffs, jewelled headpieces, and richly decorated garments. Recognisable figures such as Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Mary I, Elizabeth I, and James I appear among the portraits. The grid highlights variations in artistic style, clothing, and facial depiction across the period.

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Think you know everything about the Tudors? Here are 15 facts that will prove you wrong. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A woman wearing a black dress and white hood, praying in front of a Bible

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Married three times by the age of 15: Margaret Beaufort, the woman who birthed the Tudor Dynasty. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A painting showing a man dressed in armour, with a blue and red flag over him, riding a white horse amongst a busy battlefield

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5 things you (probably) didn't know about the Tudors. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Two men dressed in Tudor clothes stand next to one another against a green curtain backdrop. Between them are several items, including a globe, a hymnbook and a lute

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Tudors in turmoil: deciphering Hans Holbein’s masterwork The Ambassadors. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

On This Day

Historical anniversariesJune

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Edward of Warwick: the other prince in the tower. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An 18th-century engraving of Edward, Earl of Warwick. Much of his short life was spent in the Tower of London before his execution for alleged treason (Photo by INTERFOTO/Alamy Stock Photo)

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The other prince in the Tower: the tragedy of Edward of Warwick. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Henry VII: the king they couldn't kill. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Henry VII: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An 18th-century depiction of the battle of Bosworth, the 1485 clash that saw Henry VII’s army defeat that of Richard III, allowing the Tudor pretender to claim the throne (Photo by incamerastock/Alamy Stock Photo)

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The rise of Henry VII: how a life of cheating death prepared him for the throne as the first Tudor king. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of Elizabeth of York

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Sir Lancelot of the Lake and Queen Guinevere seen embracing by King Arthur in a medieval illustration

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Tudors in love: what were the dynasty's romantic secrets?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

An illustration of Henry VII, surrounded by Tudor roses. In the background there are shadows of those who challenged for his throne.

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Henry VII: the greatest pretender. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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The pretenders who threatened Henry VII’s crown. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The battle of Towton during the War of the Roses, 1461. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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The Wars of the Roses: the 15th-century clash of kings that heralded the dawn of the Tudor dynasty

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Nathen AminHenry VII and the Tudor Pretenders. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A portrait of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch

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Battle of Bosworth, 22 August 1485

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A watercolour version of a mural showing Henry VIII (front left) with his father, Henry VII, his wife Jane Seymour (front right) and his mother, Elizabeth of York. The mural, which aimed to validate Henry's right to the throne, adorned Whitehall Palace before being destroyed by fire. (Photo by Bridgeman Royal Collection)

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Henry VIII: confident young king or insecure son?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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The Tudors, everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Historian Nichola Tallis

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“Margaret Beaufort wielded enormous power. She was a queen in all but name”: Nicola Tallis on the mother of the Tudors. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The blue-robed Henry VII pictured performing a variety of tasks at the Tower of London following his accession to the throne, in a contemporary illustration. (Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

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Bosworth: the dawn of the Tudors. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

20th Centuryvideo3 of the most famous royal weddings in history

An 1864 illustration depicts King Henry VI and the Dukes of York and Somerset, after York's return from Ireland in 1450. Artist James William Edmund Doyle. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)

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The Wars of the Roses: York v Beaufort?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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How did Henry VII spend his money?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Illustrations by Sarah Young, based on contemporary portraits where available

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Henry VII’s brilliant upstarts: the lowborn henchmen who served the first Tudor king. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Henry VII is crowned near Bosworth

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Q&AWhat Happened After The Battle of Bosworth?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Lambert Simnel

Tudor

Lambert Simnel: Richard III’s heir who 'had a stronger claim to the throne than Henry VII'

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