King henry vii of england biography

Key Facts & Summary

• Henry Tudor usurped Richard III’s throne, and became King of England from August 22, 1485, until his death on April 21, 1509.
• He fought for the kingdom in the Battle of Bosworth.
• Henry VII is known as the diplomatic king that avoided wars at all cost.
• He was extremely Catholic and supported the Observant Franciscans.

  The king also carried out extensive work of charity.

Biography

Henry Tudor was the illegitimate son of the first Earl of Richmond, Edmund Tudor (son of dowager queen Catherine of Valois), and Lady Margaret Beaufort, a Welsh court servant.

He was born in Pembroke Castle in Wales, on January 28, 1457. Through his mother, he could trace his descent from John of Gaunt, son of Edward III. In 1471, he was taken to Brittany by his uncle Jasper Tudor to protect him from the victorious Yorkists led by Edward IV (Pierce 1959).

Henry’s attempted invasion of England in 1483, made to enforce his claim to the throne, failed, but in 1485, h