This Day in History: 21 April 2020
21 April 1509
511 years ago, today, King Henry VII died of tuberculosis at Richmond Palace, and was buried in the chapel that he had commissioned in Westminster Abbey, next to his wife, Elizabeth. He was succeeded by his son, Henry VIII. Also known as Henry Tudor, he was the first king in the Tudor dynasty after defeating King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, in August 1485. This battle is regarded to have been the last in the series of battles, known as the Wars of the Roses, which brought years of instability to England. When Henry died, his country finally had regained the wealth lost in the years of war, and the position of the King was secure.
As a usurper, Henry's main aim as King was to consolidate his power and secure his dynasty. His attempts to do this were more successful than not. He married a Yorkist, Elizabeth of York, which symbolically ended the Wars of the Roses, as it united the two houses. The rebellions he faced were dealt with successfully, as he defeated Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, while also creating alliances with problematic countries, such as Scotland and Burgundy. However, other Yorkist claimants, such as Richard and Edmund de la Pole, were not completely dealt with until the last years of Henry's life, meaning that he was never fully secure. Despite this, King Henry ultimately restored the power and stability of the English monarchy after years of turmoil and replenished the fortunes of an effectively bankrupt country.
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