You are not currently logged in. Please create an account or log in to view the full course.

2. Did Henry rely too heavily on his friends for support?

Description
Cite

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this module, we think about the question of whether Henry VII relied too heavily on his friends in his governing of the country, focusing in particular on: (i) Henry’s early life, his exile in Brittany, and his inability to create much of a political network in England before becoming king in 1485; (ii) the connection between the counties and the central administration; (iii) the extent to which Henry keeps people in post after 1485, e.g. John Morton as Lord Chancellor; (iv) the extent to which there are people who are implacably opposed to Henry’s rule, e.g. Richard III’s sister, Margaret of York; (v) the extent to which Henry is able to maintain the power of his closest political allies – but also keep them in check; (vi) the extent to which the same group of men guide Henry through the early threats to his kingship – and the exception of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk; and (vii) the problems associated with relying too heavily on such as a small group of people, the example of Richard Guildford.

Course

In this course, Dr Sean Cunningham (The National Archives) explores the reign of Henry VII through eight key questions: (1) How did Henry Tudor become king of England?; (2) Did Henry rely too heavily on his friends for support?; (3) How secure was Henry’s throne by 1500?; (4) To what extent was the period 1502-3 a turning point in Henry’s reign?; (5) How useful were bonds and recognizances in keeping Henry VII on the throne?; (6) Did Henry VII fail as king of England?; (7) Was Henry VII a miser?; and (8) How innovative was Henry VII?

Lecturer

Dr Sean Cunningham is Head of Medieval Records at the National Archives, with a specialism in the interconnecting processes of government and how they functioned through representative agencies, officials and individuals in the period 1399–1558. He is one of the leading historians on the reign of Henry VII (1485–1509), and has published and lectured widely on many aspects of this reign and the key figures who helped to establish Tudor power in England and Wales before the Reformation.