Henry VII

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Henry VII (1457-1509) was the first monarch (1485-1509) of the Tudor dynasty, and his accession brought to an end the Wars of the Roses. As Earl of Richmond he had a very tenuous claim to the throne of England through the Lancastrian line, but was able to capitalise on this because of the extreme unpopularity of Richard III following the latter's deposing of his nephew Edward V to seize the crown for himself. Henry had lived in exile in Brittany for fourteen years following the defeat of the Lancastrian faction at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471. In 1485 he landed at Milford Haven in Wales, and mustered increasing support as he moved through his native Wales and England. His army encountered that of Richard III at Bosworth. Richard was killed and Henry assumed the throne.

As king he largely avoided foreign wars and was able to build up the depleted royal coffers to the extent of gaining a reputation as a miser. He successfully overcame attempts by two pretenders, Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, to gain the throne in 1487 and 1497 respectively; and he helped dispel the animosities of the Wars of the Roses by marrying Elizabeth, daughter of Henry IV and a prominent figure of the opposing Yorkist faction.

He was succeeded in 1509 by his second son Henry, who became Henry VIII.