Henry VII Tudor is less well known than either Henry VIII or Elizabeth I, but he was far more important in establishing the new monarchy than either of them. Henry was born on 28th January 1457. As his mother was only 14 and soon married again, he was brought up by Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, who was his uncle. For the reason that the boy's youth had been spent in conditions of adversity, often in danger of betrayal and death, he learned to be secretive and wary as well as patient and vigilant.
Henry was crowned on 30th October 1485 and secured parliamentary recognition of his title early in November. Having established his claim to be monarch in his own right, Henry VII married Elizabeth of York on 18th January 1486. The couple had four surviving children. They were Arthur, Prince of Wales; Margaret, Queen of Scotland;Henry VIII, King of England; and Mary, Queen of France. Henry VII 's domestic policy was both to maintain peace and to create economic prosperity. A year after he became king he made an important trade agreement with the Netherlands, which allowed English trade to grow. It provided a profitable pattern for the export of cloth in the Netherlands. Henry understood that England's future wealth would depend on international trade, so he built a huge fleet of merchant ships.
The King also believed that wars ruined the economy of the country, that's why he tried not to get involved in military conflicts, he handled wisely all the inner contradictions between parties and patronised the cultural development of the state. To consolidate his right to the throne, Henry VII considered Parliament, though he did his best not to depend on it. During his reign the parliament was called only twice.
The monarch aimed at making the Crown financially independent. For this reason he favoured fines as punishment for his subjects, the king took the lands from his old nobility and he raised taxes for wars, which he then didn't fight.
Henry VII's foreign policy tended to be cautious and deliberate. He enhanced international relations by marrying his son Arthur to Catherine of Aragon. His daughter Margaret was betrothed to King James IV of Scotland.
King Henry VII died on 21st April 1509. His reign proved to be one of the most prosperous periods in the history of England.
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