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DANGER, ADVENTURE, TREACHERY, EXILE AND POWER, the life of Henry VII had it all and it’s a masterclass in how to survive in medieval times and how to take a throne, even with virtually no claim to it. Born in the midst of the Wars of the Roses (known at the time as the Cousins’ War and fought between the Yorks and the Lancasters), Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond was the son of Lady Margaret Beaufort, a 13 year old widow and a descendant of King Edward III though his son, John of Gaunt. This line was originally illegitimate though and was specifically barred from the throne. On the other side of his family, Henry was the grandson of a scandalous marriage between Queen Catherine of Valois and Owen Tudor. He was therefore not in line for the throne, despite being the half-nephew of the Lancastrian King Henry VI. His life was also one of profound turmoil. Stripped of his lands and titles, he was in exile with his uncle, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke from the age of 14 and hunted across Brittany and France during the reign of Edward IV and the reign of Richard III (formerly the Duke of Gloucester). On numerous occasions, these two Yorkist Kings almost caught him too, making Henry’s formative years a long list of close calls and near death experiences. He survived though, going on to become the first Tudor king, having beaten Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. Join me for this week’s History Calling video, the first in my new Tudor monarchs series, to learn how he did it. You’ll hear about the schemes of Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville, the red queen and the white queen, about the fate of the Princes in the Tower (King Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York) and above all, about Henry, the man who won the Wars of the Roses and who was the inspiration behind much of the character of Daenerys Targaryen, from Game of Thrones. The story of Henry VII and indeed the story of the Tudors starts here. Come back next week to learn about the reign of Henry VII and how to build a royal dynasty from scratch. Patreon: Instagram: SUBSCRIBE with NOTIFICATIONS switched on for new videos every Friday. READ Chris Skidmore, Bosworth: the birth of the Tudors (London, reprint, 2014). (UK LINK) OR (US LINK) S.B. Chrimes, Henry VII (New Haven & London, 2013). (UK LINK) OR (US LINK) Phillipa Gregory, The Red Queen (2011). Fictionalised account of the Wars of the Roses told from Lady Margaret Beaufort’s point of view. Read for fun, but definitely don’t get your history from this. (UK LINK) OR (US LINK) Phillipa Gregory, The White Queen (2011). Fictionalised account of the Wars of the Roses told from Elizabeth Woodville’s point of view. Read for fun, but definitely don’t get your history from this. (UK LINK) OR (US LINK) BUY OR RENT The White Queen (2013). [Depicts the story of the Wars of the Roses from Elizabeth Woodville’s point of view. Gets the broad strokes of history correct, but definitely not completely accurate] (UK LINK) OR (US LINK) The White Princess (2018). [Covers the marriage of Henry Tudor to Elizabeth of York. Again, gets the broad strokes of history correct, but definitely needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.] (UK LINK) OR (US LINK) Britain’s Bloody Crown Presented by Dan Jones (2016) [Documentary covering the Wars of the Roses. Historically accurate] (US LINK) The King in the Carpark (2013). Documentary about the discovery of Richard III’s skeleton in 2012. (UK LINK) DVD Britain’s Bloody Crown Presented by Dan Jones (2016) [Covers the Wars of the Roses and is historically accurate] (UK LINK) OR (US LINK) The King in the carpark Richard III: the Unseen Story (2013). Documentary about the discovery of Richard III’s skeleton in 2012. (UK LINK) OR (US LINK) YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII PLAYLIST WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ROMANOVS DID MARIE ANTOINETTE’S HAIR TURN WHITE BEFORE HER EXECUTION WHAT HAPPENED TO QUEEN ANNE’S CHILDREN NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay. For Creative Commons licenses used see
