Henry Vii's Case

1. How would Henry's character have been shaped by his upbringing? Think about his attitude to others his levels of trust, his approach to problems, his view of kingship etc.

His early separation from his mother and the life he had to lead as a sort of prisoner made him wary of everyone in his life. He trusted a very few people and this is why when he became King he relied on a private circle consisting of his mother, his uncle Jasper, his stepfather Thomas Stanley and the Earl of Oxford, John de Vere for advice and consultation. He saw how easily someone could be disposed from power and how easily they could be brought to power as well. This meant that he knew once he became King he would have to partake in a series of events which would help him consolidate his power and make sure that he had secure control so that he would be able to remain in power. Source 2.2 describes Henry's character as "distrustful", "neurotic" as well as someone who had "inner depth". These characteristics would have been gained from his observation of the French courts during his exile.

2. Why does C.S.L. Davies argue that Henry had 'the most useful training of any King in English history'? Do you agree with this statement?

Davies argues from this standpoint because unlike the previous Kings of England Henry was treated much like an outsider for the beginning of his life and had much greater experience of observing court politics. Most kings are treated with great respect as they are usually princes or 'rare great nobleman' who would have had the finest education that money could buy instead of real life experience of the world. Henry was not treated like royalty at all and Davies argues that he was "nothing much" in Brittany which would have given him a different perspective in life in comparison to the other Kings of England. Historians will argue that Davies statement that 'Henry had the most useful training of any King in English history' is true as it was the experiences that he faced during his younger years that allowed him see the serious threat that pretenders such as Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck posed.

3. How useful would each of these groups of supporters be in helping Henry to govern, if he succeeded in usurping Richard?

Henry's support came from three main quarters:

a) Long standing supporters of the house of Lancaster (eg the Earl of Oxford)

They would be very loyal to Henry as there has been over 20 years of Yorkist rule and would be glad to see a Lancastrian King on the throne. In terms of how useful they would be they would want to help Henry as much as they could but would most likely hope for some land or other goods in return.

b) Relatives