Henry VII, the first Tudor king of England

Richard III reigned for only two years. He was popular in the north, where he had lived as a young man. But he was not liked in the south. He made things worse by giving top jobs in the south to his northern friends.

Henry Tudor, earl of Richmond, was now the chief hope of Richard's enemies. Henry's mother was one of the last of the Lancasters. His father was a half Welsh lord. When Henry landed in Wales from France in August 1485 with a small army, a lot of Welshmen joined him.

Richard met the invaders at Bosworth near Leicester on 22 August. Richard had the bigger army, but not all his men were loyal. He lost the battle, and his life. Henry, earl of Richmond, became Henry VII, England's first Tudor king.

Henry VII knew that England needed peace, law and order. There must be an end to civil war. He put some supporters of Richard III to death, and kept others in prison. But he hoped there would be friendship in the future between York and Lancaster. That is why he married Elizabeth, Richard's niece.

Henry banned private armies. Lords who disobeyed him had to pay big fines. Those who rebelled against him lost their lands. The money and lands made Henry so rich that he did not need to ask the lords for help.

Walter Robson: Medieval Britain; Oxford University Press, 1991/2000, page 68