Jake Murray - Who Was Henry VIII?

Henry VII and Elizabeth York

The Wars of the Roses (14551485)

The Wars of the Roses was a long series of violent battles in England between families in the cities of York and Lancaster. They fought over who should rule the kingdom. The York familys symbol was a white rose, and the Lancaster familys was a red one. Both families had claims to the throne because they descended from the sons of Edward III, who ruled England from 1327 to 1377.

The Wars of the Roses finally ended on August 22, 1485. Henry VII, the head of the Lancasters, defeated and killed Richard III, head of the Yorks, in the Battle of Bosworth Field.

After his victory, Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, Richards niece. Through his marriage, Henry VII wanted to unite the two families. His new dynasty was called the House of Tudor.

Baby Henry was born a prince into a rich and royal world, but he was not born to be king. When Henry arrived, he had an older brother, Arthur, age four, and an older sister, Margaret, nearly two. Arthur, as the kings eldest son, was the heir to the throne.

During Henrys early years, a staff of servants took care of him. This was common practice with royal people at this time. The servants did everything for him, including feeding, changing, and bathing him. Two official rockers rocked Henry to sleep every night.

When Henry was four, his parents had another daughter, Mary. Henry spent his time in the royal nursery with his sisters and the servants who took care of his every need. Henrys older brother, Arthur, lived in his own private home, where he was being prepared to become the next king. As the only boy in the nursery, Henry was spoiled.

Henry was a good-looking boy with red hair. He dressed in the fancy clothes of the time, including green velvet gowns lined with fur, high leather boots, and caps with ostrich feathers on top.

Henry loved to play outside. He enjoyed tennis, horseback riding, archery, and hunting. He was a gifted athlete and could ride a horse at an early age.

Because he was a rich prince and had the best tutors, Henry read a lot and he was very bright. He was taught by some of the smartest people in England! One tutor called Henry a brilliant pupil. He studied astronomy, science, and math. Henry also had a passion for religion and maps. Many fancy maps hung throughout the palace. And Henry never got tired of looking at them.

Henry learned to speak many languages, including French, English, Latin, and Italian. He never minded studying, because he loved to read. He even filled up his books with handwritten notes in the margins.