Round Three: Which Tudor Henry Did Most? (ep 47)

The famous 1537 portrait of the Tudor Dynasty included dynasty founders Henry VII and Elizabeth and current leaders Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. It also included an altar that posed the question: who, father or son, deserves to be recognized as preeminent?

Henry VIII definitely chooses himself. But is he right?

Returning from 14 years in exile, Henry Tudor claimed the throne, rallied support from discontented nobles, and hired mercenaries. Against all odds, the exile and his army of mercenaries and malcontents defeated the brilliant warrior Richard III and his royal forces at Bosworth Field. Henry Tudor became King of England.

But becoming King and remaining King were two different things. To secure his reign, Henry Tudor created a narrative that put him on the throne the day before Bosworth and made Richard and his followers traitors fighting against the King.  He came up with a stunning successful emblem to symbolize all of this: the Tudor rose. Then Henry VII stamped that Tudor rose all over London.

He created a council of professionals rather than nobles. He married his children into the major royal families of Europe, creating important alliances. He embarked on building projects, including the Lady Chapel of Westminster Abbey. He increased royal income, creating a surplus for his successor. And at his death, he passed along the crown in the most peaceful and successful transition of power in nearly 100 years. He wasn't as famous as his son, but that might be a good thing.

Henry VIII turned the Kingdom upside down and put England on the world map with his marital misadvantures. Sometime rival Francis I remarked "The Queen that now is?" when he heard Henry was ending another marriage (at that point, it was Anne of Cleves). He married more times than any other monarch, and is the only King to behead any wives, let alone two of them. But that's not all Henry is known for.

As part of his marriage-go-round, he found himself unable to convince the Pope to annul his current marriage. So he broke with Rome and declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England. His own beliefs were still primarily Catholic, but this step opened the door to significant religious reform in the future.

He also created the Royal Navy, forming the foundation of the force Elizabeth I would use to fight off the Spanish Armada. He embarked on amazing building projects such as Hampton Court Palace, which can be visited today. He collected tapestries and jewels and promoted English magnificence and his image in ways that are burned into our consciousness.

So...which Henry did most?

History shows us what's possible.