Portrait of Henry VII (1457-1509)

Portrait of King Henry VII half length
English School

Henry came to the throne of England in 1495 through victory over Richard III at Bosworth; his wish for peace with Scotland led him to favour the marriage of his daughter Margaret to James IV of Scotland.

His reply to those who foresaw the succession of his daughter's issue to the English throne and the Union of the Crowns was that the accession would be that of Scotland to England "as a rivulet to a fountain".

Henry's intellectual power made a strong impression on his elders, including his tutors, from an early age and his interest in commerce, literature and building are reflected in the advances in these fields which occurred during his reign.