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Henry VII and the start of the Tudors

Study note

Henry VII was the first king of the Tudor dynasty. He came to the throne after winning the Wars of the Roses at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. As king, he worked to reduce the power of the nobles, strengthen royal authority and build up the Crown's finances, leaving a more stable kingdom for his successors. He, not Henry VIII, Edward VI or James I, was the first Tudor king.

Henry VII also used a powerful symbol to mark the end of the wars. The Tudor rose was a red rose with a white rose inside it. The red rose stood for the House of Lancaster and the white rose for the House of York, so the combined Tudor rose symbolised the joining of these two rival houses. It did not represent the union of England and Scotland, the Reformation or victory over the Spanish Armada. Remember Henry VII as the first Tudor, and the Tudor rose as the union of Lancaster and York.

Memory tip: Henry VII = first Tudor; the Tudor rose joins Lancaster (red) and York (white).

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Question 1 of 2

Who was the first Tudor king?

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Show all questions and answers for Henry VII and the start of the Tudors(2 questions with explanations)

Henry VII and the start of the Tudors: questions, answers and explanations

  1. 1. Who was the first Tudor king?

    • James I
    • Henry VIII
    • Edward VI
    • Henry VII

    Correct answer: Henry VII

    Henry VII was the first king of the Tudor dynasty.

  2. 2. What did the Tudor rose, a red rose with a white rose inside, symbolise?

    • Victory over the Spanish Armada
    • The Reformation
    • The joining of the houses of Lancaster and York
    • The union of England and Scotland

    Correct answer: The joining of the houses of Lancaster and York

    The Tudor rose combined the red rose of Lancaster and white rose of York.

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