luigie
AUTHOR’S NOTES:
I have always been fascinated by all the many stories and books about all the royal Tudor’s barring one, Henry VII. Why is there so much literature about all these other Tudor’s and nothing but historical conjecture about the greatest Tudor of them all; the man that founded the dynasty.
When I set out to write a historical romantic novel about Henry VII, I was amazed at the divergence of opinions about the man. In my research I came across so many contradictory accounts, all of them mere speculation from an English perspective. In fact there is a virtual black out of history concerning Henry VII for the period 1471AD to 1485AD. Why? I asked myself. After much deliberation on the matter, I decided to try to piece together what was actually known with what was feasibly possible (by applying the reasonable man test); and what was logistically possible. In my deliberation I discounted completely all conjecture and all accounts written by English historians and the Richard III societies, excepting factual dates where these concur.
I have come to the conclusion that Henry VIII, together with his advisor’s, is to blame for the lack of information about his father. The reason is quite simple when you understand the politics of the day. Henry VII was a Welshman who ruled by conquest. All his life as king his standard was the Cadwaladr standard. By contrast Henry VIII was brought up in an English court with considerable influence of the House of York. His greatest claim to the throne was not by conquest but by his birthright through his mother, Elizabeth of York. He adopted as his standard, the Tudor rose. I believe it was he, and his advisors; who set about to destroy all his links to Wales. Hence one of his acts was to incorporate Wales into England.
When Henry VIII broke away from Rome, he destroyed many Roman Catholic monasteries and cathedrals. One of the Abbey’s he destroyed was the Abbey at Merevale. This church was far away from all the other Roman Catholic institutions. Why? I think the reason for destroying the church at Merevale (Atherstone) was to destroy records of the battle waged there between Richard III and his father Henry VII.
The destruction of all records of his father’s rise to power was so intense that even today no one knows for certain where the battle took place. Henry VIII got away with the destruction of his Welsh roots because most people in Wales at the time were illiterate. Those that were literate were more concerned with matters pertaining to Wales. The Welsh turned against the Tudor’s when Wales was incorporated into England and, unwittingly, against their true champion, Harri Tudur; the man who had liberated them from English domination. This unfortunate legacy continues to this day.
With all the above in mind; given the paucity of sound information available, I wrote what I regard is a sounder historical record on which to base my novel.
See my URL below for a more realistic account of the period 1471AD to 22nd August 1485AD.
http://www.tudor.vc/tudor/harritudur.html
Pen Y Bryn
I have always been fascinated by all the many stories and books about all the royal Tudor’s barring one, Henry VII. Why is there so much literature about all these other Tudor’s and nothing but historical conjecture about the greatest Tudor of them all; the man that founded the dynasty.
When I set out to write a historical romantic novel about Henry VII, I was amazed at the divergence of opinions about the man. In my research I came across so many contradictory accounts, all of them mere speculation from an English perspective. In fact there is a virtual black out of history concerning Henry VII for the period 1471AD to 1485AD. Why? I asked myself. After much deliberation on the matter, I decided to try to piece together what was actually known with what was feasibly possible (by applying the reasonable man test); and what was logistically possible. In my deliberation I discounted completely all conjecture and all accounts written by English historians and the Richard III societies, excepting factual dates where these concur.
I have come to the conclusion that Henry VIII, together with his advisor’s, is to blame for the lack of information about his father. The reason is quite simple when you understand the politics of the day. Henry VII was a Welshman who ruled by conquest. All his life as king his standard was the Cadwaladr standard. By contrast Henry VIII was brought up in an English court with considerable influence of the House of York. His greatest claim to the throne was not by conquest but by his birthright through his mother, Elizabeth of York. He adopted as his standard, the Tudor rose. I believe it was he, and his advisors; who set about to destroy all his links to Wales. Hence one of his acts was to incorporate Wales into England.
When Henry VIII broke away from Rome, he destroyed many Roman Catholic monasteries and cathedrals. One of the Abbey’s he destroyed was the Abbey at Merevale. This church was far away from all the other Roman Catholic institutions. Why? I think the reason for destroying the church at Merevale (Atherstone) was to destroy records of the battle waged there between Richard III and his father Henry VII.
The destruction of all records of his father’s rise to power was so intense that even today no one knows for certain where the battle took place. Henry VIII got away with the destruction of his Welsh roots because most people in Wales at the time were illiterate. Those that were literate were more concerned with matters pertaining to Wales. The Welsh turned against the Tudor’s when Wales was incorporated into England and, unwittingly, against their true champion, Harri Tudur; the man who had liberated them from English domination. This unfortunate legacy continues to this day.
With all the above in mind; given the paucity of sound information available, I wrote what I regard is a sounder historical record on which to base my novel.
See my URL below for a more realistic account of the period 1471AD to 22nd August 1485AD.
http://www.tudor.vc/tudor/harritudur.html
Pen Y Bryn