On This Day In History: King Henry VII’s Coronation Was Held – On Oct 30, 1485

AncientPages.com - On 30 October 1485, Henry VII's coronation was held in Westminster Abbey, and he became the first Tudor monarch.

The date of 30 October was chosen in part because he wished to be crowned king before the next sitting of Parliament, which took place on 7 November.

Portrait of Henry VII of England (dated October 1509), in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. Anonymous - Public Domain

Almost immediately afterward, he proclaimed that any gentleman who swore allegiance to him would be secure in his property and person, notwithstanding any previous attainder.
His marriage with Elizabeth of York occurred on 18 January 1486 at Westminster. The marriage unified the warring houses and gave his children a solid claim to the throne.

The heraldic emblem of the Tudor symbolizes the unification of the houses of York and Lancaster by this marriage rose, a combination of the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster.

By having his coronation before the next sitting of Parliament, the first to take place after the Battle of Bosworth, Henry would not need Parliament to declare him the rightful king.

The Tomb Effigies of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York sculpted by Pietro Torrigiano, Westminster Abbey, London. Image credit: Meynatt Naemjeminik - Public Domain

There are no contemporary descriptions of the coronation, but several items show the careful and intelligent character the 28-year-old Henry employed to make his claim to England sound.

All that is known is that Henry's coronation occurred at Westminster Abbey.

After his wife Elizabeth died, Henry became very sick. He only allowed Margaret Beaufort, his mother, near him. He died at Richmond Palace of tuberculosis on 21 April 1509 and was buried at Westminster Abbey, next to his wife, in the chapel he commissioned.

His second son succeeded him, Henry VIII (reign 1509–47), and his mother survived him, dying two months later on 29 June 1509.

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