Over half a millennium ago, the child who would one day reign as
Henry VIII was born June 28, 1491 at Greenwich Palace, London to
parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. The Tudor Dynasty into
which Henry had been born was still in its infancy. His father,
Henry VII (pictured), had usurped the crown of England from
Richard III at the battle of Bosworth in August 1485. The six
years that Henry VII had held the English throne had been
turbulent, to say the least. His marriage to Elizabeth had not
entirely put an end to ‘The Wars of The Roses’ but the
combination of her Yorkist lineage with that of his Lancastrian
descent went some way to appease the English. They may not have
relished Henry VII but no-one could dislike the gentle, demure
and utterly enchanting Queen. She was peace-loving and able to
maintain a respectful distance from her mother-in-law Margaret
Beaufort, accepting this powerful influence over her husband.
The King clearly loved and respected his wife very much. He took
his marriage vows very