1485–1509
Henry VII: the careful first Tudor king
Henry VII, the first Tudor king, took the throne in 1485 after thirty years of the Wars of the Roses. He cared about two things above all: no more civil war, and a safe throne for himself.
His answer was to weaken the nobles and build up central government. The Wars of the Roses had been fought by great nobles with private armies of their own, so the weaker the nobles were, the safer the king felt. He was also very careful with money and saved up a large fortune for the Crown.
Henry VII went through the royal account books himself, writing his initials on page after page, and these books still survive today. After his death his son, Henry VIII, carried on strengthening central power, but most of the money Henry VII had saved was spent by this big-spending son.
Quiz
After the Wars of the Roses, what did Henry VII do to keep England peaceful and his throne secure?
The key words for Henry VII are "stronger central government" and "weaker nobles". Breaking with the Church of Rome was his son, Henry VIII. Parliament choosing the monarch only happened after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.