Henry VII was finally laid in state in the chapel at Richmond Palace
on 21 April 1509, before being transported to Westminster Abbey for burial.
Despite the fact that he had brought peace to England and established
a stable parliament, there would be few who would mourn his death.
Henry had always been regarded as a usurper, miser, and extortionist,
to name a few negative traits.
The disparity between the old and new monarchs
had never been greater than it was at this point in history.
On the 22nd of April, St. George's Day, Henry VIII was declared King.
The festivities would wield the newcomer to lofty heights of power
and were carried out with a great deal of enthusiasm and joy.
People believed that Henry would herald the beginning of magical times,
and that he would, without a doubt, usher in a new golden age.
No one could say anything bad about Henry during his early life; in his eulogy
at the coronation, Thomas More stated that "among a thousand
nobles, the King stands out the tallest, and his strength fits his majestic body."
There is fiery power in his eyes, beauty in his face, and the colour of twin
roses in his cheeks." Henry was slim and had broad shoulders as a young man;
the difference in his armour tells a story all by itself.
His waist measured 32 inches in 1512, while his next outfit
in 1514 measures 35 inches and has a 42-inch chest.
In his early years, John Skelton, a poet called Henry "Adonis".
Henry was clean-shaven, he
had a broad face, yet small, and close-set piercing eyes,
according to some, he reminded them of his grandfather Edward IV.
In short, Henry was the most handsome prince the world had ever seen.
Henry was in perfect health, and fine shape, with lots of energy and drive.
In spite of this, he was also prudent and free of vice,
though we all know how this will change in the coming years.
But for the time being, the affable King was the talk of the court,
and no one had a bad word to say about him.
Historically, kings have been revered, and Henry was no exception in this regard.
Henry was a man who was proud,
self-assured, and courageous, all qualities
that people sought in a prince, and he possessed all of them in abundance.
But they were never left in any doubt about his inflated ego!
When it came to political matters, Henry, on the other hand,
was sometimes found wanting.
Because his decision-making process was awkward,
he would need some time to provide answers.
Normally, he would sleep after receiving a question and then think about his response.
Yet already at this early stage,
Henry was always confident that even after thought he was always absolutely right.
Thomas More said,
"The King has a way of making every man feel as though he is
enjoying his special favour."
However, Cardinal Wolsey cautioned later,
saying, "Be careful what you put in his head,
because you'll never be able
to take it out again." Because Henry was still under the age of 18,
his grandmother, Lady Margaret Beaufort,
would take the reins and serve as regent for the first ten weeks of Henry's rule.
Because she had been in charge of his father's
household, Margaret wielded considerable power over Henry,
and her procedures would be followed throughout his reign and beyond,
including the establishment of rules for royal nurseries.
Margaret, on the other hand, was no longer able to function as she did in years
gone by. Now in her sixties, she was beginning to show signs of frailty.
Her influence, however, would have been unprecedented at the time.
She had outlived four husbands and possessed
more land in England than anyone else.
She was only 13 years old when her son Henry VII was born,
but her love and devotion to him and her grandchildren never wavered.
The fact that Henry was raised
under the strict supervision
of his grandmother ensured that he not only inherited a strong intellect
but also a traditional approach to religious insights.
Henry had received a classical education to a high level.
Reading and writing were expected, as they continue to be for children today.
During Henry's early years, the poet John Skelton served as his primary tutor.
Skelton was a colorful and eccentric individual with a unique sense of style.
He did, however, write in English
rather than the more traditional languages of French or Latin.
He pretended to be a champion in the eyes of the ladies,
but he was the one who would then publicly expose them in court.
He would end up making more enemies than close friends as a result of his actions.
Having been imprisoned for a misdemeanor in 1502, Skelton would lose his position
upon his release.
A musical talent was also evident in Henry,
as evidenced by his father's purchase of a lute for him in 1498.
However, the athletic King would also freely participate
in activities such as horseback riding, jousting, tennis, archery, and hunting.
Henry's life had been perfect up to this point.
Henry was only eight years old
at the time of Erasmus' visit, which took place in 1499.
The Dutch humanist had suspicions that Henry had received assistance
with his Latin letter writing, but he was later surprised to learn
that it had all been done entirely by Henry himself.
Henry was referred to as "a universal genius" by Erasmus.
Henry was enthusiastic about education,
and he looked forward to learning and discovering new things.
But he also had a keen eye for detail as well as an analytical mind.
In his later years, Henry would make significant strides
toward becoming even more innovative.
His experiments with mechanics and the most up-to-date
technology of the day would only serve to improve him further.
He even assisted in the design of new weapons and showed a keen interest
in construction plans.
All of this would result
in Henry graduating from his education as a child prodigy of the period.
Henry VIII's father managed to stem the tide in 1508 for reasons that were never explained.
In addition, he was subjected to close supervision.
Henry was not given any responsibilities, in contrast to his older brother.
Henry was not permitted to leave the palace
except through a private door that led into the palace park.
Only if a team of specially trained individuals were on hand to keep an eye on him.
There would also be no pleasantries or small talk between Henry
and all the other individuals at court.
This appears to be unusual behavior, but considering that he had already lost
three other children,
it is possible that his father was overly concerned about his son's well-being.
Another reason is that Henry's father was also in fear of his son. He
was well aware of Henry's capabilities, and perhaps this would prompt thoughts
about how he could attain an excessive amount of power if left unchecked.
In later years, Reginald Pole, who was Henrys cousin, claimed that Henry
VII despised his son and "had no affection for him." On one occasion
in 1508, an altercation erupted between the King and Henry,
and the exchanges were so violent that it appeared
as if "he attempted to kill him." In order to ensure his well-being,
it has been suggested that Henry VII knew about his son's weaknesses
and instructed his courtiers to speak of "virtue, honour,
cunning and wisdom of worship," and to say "nothing that shall move him
to vice." Aside from that, the young prince would be forbidden
from engaging in immoral behavior.
The King's tutoring, on the other hand, would come to an end in 1509 when he died.
And it was at this point that the unproven youth would come into his own.
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