Henry VII and Foundation of Tudor Era in England

Tudor clan was one of the long-lasting dynasties in the history of England. The emperors of this dynasty were known for their positive and negative traits. The kingdom of this dynasty was founded in the late medieval era in Europe by Henry VII, which ended in renaissance age with Elizabeth I. The age of Henry was the era of elegance, and the famous cultural and artistic movement was going to occur. So, a lot of growth was witnessed in various trends of art during this period. Today also, the medieval costumes of this era have become part of the fashion world.

Henry VII was born on 28th January 1457 and was crowned on 22nd August 1485. He became the monarch after giving defeat to Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Henry was the last king of England who won the throne in the battlefield. There was a great upheaval in England after the Battle of the Roses. He successfully restored the stability and power of English monarchy.

Henry was born at Pembroke Castle in the west of Wales. The name of his father was Edmund Tudor who was the first Earl of Richmond. His mother Margaret Beaufort was Countess of Richmond and Derby. He father was died shortly before his birth. On the other hand, his mother was only 13 years old at the time of his birth. So, his paternal uncle, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, was his formal guardian. Despite being a Welshman of Welsh royal lineage, his father was not so important for his claim to the English throne. His heritage was important from the side of his mother who was the descendent of Edward III. Because of the deaths of his Royal cousins, Henry got the claim of throne. He won the throne at the age of 27, although he was not trained.

The policy of Henry VII was to create peace and prosperity. He was not a military person, so he had no interest in regaining the French territories which were lost during periods of his predecessors. He was an economically competent emperor, and his most successful achievement was Magnus Intercursus, which means “greet agreement” in 1496 with Philip IV, Duke of Burgundy. After the successful kingdom of 24 years, he died on 21st April 1509, after nine years of the commencement of the renaissance era. This was the era of flamboyance, and the popular renaissance clothing, belongs to this era. After his death, his son Henry VIII was succeeded to throne.

The Tudor dynasty ruled England for a long duration of around 118 years. It commenced in 1485 with the enthronement of Henry VI and ended with the death of Elizabeth I in 1603. The reign of this dynasty is remembered today also in England. The successful foreign and economic policies and barbaric killings of innocent Protestants – both took place during the reign of this dynasty.

Renaissance Clothing- Reflection of Social Standing even Today

Renaissance clothing, the inseparable part of middle age has succeeded in maintaining its charm in modern era too. But now their usages are restricted to famous events, plays and in some history based Hollywood movies. Although now-a-days they are not worn on daily basis as earlier yet these renaissance medieval clothing is great source of inspiration for modern designers. It is not like that that they are completely vanished from normal day life; in altered form people are still wearing them.

The variations in the designing, color, fabric was treat to watch. Regardless the kind of technology they had at that time, the quality of the costumes were unmatchable. Even today it is hard to find the same level creativity and quality. Designers of that time knew how to use colors like velvet, violet, red beautify renaissance dresses with embroidery, laces and some extravagant costumes with costly stones and gems. Not only today’s people but the 16th century person also knew how to dress well. If you see the portrait of those persons whether they were rich, poor or commoner you will observe that they dressed well irrespective of their status. Everyone according to their status had managed to maintain the distinctive styling sense.

The factor which influenced the dressing style of men and women of that era was division of classes on the basis of material and color of fabric. If you know poor people were not allowed to wear expensive and extravagant fabrics, even if they want they couldn’t afford. They dressed according to wealth, social standing and importance in society.

If you pay attention to your surrounding you will find people around you wearing renaissance clothing which reflect their status so, dressing accordingly is not aged fashion but still exist. Knowingly or unknowingly we also dress according to our standing in society. This is why a commoner wears pants and shirts, a businessman is more into tuxedos and a socialite wear cocktail dresses. Wealthier people wore more gold, diamond stud jewelries like necklace, earring, ring and others and branded items. They flaunt their expensive accessories like hand bags, foot wear. These things show the same trend that were prevailing during middle age and are not just mere coincidence, they are done deliberately.

It is a fact that our sense of fashion is mirror of bygone era. If people of today’s modern world so strongly attached to dresses of their status then you could also imagine how seriously the people of those conservative times took their clothes.

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