The act of consolidating power means bringing together the separate parts of the society for one person to control. Henry VII felt that he had to go to extreme measures in order to consolidate his power - firstly due to the political instability following the Battle of Bosworth, but also because he had an illegitimate claim to the throne, compared to Elizabeth of York and other Yorkists who had a much stronger claim. Throughout this essay I will outline the challenges Henry faced while trying to consolidate power, including the factors that he had to overcome such as creating an heir to the throne, how he treated his opponents and supporters and how he dealt with the nobility.

Henry won the throne in the Battle of Bosworth after defeating Richard III. As the usurper, his support and acceptance from the public was always going to be dubious; his throne was very insecure. But after being crowned in Westminster and calling a successful parliament who swore an allegiance to their new king, it was clear that the English public were in support of the Lancastrian. Cunningly, Henry dated his reign one day before the battle occurred, thus protecting him from any later potential accusations of treason. He pardoned many of the Yorkists who fought against him at Bosworth, proving his capability of a compassionate and peaceful leadership. However, he did not hesitate in imprisoning and executing some of his opponents either. Parliament also introduced the Act of Attainder, which declared a person guilty of a crime without a trial. The way he dealt with minor threats additionally presented the image of a strong king who had a very good hold on the throne at this point. Henry was also very willing to reward those who supported him before and during the Battle; he gave them titles and some land from the Crown estates. An example would be Thomas Stanley who helped Henry achieve