This would be an apt summary of the late period of Henry VII's reign. He subdued his nobles by financial blackmail and provided his successors with a royal fortune. Unlike previous monarchs he checked all accounts and signed off on each. Such meticulous oversight was something new to England and enabled Henry to remain independent of Parliament.
Our next session will look at the lives of three women who were powerful players during the period leading to the end of the Wars of the Roses.
Terry Case