What was england like when henry the seventh was king?

King Henry 7th had inherited a fairly stable Kingdom for the times. England at this time was not Great Britain. Scotland, Wales and Ireland were countries in their own right and keeping to themselves. The Renaissance period was in full swing throughout most of Europe where surplus money was being spent on The Arts. England was predominantly rural with farming being the country's lifeblood and surplus funds were scare for noble and peasant alike. It was a Catholic country and owed spiritual allegiance (as did most of Europe) to the Pope in Rome. However, England was a very weak country. This was the time just before the big expansions and military spending by Henry VIII and later Elizabeth I. These two following (son and granddaughter) Monarchs would push England to the Empire it would later become. So Henry VII made a political move to secure England against any invasion that may come from one of the then (then) great powers. These powers were; France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands (Holland). These countries had substantial military forces as either armies, navies, or in the case of France, both. Spanish steel was the finest in the world at this time and Spain was comparatively rich in silver. Spain was arguably the greatest of the big powers at that time. So Henry VII decided to marry off his eldest son (an heir to the English crown) Arthur, to a Spanish princess. Obviously. England was not sufficiently important nor powerful enough to attract a prime candidate, but Henry invited Spain to marry off one of their lesser princesses to Arthur. Catherine of Aragon, a less beautiful princess than others of the Spanish Royal House was betrothed to Arthur at about age 3 (or 5, my memory isn't as sharp these days). This ensured an alliance with powerful Spain for insignificant little England. Henry breathed a sigh of relief that his throne and country would be secure for another generation. Arthur and Catherine wed, and all that remained was an heir of Arthur's to be born of the union. However Arthur was a sickly child and died soon after the marriage. What to do? Catherine was recalled to Spain by her family as was the custom in such a short (and possibly unconsummated) marriage. Henry was worried. He wanted an allegiance with a great power and hatched a plan with his advisors to remarry Catherine to Arthur's younger brother Henry. However, young Henry was quite some years younger than Catherine. Henry VII had to work out a way to keep Catherine in England and wait for young Henry to at least reach puberty. meanwhile Spain was getting a bit agitated and a rumour started that England was keeping Catherine a virtual prisoner. But politics of the day won out. The Spanish King couldn't marry Catherine off to another royal house in Europe (she was now 'second hand') and so he made her Ambassador to England for the time being (the only female to be so almost anywhere in Chrisendom). Young Henry was married to Catherine and old Henry VII died satisfied. However the story doesn't end there, stay tuned for INTRIGUE! BETRAYAL! DIRTY POLITICS! and a story so vile and convoluted that thriller writers would turn green with envy. Only id you want to know of course.