From Exile to Baron: Robert Willoughby, Henry VII’s Loyal Supporter

Imagine standing shoulder to shoulder with Henry Tudor in exile, then riding back to win a crown at Bosworth. Today we meet Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke: sheriff, soldier, royal fixer and one of Henry VII’s most loyal supporters, who died on 28 September 1502 at Callington, Cornwall.

In this episode of On This Day in Tudor History, I, Claire Ridgway (historian & author), trace Willoughby’s journey from West Country administrator to exile in Brittany, his role at Bosworth (22 Aug 1485), and the rewards that followed: Knight of the Body, Lord Steward of the Household, Order of the Garter, and more. It’s a story of risk, resilience, and how loyalty shaped the early Tudor court.

What you’ll learn:

• Willoughby’s early service in Cornwall & Devon
• Backing Buckingham’s 1483 rebellion and fleeing to Brittany
• Fighting with Henry Tudor at Bosworth
• High offices and lands granted by Henry VII
• Why Willoughby mattered to the new Tudor regime

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