King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing of the crown on August 22, 1485, until his death on April 21, 1509, and the first monarch of the House of Tudor. LS in Latin, signed “Henry R,” one page, 11.75 x 10.5, July 14, 1496. Letter to the Italian Renaissance nobleman Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, famed as a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and best remembered as the man who commissioned 'The Last Supper.' The letter conveys elaborate pledges of continued friendship and benevolence toward Ludovico and commends to him his envoy Christopher Carbonario. The letter's body is attractively penned by the King’s Latin Secretary, Pietro Carmeliano, often credited as the man who introduced the italic hand into England. It is prominently signed at the conclusion by King Henry VIII—a rare example of the king's full signature, as he often signed with only initials. Docketed at the head in Italian in an unidentified 18th-century hand. In fine condition, with some light staining and soiling.
This historic letter was written at a time when Henry VII supported the League of Venice, formed by the Republic of Venice, the Duke of Milan, the King of Naples, Pope Alexander VI, Ferdinand II, and the Emperor Maximilian to keep Charles VII out of Italy. He had also recently signed the 'Intercursus Magnus,' or 'Great Agreement,' a long-lasting commercial treaty with Duke Philip IV of Burgundy, which was Henry's most successful diplomatic achievement in terms of the economy. A spectacular and significant letter by the first Tudor king.
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