In the Middle Ages, monarchs in England and France attempted to centralize their states and gain more power. However, the feudal nobility were still very powerful. In the Renaissance, the "New Monarchs" used Machiavellian methods to gain more power for themselves and weaken the feudal nobility. In Spain, the "New Monarchs", Ferdinand and Isabella, combined the royal houses of Aragon and Castile into one kingdom, and took power from the nobles in Spain. "New Monarchs" used a variety of methods in England, France, and Spain to gain more power for the monarch while taking away power from the nobility.

In 1455, the War of the Roses started between the houses of York and Lancaster after the death of King Edward. Both claimed the right to the throne. Finally, Henry VII, a son of a Tudor and Lancaster, married Elizabeth of York, joining the two feuding houses and establishing the...