# House of Tudor

URL: https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/houses/house-of-tudor
Type: Royal dynasty
Period: 1485–1603
Founded: 1485
End of rule / line: 1603
Status: extinct in the legitimate royal line
Regions: Wales, England, Ireland

Welsh-origin dynasty descended paternally from the Tudors of Penmynydd and maternally through the Beaufort/Lancastrian line.

Henry Tudor won the throne at Bosworth in 1485 and married Elizabeth of York, combining rival dynastic claims. The Tudors strengthened the monarchy after the Wars of the Roses and presided over the English Reformation, the dissolution of the monasteries, closer legal integration of Wales with England and the expansion of maritime ambition.

All three legitimate children of Henry VIII ruled. Elizabeth I died childless in 1603, ending the dynasty and allowing James VI of Scotland, a Stuart descendant of Henry VII's daughter Margaret, to inherit the English crown.

## Why this house matters
- Ended the main cycle of Wars of the Roses dynastic conflict.
- Oversaw the break with Rome and creation of a royal-supremacy Church of England.
- Linked England and Wales more tightly through the Laws in Wales Acts.
- Its marriage networks led directly to the Stuart succession.

## Rulers of this house
- [Henry VII](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/rulers/henry-vii), King of England (1485 - 1509)
- [Henry VIII](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/rulers/henry-viii), King of England (1509 - 1547)
- [Edward VI](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/rulers/edward-vi), King of England and Ireland (1547 - 1553)
- [Mary I](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/rulers/mary-i), Queen of England and Ireland (1553 - 1558)
- [Elizabeth I](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/rulers/elizabeth-i), Queen of England and Ireland (1558 - 1603)
- [Lady Jane Grey](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/rulers/lady-jane-grey), Disputed Queen of England and Ireland (10 - 19 July 1553)

## Historical events
- 1485: [Bosworth and accession of Henry VII](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/timeline/1485-henry-vii-founds-the-tudor-dynasty) - The Tudor dynasty begins.
- 1486: [Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/timeline/1486-henry-vii-marries-elizabeth-of-york) - The union strengthens Tudor legitimacy.
- 1534: [Act of Supremacy](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/timeline/1534-act-of-supremacy) - Henry VIII becomes supreme head of the Church of England.
- 1558: [Elizabeth I succeeds](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/timeline/1558-elizabeth-i-becomes-queen) - The dynasty enters its final reign.
- 1603: [Death of Elizabeth I](https://allhistories.com/greatbritain/timeline/1603-elizabeth-i-dies) - The Tudor line ends and the Stuart succession begins.

## Notable family members
- Henry VII (King of England): Founder of the dynasty.
- Henry VIII (King of England): Broke with papal jurisdiction and transformed church-state relations.
- Mary I (Queen of England): Restored Roman Catholic worship and papal communion.
- Elizabeth I (Queen of England): Established the Elizabethan settlement and reigned during the Armada crisis.

## Heraldry & symbols
Tudor rose combining red and white roses (historical)
The Tudor rose combined Lancastrian red and Yorkist white rose imagery. The sovereigns also used the royal arms of England, quartered with France until 1801 under later dynasties.

## Related houses
- Predecessor: House of York
- Succeeded by: House of Stuart
- Parent house: Tudors of Penmynydd / Beaufort-Lancastrian descent

## Sources & further reading
- [Britannica — House of Tudor](https://www.britannica.com/topic/house-of-Tudor)
- [Wikipedia — House of Tudor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Tudor)
- [UK Parliament — Living Heritage](https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/)