House of Tudor

Tudor, House of, reigning dynasty of England (1485–1603). Of Welsh descent, Henry Tudor, earl of Richmond and heir to the House of Lancaster, ended the Wars of the Roses by defeating Richard III in 1485; he became Henry VII, first Tudor king. The succession included Henry VIII (r.1509–47), Edward VI (r. 1547–53), Mary I (r. 1553–58), and Elizabeth I (r.1558–1603). Under the Tudors England became a major power and enjoyed a flowering of the arts.

See also: England; United Kingdom.