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How did the House of Tudor originate?

The House of Tudor, the royal family that ruled England from 1485 to 1603, was founded by a Welshman named Owen Tudor (?–1461). Sometime after 1422 he married Catherine of Valois (1401–1437), the widow of Henry V (1081–1125), who ruled from 1413 to 1422. The family did not come to power, however, until Henry VII (1457–1509) ascended the throne. Reigning from 1485 until his death in 1509, Henry VII ended the War of the Roses. During this bitter thirty-year conflict (1455–85) two noble families, the houses of York and Lancaster, had struggled for control of the throne. It was called the War of the Roses because the badge of the House of York was a white rose and the badge of the House of Lancaster was a red rose. Upon taking power, Henry VII became the head of the House of Lancaster; in 1486 he married into the House of York, thus uniting the two former enemies and founding...

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