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What are England's royal houses?

England's royal houses are families—including ancestors, descendants, and kin—that have ruled the country since 1066. The rulers of England have come from ten royal houses: Normandy (ruled from 1066–1135), Blois (1135–1154), Plantagenet (1154–1399), Lancaster (1399–1471), York (1471–1485), Tudor (1485–1603), Stuart (1603–1649; 1660–1714), Hanover (1714–1901), Saxe-Coborg (1901–1910), and Windsor (1910–present).

Prior to the establishment of the House of Normandy, England had been ruled by Saxons (Germanic peoples) and Danes (people from Denmark) since 802. The first king of the House of Normandy was William I (c. 1028–1087; also known as William the Conqueror), who was the son of the French duke of Normandy. William invaded England in 1066, when Edward the Confessor died and Harold II (1022–1066) took the throne. After over-throwing Harold, William was...

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