The First Tudors

The Tudors before Henry VII trace their origins to a Welsh family that rose through royal service and strategic marriage. Their story begins with Owen Tudor, a courtier who secretly married Catherine of Valois, widow of King Henry V. Their sons, Edmund and Jasper Tudor, became important supporters of the Lancastrian cause during the Wars of the Roses. Edmund married Margaret Beaufort, a descendant of Edward III, strengthening the family’s claim to the English throne. Their son, Henry Tudor, survived exile and political conflict before defeating Richard III in 1485, transforming an ambitious noble lineage into England’s Tudor royal dynasty.