Early Life and Rise to Power
Henry Tudor was born in 1457 to Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, and Margaret Beaufort. His claim to the throne came through his mother, Margaret, a descendant of Edward III. However, Henry’s claim was distant, and he was largely seen as an outsider to the Plantagenet line, which had ruled England for centuries.
The period leading up to Henry’s ascension was dominated by the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars between the houses of Lancaster and York for control of the English throne. Henry’s Lancastrian roots made him a key figure in the conflict. After the death of his father, he spent much of his youth in exile, primarily in France.
The turning point came in 1485 when Henry, with a small army, landed in England and marched toward the heart of the Yorkist power. His forces met those of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field on August 22, 1485. The battle proved decisive, with Richard III being killed in the fighting, marking the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the beginning of the Tudor era. shutdown123