Tudor, TOO duhr, House of, was the family that ruled England from 1485 to 1603. The first Tudor ruler was Henry VII. He won his crown at the battle of Bosworth Field, defeating Richard III and ensuring a victory for his own side in the Wars of the Roses. Henry claimed the throne through his mother, Margaret Beaufort, a descendant of Edward III. He also claimed he had a divine right to rule--that is, that his right to govern came from God. Henry restored order to England after 30 years of repeated outbreaks of civil war.