The Tudors were neither Lancasters nor Yorks, but they were closely related to both houses. The Tudor dynasty began with Henry VII, who was the son of Margaret Beaufort, a descendant of the Lancastrian line, and Edmund Tudor, who was of Welsh nobility. Henry VII’s claim to the throne was strengthened by his marriage to Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV, who was from the Yorkist line. This marriage effectively united the two warring houses of Lancaster and York, ending the Wars of the Roses and establishing the Tudor dynasty.
Henry VII’s victory at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 marked the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the beginning of the Tudor era. By marrying Elizabeth of York, Henry VII was able to consolidate his power and bring peace to England after decades of civil war. The Tudor rose, a symbol combining the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York, became a powerful emblem of this union.
In summary, while the Tudors were not directly Lancasters or Yorks, they were connected to both houses through marriage and descent, which allowed them to claim the throne and establish a new dynasty.