The Wars of the Roses spanned the years 1455 – 1487 as the rival houses of Lancaster and York fought to hold the crown of England. In 1485, the Lancastrian heir, Henry Tudor won a convincing victory at the Battle of Bosworth, over the Yorkist Richard III. Henry married Elizabeth of York to unite the two families, and the dynasty that Henry and Elizabeth established ruled until 1603, followed by the descendants of their daughter, Margaret married to James IV of Scotland, who reign in the United Kingdom today.