Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, becoming King Henry VII of England and uniting the houses of Lancaster and York by marrying Elizabeth of York. Their son Henry VIII ascended the throne in 1509, ruling for 38 years with 8 children by 3 wives. Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church in Rome and established himself as the head of the Church of England, marking a key split between Catholic and Protestant faiths in England.