How did Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth of York unite the rival royal claims?

Henry VII’s marriage to Elizabeth of York in 1486 was a strategic move that helped solidify his reign by uniting the rival House of Lancaster and House of York.123

Following his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, Henry VII’s claim to the throne was considered weak due to his tenuous Lancastrian lineage and the illegitimacy associated with his Beaufort ancestors. By marrying Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of the Yorkist king Edward IV, Henry effectively merged the two competing dynastic lines.4312

This union, often symbolized by the creation of the Tudor Rose—a fusion of the white rose of York and the red rose of Lancaster—helped reconcile the factions that had been embroiled in the Wars of the Roses. By combining his right of conquest with a marriage that satisfied many Yorkist supporters, Henry VII was able to establish a more secure and permanent Tudor dynasty.123