Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
He’s the commoner who married a Queen and founded the most famous English royal dynasty of them all, but who was Owen Tudor really and what do we know about him?
In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling we look at the life of Owen Tudor, second husband of Catherine of Valois and paternal grandfather of Henry VII. You’ll hear about his obscure origins in Wales in around 1400, why his real name was Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudor, what we know about how Owen Tudor met Catherine of Valois, the widow of Henry V and mother of Henry VI, what we know about their scandalous relationship and secret royal marriage (probably sometime after 1430) and what happened to Owen Tudor after Catherine of Valois’s death, including how he was punished for marrying the dowager Queen of England without permission.
I’ll discuss his legitimate sons, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke (later Duke of Richmond) and plus his daughter Margaret who may have become a nun, but who died quite early. You’ll also hear about his illegitimate son, David, the uncle of Henry VII. Then there’s the part Owen Tudor played in the Wars of the Roses, his three imprisonments in Newgate prison and Windsor Castle and the horrific death he suffered in 1461 at Mortimer’s Cross in Hereford. If you’re wondering how Owen Tudor died, after some famous last words he was beheaded and his head placed on the market cross where a local mad woman combed his hair, washed his face and set candles around him. He was later buried in the Greyfriars’ Church, Hereford but his tomb was moved to St David’s Cathedral in 1538 as a result of the dissolution of the monasteries. It was a shocking downfall and death for the grandfather of the Tudors.
This is the story of how a forbidden romance transformed into a royal legacy that still captivates us today.
If you love medieval history, royal scandals, and Tudor intrigue, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more epic tales from Britain’s past!
#OwenTudor #CatherineOfValois #KatherineOfValois #TudorDynasty
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
The DISGUSTING treatment of the body of KATHERINE OF VALOIS
youtu.be/gfaxEThnAYs
JASPER TUDOR’S SECRET DAUGHTERS
youtu.be/vI99w1qHJS4
THE LIFE OF HENRY VII, PART 1
youtu.be/ITszgOAAjuc
THE LIFE OF HENRY VII, PART 2
youtu.be/qXSoPsRZNAM
THE WARS OF THE ROSES PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0EVv2DJZOZT5ZyQwSJ4o7oZ
HENRY V: THE KING WHO WAS SHOT IN THE FACE
youtu.be/SzzkZ5hm5JA
WAS HENRY VI MURDERED?
youtu.be/E_tWkpAv878
LEARN MORE:
Terry Breverton, Owen Tudor: founding father of the Tudor dynasty (Amberley, 2017, 2019).
amzn.to/4hRTbNz
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Thumbnail: photos of tomb and effigy: Westminster Abbey
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
He’s the commoner who married a Queen and founded the most famous English royal dynasty of them all, but who was Owen Tudor really and what do we know about him?
In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling we look at the life of Owen Tudor, second husband of Catherine of Valois and paternal grandfather of Henry VII. You’ll hear about his obscure origins in Wales in around 1400, why his real name was Owain ap Maredudd ap Tudor, what we know about how Owen Tudor met Catherine of Valois, the widow of Henry V and mother of Henry VI, what we know about their scandalous relationship and secret royal marriage (probably sometime after 1430) and what happened to Owen Tudor after Catherine of Valois’s death, including how he was punished for marrying the dowager Queen of England without permission.
I’ll discuss his legitimate sons, Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke (later Duke of Richmond) and plus his daughter Margaret who may have become a nun, but who died quite early. You’ll also hear about his illegitimate son, David, the uncle of Henry VII. Then there’s the part Owen Tudor played in the Wars of the Roses, his three imprisonments in Newgate prison and Windsor Castle and the horrific death he suffered in 1461 at Mortimer’s Cross in Hereford. If you’re wondering how Owen Tudor died, after some famous last words he was beheaded and his head placed on the market cross where a local mad woman combed his hair, washed his face and set candles around him. He was later buried in the Greyfriars’ Church, Hereford but his tomb was moved to St David’s Cathedral in 1538 as a result of the dissolution of the monasteries. It was a shocking downfall and death for the grandfather of the Tudors.
This is the story of how a forbidden romance transformed into a royal legacy that still captivates us today.
If you love medieval history, royal scandals, and Tudor intrigue, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more epic tales from Britain’s past!
#OwenTudor #CatherineOfValois #KatherineOfValois #TudorDynasty
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
The DISGUSTING treatment of the body of KATHERINE OF VALOIS
youtu.be/gfaxEThnAYs
JASPER TUDOR’S SECRET DAUGHTERS
youtu.be/vI99w1qHJS4
THE LIFE OF HENRY VII, PART 1
youtu.be/ITszgOAAjuc
THE LIFE OF HENRY VII, PART 2
youtu.be/qXSoPsRZNAM
THE WARS OF THE ROSES PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0EVv2DJZOZT5ZyQwSJ4o7oZ
HENRY V: THE KING WHO WAS SHOT IN THE FACE
youtu.be/SzzkZ5hm5JA
WAS HENRY VI MURDERED?
youtu.be/E_tWkpAv878
LEARN MORE:
Terry Breverton, Owen Tudor: founding father of the Tudor dynasty (Amberley, 2017, 2019).
amzn.to/4hRTbNz
AUDIBLE
amzn.to/44MvlMi
AUDIBLE PLUS & AUDIBLE PREMIUM PLUS
amzn.to/42rh3PF
PRIME VIDEO
amzn.to/3LW7ykg
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Thumbnail: photos of tomb and effigy: Westminster Abbey
Open Street Map copyright information
openstreetmap.org/copyright
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
