The Wars of the Roses were a series of bloody civil conflicts fought from 1455-1485 for control of the throne of England. The rival houses of Lancaster and York, symbolized by the red and white rose respectively, were members of the ancient royal House of Plantagenet. The Wars of the Roses led to the termination of the male heirs of York and Lancaster, and Henry Tudor assumed the Lancastrian claim to the throne. Henry defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses, and was crowned King Henry VII. After the Wars of the Roses, Henry married Elizabeth of York, ending the long years of discord between the houses of York and Lancaster. The Tudor Dynasty then began.
Wars of the Roses
King Edward IV could not have asked for better news. On the evening of May 3, 1471, his scouts reported that the army of his Lancastrian archrival, Queen Margaret of Anjou, was camped a few miles south of the abbey town of Tewkesbury with its back to the River Severn. Read more
Wars of the Roses
Indolent, weak-willed, and prone to periodic fits of madness, King Henry VI had let England slide downhill since coming of age in 1437. Read more
Wars of the Roses
On March 1, 1461, English Chancellor George Neville faced a large crowd of Londoners in St. John’s Field outside the city. Read more
Wars of the Roses
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, was troubled by reports he was receiving in March 1471 that an invasion by King Edward IV was imminent. Read more
Wars of the Roses
The men of Bridport on the coast of southwestern England kept extra weapons on hand to deal with the raids endemic during the Hundred Years War that preceded the Wars of the Roses. Read more
