Bloodshed and Betrayal: The War of the Roses

The War of the Roses was a thirty - year period of a civil war that was filled with bloodshed and betrayal; it marked some of the most violent and dramatic events in English. There were four different kings that sat on the throne, except of one king who had been overthrown by another king in a violent battle or a subterfuge.

The civil war known as The War of the Roses which was fought between the Yorkshires and the Lancasters, identified by white roses and red roses respectively, and lasted for thirty years, causing great damage to the land and their people. Many of the aristocracy that a new nobility had to be created in the reign of Henry VII- who was a good king who bought peace and prosperity to his kingdom unlike his predecessor

Richard III which won the throne by deceit and foul ( “The War of the Roses”).

In the opening battle of England’s war of the Roses, the Yorkists defeat King Henry VI’s Lancastrian.

The Duke of somerset, and the king was forced to submit to the rule of his cousin, Richard of York. Both families closely related, claimed the throne through descent from the sons of Edward from 1327 - 1377. The first Lancastrian King Henry IV in 1399, and rebellion and lawlessness were rife during his reign and his son, Henry V, was more successful and won major victories in the Hundred years against France. Henry VI had few kingly qualities and lost most of the French land his father had conquered, at home chaos prevailed and the lords with private armies challenged Henry VI’s authority. In 1453, Henry lapsed into insanity, and in 1454 parliament appointed Richard, Duke of York, the protector of the realm ( “The War of the roses”. History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2007. Web.14

Mar.2016.)

In late 1454 Henry recovered and dismissed York and restored the authority of Margaret, who saw York as a threat to the succession of their son Prince Edward. York raised 3,000 men and in May the Yorkists marched to London. On May 22, 1455 York metg Henry’s forces at St.Albans while on the northern road to the capital. The bloody encounter lasted under an hour and the Yorkists carried the day, Duke of Somerset, Margaret’s great ally was killed and Henry was captured by the Yorkists.

After the battle, Richard once again was made English protector but in 1456 Margaret regained the upper hand, an uneasy peace was broken in 1459 and in 1460 the Lancastrians were defeated and York was granted to ascend the throne upon Henry’s death. After Henry’s death the Lancastrians gathered their forces in northern England and in December 1460 they surprised York and killed him outside of his castle near Wakefield.

Margaret was imprisoned soon thereafter Henry VI died, probably slain at the orders of Edward IV.

After 12 relatively peaceful years, Edward IV was succeeded by his young son Edward V, but soon the boy’s uncle Richard, duke of Gloucester, usurped the throne as Richard III ( Jones, NEIL. “The Wars of the Roses”. Britain 79. 2(2011): 80. MasterFILE Premier. Web.9.Mar.2016.)

York’s son Edward reached London before Margaret did and he was proclaimed King Edward IV, In march 1461 Edward won the decisive victory against the Lancastrians at the battle of Towton, which was the bloodiest war of them all. Yorkists rivalry would later lead to the overthrow of Edward in 1470 and the restoration of Henry VI, the next year Edward returned from exile in the Netherlands. When Edward returned he defeated Margaret’s forces, killed her son and imprisoned her Henry in the tower of London, where he was murdered, Edward then ruled uninterrupted until he died in 1483.

After the death of Edward in 1483 his brother Richard usurped the throne becoming King as Richard III and the Lancastrians turned for leadership to Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who later became King Henry VII which is the founder of Tudor Dynasty. After the RIchard was killed his death brought an end to the rule of the Plantagenets who had governed England for 331

years.