England in the Middle Ages: A Captivating Guide to English History During the Medieval Period and Magna Carta by Captivating History

Author:Captivating History [History, Captivating]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, pdf
Published: 2020-04-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12 - War of the Roses, the End of an Age

The white rose of the House of York (left), and the red rose of the House of Lancaster (right)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wars_of_the_Roses

The War of the Roses is a series of civil wars in England that concluded the medieval period. Two rival branches of the House of Plantagenet fought for the right of succession, as King Henry VI did not yet have an heir with his wife Margaret of Anjou. One was the House of York, whose emblem was a white rose, and the other was the House of Lancaster, with the emblem of a red rose. Because of the respective emblems, in the 19th century, this series of civil wars were united under the name Wars of the Roses. Upon the victory of Henry VII of the House of Tudor, the roses were combined to symbolize the unification of the two houses, thus creating what would later be known as the Tudor Rose.

Just like his grandfather, French King Charles VI, Henry VI showed signs of mental instability. Because of his deteriorating health, English nobles started fighting for power and influence over the easily-manipulated king. Feudal nobles hired private armies against each other, and conflict was imminent. However, in 1453, before Prince Edward was even born, Henry suffered a complete mental collapse and failed to respond to the birth of his son. The Great Council was quickly gathered, and Richard of the House of York declared himself its leader. By 1455, Henry regained his composure and, under the influence of Queen Margaret, banished Richard from the court. Margaret became the de facto leader of the House of Lancaster, and she gathered an alliance of nobles against Richard of York. About to face accusations of treason, Richard feared for his safety. He gathered an army and started open conflict in 1455.

The first battle of the Wars of Roses was fought at St Albans on May 22, 1455, when Richard led his forces to London but was intercepted by Henry’s army. The result of the battle was the defeat of the House of Lancaster and the death of the allied lords of Northumberland and Somerset. The Yorkist army found King Henry VI hiding in a tanner’s shop, completely abandoned by his allies, advisors, and servants. The king was indisposed, having another mental break down, and Margaret was charged with taking care of him. Richard resumed his position of influence in the Great Council, naming himself the Lord Protector of the kingdom. However, King Henry VI recovered by 1456 and once more relieved Richard of York from the duty of protector. Margaret wasn’t satisfied with this decision and urged the king to revoke Richards’s titles and reduce him to his previous position of lieutenant in Ireland. The fighting continued. In the Battle of Wakefield (1460), Lancastrians were victorious, and Richard of York was killed during the fighting. His son, Edward of March, who was 18 years old, succeeded him as Earl of York. Edward continued his father’s endeavors and led the Yorkist army in the next conflicts with the House of Lancaster.

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