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4 4 4 F > > > > d d d d d d d d d P P P P P P The War of The Roses
The name Wars of the Roses is based on the badges used by the two sides, the red rose for the Lancastrians and the white rose for the Yorkists.
Major causes of the conflict include:
1) both houses were direct descendents of king Edward III;
2) the ruling Lancastrian king, Henry VI, surrounded himself with unpopular nobles;
3) the civil unrest of much of the population;
4) the availability of many powerful lords with their own private armies; and
5) the untimely episodes of mental illness by king Henry VI.
King Richard III (1452-1485)
He reigned from 1483 until his death in 1485. One of the most controversial rulers in the history of the British isles, Richard remains something of an enigma to historians. Histories surrounding him range from Sir Thomas More and Shakespeare portraying him as evil incarnate, to some modern revisionists who would clear him of all possible guilt and proclaim him to be the greatest of the English monarchs. As with all things the truth is probably somewhere in between. Opposing views on the subject are readily available even on the Web (see my intro page) and so I will refrain from pursuing the debate to any degree. Richard came to power in 1483 probably fearing for his power and perhaps his life under a Woodville Monarchy. He seems to have been content under his brother's rule (Edward IV), but when Edward died and Edward V was too young to rule for himself, Richard became Protector. He seems to have been a successful administrator, but his rule was wracked with as much controversy then as it is today and many in power mistrusted him. In 1485, at the battle of Bosworth Field, Richard was defeated and killed by the army of Henry Tudor (King Henry VII). (Trivia: Richard III was the last English Monarch to personally battle beside his troops in war.)
The House of York
One of the major causes of the Wars of the Roses was the conflict over the line of royal succession. Both the house of York and the house of Lancaster were descended from Edward III. Richard, duke of York, had a dual claim to the throne, one through his mother and one through his father. Richard believed his royal lineage was stronger than any person of the Lancastrian line and thus he (and his family) deserved to inherit the crown. Finally, in October 1460 it was agreed that after Henry VI's death the succession of the throne would transfer to Richard and his sons. This effectively disinherited Henry's young son Edward.
Sons of Edward III (1312-1377)
| (1st) Edward of Woodstock(1330-1376)(2nd) Lionel, d of Clarence(1338-1368)(3rd) John of Gaunt, d of Lancaster(1340-1399)(4th) Edmund of Langley, d of York(1342-1402)(5th) Thomas of Woodstock(1355-1397)|||Phillipa(1355-1381)House of Lancaster|||Roger Mortimor, e of March(1374-1398)|| ||Edmund Mortimor, e of March(1391-1425)Anne Mortimor = m. = Richard, e of Cambridge(1375-1415) (1385-1415)|Richard, d of York = m. = Cecily Neville(1411-1460)|||||Edward IV(1442-1483)Edmund, e or Rutland(1443-1460)George, d of Clarence(1449-1478)Richard III(1452-1485)||||Edward V(1470-1483)Richard, d of York(1473-1483)Elizabeth of York = m.(1466-1503)= Henry VII(1457-1509)
The House of Lancaster
The Lancastarian claim to the throne was via Edward III's third son John of Gaunt. In October 1460, an Act of Accord designated that the royal succession would move to the house of York after Henry VI's death. The houses of Lancaster and York were united when Henry VII married the Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV.
Sons of Edward III (1312-1377)
|(1st) Edward of Woodstock(1330-1376)(2nd) Lionel, d of Clarence(1338-1368)||
(4th) Edmund of Langley, d of York(1342-1402)House of York(5th) Thomas of Woodstock(1355-1397)|(1) Blanche of Lancaster = m.= (3rd) John of Gaunt, d of Lancaster = m. (1340-1399)= (3) Catherine Swynford||Henry IV(1366-1413)John Beaufort I, e of Somerset(1371-1410)||Henry V(1387-1422)John Beaufort II, d of Somerset(1404-1444)||Henry VI = m.(1421-1471)= Margaret of Anjou(1429-1482)Margaret Beaufort = m.(1443-1509)= Edmund Tudor,e of Richmond(1430-1456)||Edward, Prince of Wales(1453-1471)Henry VII = m.(1457-1509)= Elizabeth of York(1466-1503)
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