English king of the white rose. War of the Scarlet and White Roses. Background and causes of the conflict

The Wars Of The Roses

Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) - this definition is applied to a series of civil wars in England that broke out in the country one after another and provoked by a dynastic conflict between two branches of the royal house - York and Lancaster.

The Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) is a historical term for a series of civil wars that were sparked by dynastic conflict between the two main branches of the royal house of England, the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The coat of arms of the House of York was a white rose. However, the traditional claim that the Lancastrian emblem was a scarlet rose is erroneous. In the play by William Shakespeare "Henry VI" There is a moment when representatives of the opposing sides choose scarlet and white roses. This scene firmly established roses of various colors in the popular consciousness as emblems for the royal houses of Lancaster and York.

The first Lancastrian king was Henry IV, who overthrew his corrupt relative and tyrant Richard II and took the throne. Medieval concepts of succession to the throne and the king's right to the crown from God determined that Henry IV's rights to the throne, which he had essentially usurped, were not fully approved, which led to much civil unrest. His son, Henry V, devoted his noble energies to the war with France. His astonishing triumph over French forces at the Battle of Agincourt (1415) made him a national hero. One of the conditions for signing the peace treaty was his marriage to the French princess Catherine, who provided him and his descendants with the right to inherit the French crown. He died suddenly in 1422, leaving as his heir a baby he had never even seen.

During the long minority-supported minority of Henry VI, the country was torn in two by the political divisions of two rival factions. In fact, the country was under the rule of lords who had their own armies. Even after Henry came of age, he was a weak and insignificant ruler. His extreme religiosity and love of solitude were very well known, which might have made him a good monk, but as a king he was a real disaster.

His marriage to Margaret of Anjou, the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Duke of Anjou, was arranged. Strong-willed and ambitious young Margarita had no problems managing her weak-willed husband. Margaret and her favorites at court tried to do everything possible to increase their wealth and influence. During their reign, the English treasury was empty. In addition to everything, the boundless corruption of Margaret's supporters led to the fact that England lost all the conquests that were hard won by the British in the war with France.

Henry VI, who had inherited his maternal grandfather's tendencies towards madness, fell into a state of catatonia in 1453. This opened up great prospects for Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (“the kingmaker”) to make Richard, Duke of York Protector of the Realm—a title essentially a regent. Ironically, Richard of York had a better claim to the throne than Henry VI, since the York dynasty descended from the second son of King Edward III, while Henry was a descendant of John of Gaunt, Edward's third son, whose heirs received the throne after Henry IV overthrew Richard II. Richard of York was also more suited to the crown as a person.

It is worth noting that Richard York never showed his claims to the throne, unlike Henry. In addition, he would never have attempted to seize power through rebellion if Queen Margaret had not tried to limit his rights, fearing that his strength and wealth would allow him to lay claim to the English throne.

In 1455, when suddenly King Henry recovered from his catatonia, he helped Margaret's supporters return to power. At this time, York was unexpectedly taken into custody, as he did not suspect how far Margarita could go, and came to the meeting with only one lightly armed bodyguard. Ultimately, he was forced to take up arms, since Margaret's supporters were a serious threat to his safety.

The first military action of the Wars of the Roses was the Battle of St Albans (22 May 1455), which ended in a landslide victory for the Duke of York. York's innocent intentions at that moment were clearly visible, since he did not take any action to overthrow the king or even to assert his claims to the throne, but simply apologized for raising his hand against the sovereign and presented a list of his demands. A fragile truce was concluded for four years.

The civil war resumed in 1459. Both sides won and suffered defeats in battle until the Earl of Warwick inflicted a final defeat on the Lancastrians at the Battle of Northampton in 1460. Before the assembled lords, York declared his claim to the crown with a spectacular gesture: walking across the entire hall and imperiously placing his hand on the throne. He was able to find the strength to overcome the ensuing silence, raising his hand in a greeting gesture. Knowing full well that he might lose support if he tried to overthrow Henry, York was content to proclaim himself the king's heir. Of course, Margaret refused to accept such a compromise, because it would deprive her son Edward of the right to succession to the throne.

Gathering her troops, Margaret continued her fight against the Yorks. In December 1460, the Lancastrian army surprised Richard of York's army at Wakefield, where Richard died. Warwick was also defeated at the Second Battle of St. Albans.

York's only son Edward, already a charismatic commander by the age of 18, defeated the Lancastrians at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross (1461) and captured London before Margaret's troops could get there. In March 1461 he was proclaimed King Edward IV. His armies pursued Margaret and finally defeated her forces at the Battle of Towton, forcing Henry, Margaret and their son Edward to flee to Scotland.

In the court of Edward IV, factionalism undermined unity. Warwick and Edward's younger brother George, Duke of Clarence, were “predators” who sought war with France and the return of all English conquests in France. In addition, both sought to strengthen their positions at court, hoping to receive the rewards and honor that they deserved. In addition, they had another reason for a quarrel with King Edward. The king took as his wife Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner who was considered by most to be unworthy to be Queen of England due to her low birth. All Warwick's attempts to conclude an alliance with France by marrying the king collapsed in an instant when he received such news, which greatly embarrassed him.

Clarence and Warwick started trouble in the north. Edward's troops were defeated and the king was captured. Edward managed to escape and gather his forces, forcing Warwick and Clarence to flee to France. There they joined forces with Margaret and returned to England to send Edward into exile. They restored Henry VI to the throne, but Edward soon returned, having made peace with his brother Clarence, who was increasingly dissatisfied with Warwick's actions. Edward's troops won a decisive victory at the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471), capturing Margaret and Henry. Their son Edward died and Henry died in the Tower under dubious circumstances, with King Edward likely involved. Clarence caused his brother a lot of trouble and he eventually had to kill him.

After this, Edward ruled peacefully until his death in 1483. His 12-year-old son Edward became heir as Edward V, but his uncle, Edward IV's younger brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, usurped the throne as Richard III. Even York supporters were outraged by Richard's bold move, especially after the boy king Edward and his younger brother were imprisoned in the Tower and died there under very mysterious circumstances.

The nobles who had turned their backs on Richard III supported Henry Tudor, the Lancastrian pretender to the throne. With their help and the help of France, his troops defeated Richard's army at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Richard was killed in this battle by a crossbow bolt in a futile attack on the rebels, and Henry Tudor took the throne as Henry VII, the first king of the Tudor dynasty. This event marked the end of the War of the Roses. After decades of bloody civil wars, the English people were grateful for the peace and prosperity they enjoyed under King Henry VII, who reigned until 1509 when he died of tuberculosis.

What started the “Wars of the Roses”? What is the history of military operations? What is the origin of the name of this historical period? And how was the myth of the Wars of the Roses formed? Candidate of Historical Sciences Elena Brown talks about this.

After the end of the Hundred Years' War, thousands of people who had fought in France returned to England, disappointed by its defeat. The situation in England sharply worsened; any weakening of royal power threatened internal turmoil.

Under King Henry VI of the Lancaster dynasty, his wife, Queen Margaret of Anjou, a Frenchwoman, really ruled the country. This displeased the Duke of York, the king's closest relative.

The Lancastrians (in their coat of arms there is a scarlet rose) were a side branch of the royal Plantagenet dynasty (1154-1399) and relied on the barons of the north of England, Wales and Ireland.

The Yorkies (with a white rose in their coat of arms) relied on the feudal lords of the economically more developed southeast of England. The middle nobility, merchants and wealthy townspeople also supported the Yorks.

The war that broke out between supporters of Lancaster and York was called the War of the Scarlet and White Roses. Despite the romantic name, this war was characterized by rare cruelty. The knightly ideals of honor and loyalty were forgotten. Many barons, pursuing personal gain, violated the oath of vassal allegiance and easily moved from one warring side to another, depending on where they were promised a more generous reward. Either the Yorks or the Lancasters won the war.

Richard, Duke of York, defeated the Lancastrian supporters in 1455, and in 1460 captured Henry VI and forced the Upper House of Parliament to recognize himself as protector of the state and heir to the throne.

Queen Margaret fled to the north and returned from there with an army. Richard was defeated and died in battle. By order of the queen, his severed head, crowned with a crown of gilded paper, was displayed above the gates of the city of York. The knightly custom of sparing the vanquished was violated - the queen ordered the execution of all York supporters who surrendered.

In 1461, Edward, the eldest son of the murdered Richard, defeated the Lancastrian supporters with the support of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. Henry VI was deposed; he and Margaret fled to Scotland. The winner was crowned at Westminster as King Edward IV.

The new king also ordered the heads of all noble captives to be cut off. The head of the king's father was removed from the city gates of York, replacing it with the heads of those executed. By a decision of parliament, the Lancastrians, living and dead, were declared traitors.

However, the war did not end there. In 1464, Edward IV defeated Lancastrian supporters in the north of England. Henry VI was captured and imprisoned in the Tower.

The desire of Edward IV to strengthen his power and weaken the power of the barons led to the transition of his former supporters, led by Warwick, to the side of Henry VI. Edward was forced to flee England, and Henry VI was restored to the throne in 1470.

In 1471, Edward IV, who returned with an army, defeated the troops of Warwick and Margaret. Warwick himself and Henry VI's young son Edward, Prince of Wales, fell in the battles.

Henry VI was again deposed, captured and brought to London, where he died (presumably murdered) in the Tower. Queen Margaret survived, finding refuge outside the country - a few years later she was ransomed from captivity by the French king.

Edward IV's closest associate was his younger brother Richard of Gloucester. Short in stature, with a left hand that was inactive from birth, he nevertheless fought bravely in battles and commanded troops. Richard remained faithful to his brother even in the days of defeat.

After the death of Edward IV in 1485, the throne was to be inherited by the eldest of his sons, twelve-year-old Edward V, but Richard removed him from power and first declared himself protector of the child king, and later declared his nephews illegitimate and himself accepted the crown under the name Richard III.

Both princes - Edward V and his ten-year-old brother - were imprisoned in the Tower. At first, the boys were still seen playing in the courtyard of the Tower, but when they disappeared, rumors spread that they were killed by order of the king. Richard III did nothing to refute these rumors.

Richard III tried to pursue a reasonable policy and began to restore the country devastated by the war. However, his attempts to strengthen his power displeased the major feudal lords.

Supporters of the Lancasters and Yorks united around a distant relative of the Lancasters - Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who lived in exile in France. In 1485, he landed with an army on the British coast.

Richard III hastily gathered troops and moved towards him. At the decisive moment of the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, Richard III was betrayed by his entourage, and his personal courage could no longer influence anything. When they brought him a horse to escape, Richard refused to flee, declaring that he would die a king. Already surrounded by enemies, he continued to fight. When he was dealt a fatal blow to the head with a battle ax, the crown fell off his helmet, and immediately on the battlefield it was placed on the head of Henry Tudor.

Thus ended the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, which lasted three decades (1455-1485). Most of the ancient nobles died in the battles. England began to be ruled by Henry VII, the founder of the new Tudor dynasty (1485-1603). Trying to reconcile the Lancastrians and Yorks, Henry VII married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth and combined both roses in his coat of arms.

Having come to power, Henry VII did everything to discredit his former enemy, presenting him as an evil hunchback who paved the way to the throne over the corpses of his relatives. The accusation of cold-blooded murder of his young nephews fell especially hard on Richard. There is no direct evidence of his guilt, and the death of the scions of the House of York was much more beneficial for Henry VII himself than for Richard. The mystery of the disappearance and death of the young princes remains unsolved to this day.

The history of the War of the Roses became the source of the historical chronicles of W. Shakespeare “Henry VI” and “Richard III”, as well as the novel “Black Arrow” by R. L. Stevenson.

Date 1455 1485 Place England Result Victory of the Lancastrians and their minions. Liquidation of the Middle Ages in England... Wikipedia

War of the Scarlet and White Roses- The War of the Scarlet and White Roses... Russian spelling dictionary

War of the Scarlet and White Roses- (in England, 1455–1485) ... Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

War of the Scarlet and White Roses Date 1455 1485 Place England Result Victory of the Lancastrians and their minions. Liquidation of the Middle Ages in England... Wikipedia

A long (1455 85) internecine war of feudal cliques, which took the form of a struggle for the English throne between two lines of the royal Plantagenet dynasty (See Plantagenets): Lancaster (See Lancaster) (scarlet rose in the coat of arms) and York... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

War of the Scarlet and White Roses- (1455 1485) fight for English. the throne between two lateral lines of queens, the Plantagenet dynasty Lancaster (scarlet rose in the coat of arms) and York (white rose in the coat of arms). The confrontation between the Lancasters (the ruling dynasty) and the Yorks (the richest... ... The medieval world in terms, names and titles

1455 85 internecine war in England, for the throne between two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty, Lancaster (scarlet rose in the coat of arms) and York (white rose in the coat of arms). The death in the war of the main representatives of both dynasties and a significant part of the nobility made it easier... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Scarlet and White Roses, war- (Roses, Wars of the) (1455 85), an internecine feud, a war that resulted in a protracted struggle for the English throne, lasted, flaring up and then dying out, for 30 years. Its reason was the rivalry between two contenders for the English throne of Edmund Beaufort... ... The World History

WAR OF THE SCARLET AND WHITE ROSE 1455 85, internecine war for the English throne between the royal dynasties (Plantagenet branches) of Lancaster (scarlet rose in the coat of arms) and York (white rose in the coat of arms). During the war, the Lancastrians (1399 1461) ceded power... ... Modern encyclopedia

Books

R L Stevenson The Black Arrow Tale of the Two Roses English with R L Stevenson The Black Arrow A Tale from the War of the Scarlet and White Roses In 2 parts, a set of 2 books
War of the Roses Petrel, Iggulden K.. 1443. The Hundred Years' War is nearing its end. The forces of England are exhausted, and Henry VI sits on the throne - a pale shadow of his illustrious father, a weak-willed ruler, gradually sliding into...
English with R. L. Stevenson. Black arrow. A Tale from the War of the Scarlet and White Roses. Tutorial. In 2 parts. Part 1, Bessonov A.. All that Dick Shelton has in his young years is a faithful horse, a sharp sword, a warm, brave heart and a couple of friends faithful to the memory of his father. It’s not so little to fight for what’s worthy...

England 15th century. The country is in the midst of an armed conflict for the throne between the related two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty. For more than thirty years, the country passed from hand to hand...

The war ended with the complete destruction of the York and Lancaster dynasties. The throne passed to the Tudors. They ruled England for one hundred and seventeen years. In the bloody mess of the civil war, a huge number of the oldest families of England were killed. Children and wives died.

Causes of the war

England lost the Hundred Years' War with France. The defeat plunged the country into a state of incomprehensible economic chaos. The English feudal lords did not know how to work. They robbed France. And they didn’t know what to do next. And on the throne was the half-mad King Henry VI, Lancaster.

In fact, the country was ruled by a queen, Margaret of Anjou, supported by a group of wealthy Englishmen. This outraged the progressive strata of English society. They knew for sure that England needed free trade and the development of crafts.

Wealthy townspeople and the middle class grumbled. The royal treasury is empty, a huge armed army, returning from the continent after defeat, wanders in a hungry, exhausted country. There is no national idea.

Society is disappointed, the ground is ready for civil strife to begin, and the mechanism of civil war has been launched. England as a state is of no interest to anyone. Everyone just wanted profit. There are two Houses left vying for the throne.

As a result, England was divided into two camps: the Lancastrians became the head of the northern barons, and the Yorks led the more economically stable southeast. The scarlet rose has entered the warpath with the white rose. In addition, the white rose was actively supported by poor nobles, merchants and townspeople.

Richard, Duke of York, on a May day in 1455, defeated the army of the scarlet rose. But thanks to intrigues within his army, he was removed from power. Another riot broke out, in which he again won, capturing the king.

The king's smart, cunning and cruel wife, Margaret of Anjou, stood up for her crazy husband. In battle, the queen was not inferior to men in courage and military skill. She became the symbol of the House of Lancaster instead of her husband.

Rose of York

Rose of Lancaster

Tudor Rose

The War of the Roses brought significant destruction and disaster to the population of England; a large number of representatives of the English feudal aristocracy died during the conflict

In that battle, the knights of the scarlet rose won, and the leader of the white rose died. His head, decorated with a paper crown, adorned the wall of the city of York for some time. The heir, son Edward, led troops and destroyed the Lancastrians near Towton.

The royal couple took refuge in Scotland, and the winner was crowned under the name Edward IV. 40,000 people died in the battle, and the river that flowed nearby was red.

The year was 1464. Edward IV, trying to achieve absolute submission, opposed the Lancastrians in the northern provinces. Having won the victory, he captured the king and locked him in the Tower. The irrepressible desire for power, for the subjugation of the nobility, for the limitation of won freedom, provoked another uprising against the king.

The leapfrog on the throne continues. The king was overthrown and expelled from England in 1470. Henry VI, and therefore Margaret, is again in power. But the year 1471 brought victory to Edward IV over Margaret, supported by France.

The Tower received the deposed king for the last time. He died in captivity. Consolidating power, the king deals with the Lancasters and Yorks. Death calmed and reconciled the king with his opponents. And the throne went to Crown Prince Edward V.

Richard, the brother of the late king, seized power under the pretext of regency over the child king. Brave and ambitious, he sends his nephew and brother to the Tower. No one ever saw them again. The boys' uncle declared himself King Richard III.

The disappearance of boys and the usurpation of power outraged the warring nobility of England. Having reached an agreement with each other with difficulty, they invited Henry Tudor, from the Lancaster clan, who lived on bitter bread at the royal court of France.

Representation of the apocryphal scene in the Temple Gardens in Part I of Henry VI, where supporters of the warring factions choose red and white roses

The adventurer landed on the coast of England with an armed army, and teaming up with the rebels, defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. Henry himself died. The throne went to Henry VII, born Earl of Richmond. On his father's side, he belonged to an ancient Welsh family.

Results of the civil war

Once upon a time, a long time ago, the Earl of Richmond's ancestor had a love affair with the French princess Catherine of Valois. He became the founder of the Tudor dynasty. Consolidating power and hoping for a peaceful outcome, the new king was legally married to the daughter of the late king. Irreconcilable enemies have made peace.

The civil war on the island, accompanied by terrible and cruel executions and murders for thirty years, slowly began to decline. Two ancient royal dynasties perished. The people of the country were exhausted under the yoke of taxes, the treasury was plundered, trade was not profitable, and there was open robbery of the population.

King Louis XI of France

Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold

The feudal aristocracy was destroyed, the confiscated lands now belonged to the king. He bestowed them on the new nobles, merchants, and rich townspeople. This population became the support of the absolute power of the Tudors.

By the way, during the Civil War the names “Scarlet Rose” and “White Rose” were not used. The term began to actively appear in the 19th century, thanks to the light hand of Walter Scott, who found a scene (fictional) in Shakespeare’s play “Henry VI”, where enemies in the church choose different roses.

King Henry Tudor used a red dragon on his banners, and Richard III carried a banner with a white boar. The disgusting system of corrupt, bastard feudalism influenced the beginning of the Thirty Years' War.

Ambitious ambitions, desire for wealth, profitable marriage alliances provided good ground for betrayal and betrayal. Almost every feudal lord had his own private army. England is fragmented into small counties and duchies.

This was the last rampant of feudal anarchy in England. The Tudor dynasty established the absolutism of its own power. The new dynasty gave the world a great ruler, whom the whole world knows about - Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen. The Tudors were in power for 117 years.

The long and bloody feud between the two noblest English families, which went down in history as the “War of the Roses,” brought a new royal dynasty to the throne - the Tudors. The war owes its romantic name to the fact that not the coat of arms of one of the rival parties - the Yorks - featured a white rose, but the coat of arms of their opponents - the Lancasters - a scarlet one.

In the middle of the 15th century. England has fallen on hard times. Having been defeated in the Hundred Years' War, the English nobility, deprived of the opportunity to periodically plunder French lands, plunged into a showdown of internal relations. King Henry VI Lancaster was unable to stop the feuds of the aristocracy. Sick (Henry suffered from bouts of madness) and weak-willed, he almost completely handed over the reins of power to the Dukes of Somerset and Suffolk. The signal that foreshadowed the approach of serious unrest was Jack Cad's rebellion, which broke out in Kent in 1451. The royal troops, however, managed to defeat the rebels, but anarchy in the country was growing.

White starts, but doesn't win.

Richard, Duke of York, decided to take advantage of the situation. In 1451, he tried to increase his influence by opposing the king's all-powerful favorite, the Duke of Somerset. Members of parliament who supported Richard York even dared to proclaim him heir to the throne. However, Henry VI unexpectedly showed firmness and dissolved the rebellious parliament.

In 1453, Henry VI lost his mind as a result of a strong shock. This is the opportunity for Richard to achieve the most important position - protector of the state. But the Disease receded, and the king again ousted his ambitious brother. Not wanting to give up his dreams of the throne, Richard began to gather supporters for a decisive battle. Having concluded an alliance with the Earl of Salisbury and Warwick, who had strong armies, he moved against the king in the spring of 1455. The war of the two roses has begun.

The first battle took place in the small town of St. Albans. Earl Warwick and his detachment entered through the gardens from the rear and struck the royal troops. This decided the outcome of the battle. Many of the king's supporters, including Sommerset, died, and Henry VI himself was captured.

However, Richard's triumph did not last long. Queen Margaret of Anjou, wife of Henry VI, who stood at the head of the supporters of the Scarlet Rose, managed to remove York from power. Richard again rebelled and defeated the Lancastrians at the battles of Blore Heath (September 23, 1459) and Northampton (July 10, 1460), and in the latter battle King Henry was again captured. But Margaret of Anjou, who remained free, unexpectedly attacked Richard and defeated his troops at the Battle of Wakefill (December 30, 1460). Richard himself fell on the battlefield, and his head, wearing a paper crown, was displayed for all to see on the wall of York.

White wins, but not for long.

However, the war was still far from over. Having learned about the death of his father, Richard's son Edward, Earl of March, forms a new army in the Welsh possessions of York. Forces are gathering in the Wigmore and Ledlo area. On February 3, 1461, the two armies met in a decisive battle at Mortimer's Cross (Herefordshire). The supporters of the White Rose won an undoubted victory. The Lancastrians left the battlefield with 3,000 casualties.

Meanwhile, Queen Margaret of Anjou, with Henry VI's only heir, Prince Edward, and a huge army, rushed to the rescue of her husband. Having unexpectedly attacked the enemy, in February of the same year she defeated the White Rose supporter Earl of Warwick in St. Albans and freed her husband.

Inspired by the victory, Margarita decides to unite with the army of Jasper Tudor and march on London. And the Earl of March and Warwick head towards the Allied camp in the Cotswolds. Only by a miracle did the Scarlet and White manage to avoid a meeting, which would have been extremely undesirable primarily for the Yorks. Entering London, the queen's army began to loot and terrorize the townspeople. Eventually, riots began in the city, and when March and Warwick approached the capital, Londoners joyfully opened the gates to them. On 4 March 1461, Edward March was proclaimed King Edward IV, and on 29 March he dealt a crushing blow to the Lancastrians at the Battle of Towton. The deposed king and his wife are forced to flee to Scotland.

Backed by France, Henry VI still had supporters in the north of England, but they were defeated in 1464 and the king was imprisoned again.

White WINS.

At this moment, strife begins in the White Rose camp. The Earl of Warwick, who leads the Neville clan, teams up with Edward's brother Duke of Clarence and raises a rebellion against the newly enthroned king. They defeat the troops of Edward IV, and he himself is captured. But, flattered by tempting promises, Warwick releases the king. Edward does not keep his promises, and enmity between former like-minded people flares up with renewed vigor. On July 26, 1469, at Edgecote, Warwick defeated the royal army commanded by the Earl of Pembroke and executed the latter along with his brother Sir Richard Herbert. Now Warwick, through the mediation of King Louis XI of France, goes over to the side of the Lancastrians, but just a year later he is defeated and dies at the Battle of Barnet.

Margaret of Anjou returns home from France just on the day of defeat. The news from London shocked the queen, but her determination did not leave her. Having gathered an army, Margaret leads it to the Welsh border to join the army of Jasper Tudor. But Edward IV overtakes the Scarlets and defeats them in the battle of Tewksbury. Margarita is captured; the only heir, Henry VI, fell on the battlefield; the latter died (or was killed) in captivity that same year. Edward IV RETURNED TO LONDON, AND THE COUNTRY WAS RELATIVELY CALM UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1483.

White and scarlet roses on one coat of arms

A new drama unfolds with the death of the king. Edward's brother, Richard Gloucester, joins the struggle for power. According to the law, the throne had to pass to the son of the deceased monarch - the young Edward V. Lord Rivers, the queen's brother, sought to speed up the coronation. However, Richard managed to intercept Rivers with the young heir and his younger brother on the way to London. Rivers was beheaded and the princes were taken to the Tower. Later, the uncle apparently ordered the murder of his nephews. He himself takes possession of the crown under the name of Richard III. This act makes him so unpopular that the Lancasters regain hope. Together with the offended Yorks, they unite around Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, a distant relative of the Lancastrians who lived in France.

In August 1485, Henry Tudor landed at Milford Haven, passed through Wales unmolested and joined forces with his followers. Richard III was defeated by their united army at the Battle of Bosworth on August 22, 1485. The usurper king was killed in this battle. Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor dynasty, ascended the English throne. Having married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth, the heiress of York, he combined scarlet and white roses in his coat of arms.

Source – Large illustrated encyclopedia

War of the Roses – “The Wars of the Roses” – Tudors updated: September 11, 2017 by: website