What were the Wars of the Roses all about?
- Published
The Wars of the Roses are some of the most notorious battles to have taken place in British history. They were a series of civil wars which occurred between two rival families from the royal House of Plantagenet; the House of York and the House of Lancaster.
The House of Plantagenet, also called the house of Anjou or Angevin dynasty, ruled in England from 1154 to 1485. It provided 14 kings in total and six belonged to the cadet houses of Lancaster and York.
Both the House of York and the House of Lancaster were after the same thing - control of the throne in England. This led to a bloody series of civil wars.
The collective name for the wars came about many years after they took place. It came from the badges belonging to the two houses. The House of Lancaster was represented by a red rose and the House of York was represented by a white one.
The Wars of the Roses began after the English were defeated by the French during what became known as the Hundred Years War. Rival nobles sought to gain control of the English throne from Lancastrian Henry VI who was considered a weak king.
There were 12 separate battles which took place between 1455 and 1487. During that period, three kings were removed from power, with two of them dying during battle.
The wars eventually ended in 1485. The final victory went to Lancastrian Henry Tudor and he become Henry VII. He was the father of the infamous king known for beheading two of his wives - Henry VIII!
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