The Wars of the Roses Overview

This video is brought to you by Captivating History. The Wars of the Roses refers to the 15th-century fight for the English throne between two male lines in the royal house of Plantagenet, the House of Lancaster, and the House of York. This was the real-life Game of Thrones, and in fact, it was George R.R. Martin's inspiration for the books. While sometimes called a war, it was, in reality, a series of small battles, as well as a smattering of executions, murders, plots, and more. and general intrigue. The term the Wars of the Roses was coined hundreds of years after the actual event, stemming from the emblems of the two houses. During the 14th century, the First Duke of York, Edmund of Langley, adopted the symbol of the white rose. His elder brother, John Gaunt, the First Duke of Lancaster, used a red rose as his heraldic badge. It was their descendants who would start these famous wars. It is tempting to see the Wars of the Roses as a neat package of relative events. However, they probably didn't see him as cohesive at the time as they do when retelling the story. The wars lasted for 32 years, during which there was plenty of family feuding and changes of allegiance, sometimes even mid-battle. Back in middle-age Britain, the throne was thought to be appointed by God, usually effectuated by some lucky lad being born into the role. However, with so many descendants born, rivals often felt that they had a legitimate claim to the monarch's role, more so than others. Therefore, murder and war became acceptable strategies for becoming king. After all, if God wanted you to be king, he would allow you to succeed in killing off your rivals. A contributing factor to the power struggles was that estate owners could call their servants to military service and amass great wealth. Anyone with enough money and a link to the royal family could legitimately fight for the throne. This led to a powerful war between the royal family and the royal family. powder keg of people vying for power. When the Wars of the Roses began, the House of Lancaster ruled. Some argue that it was the incompetence of the Lancastrian King Henry VI and the ambition of Richard, Duke of York, that led to the wars. Other factors included rivalry amongst the nobility, a diminished economy, and disagreements over England's relationship with France. When Henry VI's father died in 1422, he became king before he had even reached his first birthday. This meant a ruling council would govern England until Henry VI came of age, and this ruling council was hungry for personal power. They were also the people responsible for raising the young king, and they didn't do a great job of preparing him to be a noble leader. Henry VI reached his early twenties as the Hundred Year Wars with France was ending. He married Margaret of Anjou, who was the niece of the King of France, as part of the negotiations, causing more tension amongst the power-hungry English barons who wanted to continue waging war with France. Henry VI seemed utterly uninterested in warfare, and some believed he was too heavily influenced by his French wife. In 1453, England lost the Hundred Years'War, and Henry VI took it badly, so badly that he could not move, speak, or recognize anyone. Then up steps Richard, Duke of York. Richard was only to be the protector of the realm, but as Henry VI had no children, Richard pushed to become his heir. He had the right pedigree as, like Henry VI, he was the great-grandson of King Edward III of England. He was also very wealthy and had the support of powerful families. He was regarded as someone who could restore England's economy and military prowess. One person who did not like Richard was Henry VI's wife, Queen Margaret. There was also another descendant of Edward III with his eyes on the throne, Edmund Beaufort, the Earl of Somerset. The battle between Richard and Edmund Beaufort. kicked off the Wars of the Roses on May 22, 1455. Richard was victorious. Queen Margaret proved to be more of a match as she led Henry VI's armies against Richard and defeated him at the Battle of Ludford Bridge in 1459, forcing him to flee to Ireland. In July of 1460, Richard's son, Edward, defeated Queen Margaret at Northampton. Prompting his father's return, Richard finally managed to persuade Henry, imprisoned in the Tower of London, to go to London. to name him as heir. However, his luck had run out, as later that year, Richard was killed at the Battle of Wakefield, having never been crowned king. Despite this outcome, the wars did not die with Richard. His son Edward took up the cause, winning the Battle of Towton just three months after his father had died in March of 1461. This was the longest and largest battle in English history, resulting in the deposition of Henry VI, leaving Edward IV to become the first Yorkist king. Edward IV ruled for nine years before the Lancastrians made a comeback. In 1470, his ally, the Earl of Warwick, aka the Kingmaker, turned against him and reinstated Henry VI to the throne. The following year, Edward won back the throne at the battles of Barnet and Tewksbury. Having lost her only son in battle, Queen Margaret was captured and imprisoned, and Edward IV subsequently murdered Henry VI in the Tower of London. Warwick was also killed. and Edward IV did away with anyone he considered disloyal, including his brother George. Despite this, the remainder of Edward IV's reign was relatively peaceful and brought stability to both the country and the economy. But the Wars of the Roses did not end there. While Edward IV could have been considered a successful ruler, the focus would now shift to his other brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Richard had his eyes on the prize, and although he had supported Edward IV in battle, he took the risk of losing the war. He was also a great man, and he was a great He disagreed with him about killing their brother and disliked Edward's policy of peace with France. When Edward IV died suddenly at 41, he left his 12-year-old son as his successor. The young prince and his brother would become well-known as the infamous Princes in the Tower. They were imprisoned, and some say killed, by their uncle Richard, who then crowned himself King Richard III in 1483. The prince's disappearance and the subsequent bad press about Richard, was exactly what the Lancastrians had been waiting for. Yet another descendant of Edward III came on to the scene in the personage of Henry Tudor. He did not have as strong a royal connection as Richard, but as Henry VI had no surviving descendants, the Lancastrians would have to make do. Henry Tudor allied himself with anyone unhappy with Richard III, including former Yorkish supporters and the new French king Charles VIII. In 1484, Richard III's son Edward died, leaving the king without an heir. The Lancastrians saw an opportunity to depose the Yorkists and, accompanied by an army of French mercenaries, marched to meet Richard III's army at Bosworth Field. Along their way, they picked up many allies, increasing their numbers as they went. The Battle of Bosworth took place in August 1485 and has been immortalized in William Shakespeare's play Richard III. During this pivotal battle, several of Richard III's allies turned against him. some by not participating in the battle at all, and others actively switching sides mid-skirmish. The most notable was Sir William Stanley, whose nephew was held hostage by Richard III, and Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland, who would wait until he saw a winner before deciding whose side he was on. Richard III was determined to kill Henry Tudor himself, and this foolhardy act brought about his downfall. From his position at the top of the hill, he saw Henry at the back of his line. with only a few troops protecting him, he decided to try ending the battle quickly, riding down the hill toward Henry with heavy cavalry. His horse was cut from under him, and his fate sealed when William Stanley switched allegiance and cut him off from the rest of his troops. Richard III became the last English king to die in battle, and the first since William the Conqueror in 1066. Such contempt was shown for him that his body was displayed naked in a church near Newark. before being unceremoniously buried at Greyfriars Abbey in Leicester. In 2012, his skeleton was discovered under a parking lot and was identified through DNA testing. The wars officially ended in 1486 when Lancastrian Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, symbolically combining the red and white rose to make a new emblem, the Tudor Rose. Despite this symbolic unity, there were several uprisings and attempts to restore the House of York to the throne. Some historians consider the Battle of Stokefield in July of 1487 to be the last conflict of the Wars of the Roses. Upon this final triumph, Henry VII broke with the traditions of the bloody wars and pardoned or imprisoned the captured Yorkists. Instead of executing York loyalists, he fined them, weakening them financially, thus securing his ultimate victory. To learn more about the Wars of the Roses, check out our book, The Wars of the Roses, A Capital War. captivating guide to the English civil wars that brought down the Plantagenet dynasty and put the Tudors on the throne. It's available as an e-book, paperback, and audiobook. Also, grab your free mythology bundle e-book while still available. All links are in the description. If you enjoyed the video, please hit the like button and subscribe for more videos like this.

While sometimes called a war, it was, in reality, a series of small battles, as well as a smattering of executions, murders, plots, and more. and general intrigue. The term the Wars of the Roses was coined hundreds of years after the actual event, stemming from the emblems of the two houses.

During the 14th century, the First Duke of York, Edmund of Langley, adopted the symbol of the white rose. His elder brother, John Gaunt, the First Duke of Lancaster, used a red rose as his heraldic badge. It was their descendants who would start these famous wars. It is tempting to see the Wars of the Roses as a neat package of relative events.

However, they probably didn't see him as cohesive at the time as they do when retelling the story. The wars lasted for 32 years, during which there was plenty of family feuding and changes of allegiance, sometimes even mid-battle. Back in middle-age Britain, the throne was thought to be appointed by God, usually effectuated by some lucky lad being born into the role.

However, with so many descendants born, rivals often felt that they had a legitimate claim to the monarch's role, more so than others. Therefore, murder and war became acceptable strategies for becoming king. After all, if God wanted you to be king, he would allow you to succeed in killing off your rivals.

A contributing factor to the power struggles was that estate owners could call their servants to military service and amass great wealth. Anyone with enough money and a link to the royal family could legitimately fight for the throne. This led to a powerful war between the royal family and the royal family.

powder keg of people vying for power. When the Wars of the Roses began, the House of Lancaster ruled. Some argue that it was the incompetence of the Lancastrian King Henry VI and the ambition of Richard, Duke of York, that led to the wars. Other factors included rivalry amongst the nobility, a diminished economy, and disagreements over England's relationship with France.

When Henry VI's father died in 1422, he became king before he had even reached his first birthday. This meant a ruling council would govern England until Henry VI came of age, and this ruling council was hungry for personal power. They were also the people responsible for raising the young king, and they didn't do a great job of preparing him to be a noble leader.

Henry VI reached his early twenties as the Hundred Year Wars with France was ending. He married Margaret of Anjou, who was the niece of the King of France, as part of the negotiations, causing more tension amongst the power-hungry English barons who wanted to continue waging war with France. Henry VI seemed utterly uninterested in warfare, and some believed he was too heavily influenced by his French wife. In 1453, England lost the Hundred Years'War, and Henry VI took it badly, so badly that he could not move, speak, or recognize anyone.

Then up steps Richard, Duke of York. Richard was only to be the protector of the realm, but as Henry VI had no children, Richard pushed to become his heir. He had the right pedigree as, like Henry VI, he was the great-grandson of King Edward III of England. He was also very wealthy and had the support of powerful families.

He was regarded as someone who could restore England's economy and military prowess. One person who did not like Richard was Henry VI's wife, Queen Margaret. There was also another descendant of Edward III with his eyes on the throne, Edmund Beaufort, the Earl of Somerset. The battle between Richard and Edmund Beaufort. kicked off the Wars of the Roses on May 22, 1455. Richard was victorious.

Queen Margaret proved to be more of a match as she led Henry VI's armies against Richard and defeated him at the Battle of Ludford Bridge in 1459, forcing him to flee to Ireland. In July of 1460, Richard's son, Edward, defeated Queen Margaret at Northampton. Prompting his father's return, Richard finally managed to persuade Henry, imprisoned in the Tower of London, to go to London. to name him as heir. However, his luck had run out, as later that year, Richard was killed at the Battle of Wakefield, having never been crowned king.

Despite this outcome, the wars did not die with Richard. His son Edward took up the cause, winning the Battle of Towton just three months after his father had died in March of 1461. This was the longest and largest battle in English history, resulting in the deposition of Henry VI, leaving Edward IV to become the first Yorkist king. Edward IV ruled for nine years before the Lancastrians made a comeback. In 1470, his ally, the Earl of Warwick, aka the Kingmaker, turned against him and reinstated Henry VI to the throne.

The following year, Edward won back the throne at the battles of Barnet and Tewksbury. Having lost her only son in battle, Queen Margaret was captured and imprisoned, and Edward IV subsequently murdered Henry VI in the Tower of London. Warwick was also killed. and Edward IV did away with anyone he considered disloyal, including his brother George.

Despite this, the remainder of Edward IV's reign was relatively peaceful and brought stability to both the country and the economy. But the Wars of the Roses did not end there. While Edward IV could have been considered a successful ruler, the focus would now shift to his other brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

Richard had his eyes on the prize, and although he had supported Edward IV in battle, he took the risk of losing the war. He was also a great man, and he was a great He disagreed with him about killing their brother and disliked Edward's policy of peace with France. When Edward IV died suddenly at 41, he left his 12-year-old son as his successor.

The young prince and his brother would become well-known as the infamous Princes in the Tower. They were imprisoned, and some say killed, by their uncle Richard, who then crowned himself King Richard III in 1483. The prince's disappearance and the subsequent bad press about Richard, was exactly what the Lancastrians had been waiting for. Yet another descendant of Edward III came on to the scene in the personage of Henry Tudor. He did not have as strong a royal connection as Richard, but as Henry VI had no surviving descendants, the Lancastrians would have to make do.

Henry Tudor allied himself with anyone unhappy with Richard III, including former Yorkish supporters and the new French king Charles VIII. In 1484, Richard III's son Edward died, leaving the king without an heir. The Lancastrians saw an opportunity to depose the Yorkists and, accompanied by an army of French mercenaries, marched to meet Richard III's army at Bosworth Field. Along their way, they picked up many allies, increasing their numbers as they went.

The Battle of Bosworth took place in August 1485 and has been immortalized in William Shakespeare's play Richard III. During this pivotal battle, several of Richard III's allies turned against him. some by not participating in the battle at all, and others actively switching sides mid-skirmish. The most notable was Sir William Stanley, whose nephew was held hostage by Richard III, and Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland, who would wait until he saw a winner before deciding whose side he was on.

Richard III was determined to kill Henry Tudor himself, and this foolhardy act brought about his downfall. From his position at the top of the hill, he saw Henry at the back of his line. with only a few troops protecting him, he decided to try ending the battle quickly, riding down the hill toward Henry with heavy cavalry.

His horse was cut from under him, and his fate sealed when William Stanley switched allegiance and cut him off from the rest of his troops. Richard III became the last English king to die in battle, and the first since William the Conqueror in 1066. Such contempt was shown for him that his body was displayed naked in a church near Newark. before being unceremoniously buried at Greyfriars Abbey in Leicester. In 2012, his skeleton was discovered under a parking lot and was identified through DNA testing. The wars officially ended in 1486 when Lancastrian Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, symbolically combining the red and white rose to make a new emblem, the Tudor Rose.

Despite this symbolic unity, there were several uprisings and attempts to restore the House of York to the throne. Some historians consider the Battle of Stokefield in July of 1487 to be the last conflict of the Wars of the Roses. Upon this final triumph, Henry VII broke with the traditions of the bloody wars and pardoned or imprisoned the captured Yorkists. Instead of executing York loyalists, he fined them, weakening them financially, thus securing his ultimate victory. To learn more about the Wars of the Roses, check out our book, The Wars of the Roses, A Capital War.

captivating guide to the English civil wars that brought down the Plantagenet dynasty and put the Tudors on the throne. It's available as an e-book, paperback, and audiobook. Also, grab your free mythology bundle e-book while still available.

All links are in the description. If you enjoyed the video, please hit the like button and subscribe for more videos like this.

Transcript for:The Wars of the Roses Overview

Transcript for:
The Wars of the Roses Overview