May 22 - The Wars of the Roses Begin

This Day in History: 22 May 2020

 

22 May 1455

 

565 years ago, today, the Wars of the Roses began, marked by the defeat of King Henry VI's forces at the Battle of St. Albans. This war encompassed the dynastic struggles between the House of York and the House of Lancaster, which stretched on for 30 years. The first Lancastrian king was Henry IV, whose reign saw widespread rebellion and lawlessness. His son, Henry V, was more successful abroad, gaining many French lands. However, these were lost by the next king, Henry VI, who had few kingly qualities and lost the lands acquired in France. He later lapsed into insanity, causing Parliament to appoint Richard, Duke of York, as the realm's protector. Henry later dismissed York once he had recovered, but York retaliated with an army marching to London, engaging in battle against Henry at St. Albans.

 

This battle lasted less than an hour, resulting in Yorkist victory, and Henry was captured by the Yorkists. The Wars of the Roses also oversaw the bloodiest war on English soil, the Battle of Towton, resulting in Lancastrian victory in March 1461. The series of battles was not over until Lancastrian Henry Tudor defeated Yorkist Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, establishing the Tudor dynasty and preventing further disruption and discontent in the realm. Through Henry's marriage to Edward IV's daughter, Elizabeth of York, the two houses of York and Lancaster were finally united. However, some historians view the unsuccessful rebellion against Henry, led by pretender Lambert Simnel, in 1487 as the final battle in the Wars of the Roses. The years of violence and unrest left little mark on the English common people but severely thinned the ranks of the nobility.

 

Want to find out more about the Wars of the Roses? Click here for more information, or here for an informative video explaining and outlining the events.