Roses Battles: Spanning a full thirty years, the Wars of the Roses were fought between two of the noblest and powerful families in the whole of England. These families were known as the House of Lancaster and the House of York. In 1399 The Duke of Lancaster, Henry Bolingbroke overthrew his cousin King Richard II and took the throne for himself.
This sparked the feud between the two families. Both families had clear right to claim the throne as they were both of Plantagenet blood and could trace their descent back to King Edward III. It is known as the Wars of the Roses as each house had a rose for the emblem, a red rose for the House of Lancaster and a white rose for the House of York.
What were the Battles of the Wars of the Roses?
There were twelve heavily fought battles during the extent of the Wars of the Roses, which saw the loss of a great deal of life. Much of the nobility in England was wiped out at the time, though the war itself had little impact on other things going on in England at the time such as trade and industry.
There were minimal losses to the general population too as the majority of people in the country were outside of the scope of the battle unless part of the forces of the warring factions. Six of the battles that took place during this time had a major impact on the progress of the war.
Battle of Bosworth Field
These were the Battle of St Albans in 1455; the Battle of Northampton in 1460; the Battle of Wakefield in 1460; the Battle of Barnet and the Battle of Tewkesbury which both took place in 1471 and the final battle of them all; the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 which saw the death of King Richard III and the ascent to the throne of Henry Tudor from the House of Lancaster.
The Wars of the Roses took place between 1455 – 1485, they were triggered by the desire of two families to claim the throne of England. It was a time of civil unrest in the country, both families had a rightful claim to the throne. Many of the lords of the lands had their own private armies which they pledged to either the House of Lancaster or the House of York.
Wars of the Roses Facts
Despite the Yorkists claiming victory in the majority of battles that took place, the overall victory fell to the House of Lancaster when Richard III lost to Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. This saw England’s crown returned to the House of Lancaster with Henry Tudor being crowned King Henry VII in June 1487.
His marriage to Elizabeth of York united the two warring factions and brought about an end to the Wars of the Roses. It marked the beginning of one of the most interesting times in English history, the reign of the Tudor Dynasty and the beginning of the Age of Discovery.
More Info On- Lancaster Rose Emblem, King Richard III Family Tree, King Henry VIII Accomplishments
