This article contains close paraphrasing of a non-free copyrighted source, Alison Weir's 'Lancaster and York'. Ideas in this article should be expressed in an original manner. More details may be available on the. (March 2014)Wars of the RosesPainting by in 1908 of the historically apocryphal scene in the Temple Garden, from Shakespeare's play, where supporters of the rival factions pick either red or white rosesDate1455–1485LocationEngland, Wales, CalaisResult. Initial Yorkist Victories and substantial periods of Kingship. Final Lancastrian Victory. Founding of theBelligerentsHouse of YorkCommanders and leadersEdward IV of England.The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal: the houses of and York (whose heraldic symbols were the red and the white rose, respectively) for the.

War of the Roses is episode 9 of season 1 of Fuller House. After 1,000 roses show up without a card, D.J., Kimmy, and Stephanie must figure out which one of them has a secret admirer. Cosmo begins to hoard items from the house, including the note that was delivered with the flowers. In 1989, The War of the Roses was translated from novel to film, proving to be a huge success both financially and critically. citation needed The film starred Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner and was directed by Danny DeVito, who also co-starred.

They were fought in several sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1485, although there was related fighting both before and after this period. They resulted from the social and financial troubles following the. The final victory went to a relatively remote Lancastrian claimant, who defeated the last Yorkist king and married Edward IV's daughter to unite the two houses.

The subsequently ruled until 1603. The of theThe name 'Wars of the Roses' refers to the associated with the two royal houses, the and the. It came into common use in the nineteenth century after the publication of. Scott based the name on a scene in William Shakespeare's play, set in the gardens of the Temple Church, where a number of noblemen and a lawyer pick red or white roses to show their loyalty to the Lancastrian or Yorkist faction respectively. The Yorkist faction used the symbol of the white rose from early in the conflict, but the Lancastrian red rose was apparently introduced only after the victory of Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth, when it was combined with the Yorkist white rose to form the, which symbolised the union of the two houses.Most of the participants in the wars wore associated with their immediate lords or patrons under the prevailing system of so-called '. For example, Henry Tudor's forces at Bosworth fought under the banner of a, while the Yorkist army used Richard III's of a.Though the names of the rival houses derive from the cities of York and Lancaster, the corresponding duchies had little to do with these cities. The lands and offices attached to the Duchy of Lancaster were mainly in Gloucestershire, North Wales and Cheshire, while estates and castles that were part of the Duchy of York (and the, which Richard of York also inherited) were spread throughout England, though many were in the Welsh Marches.

Summary of eventsA near-contemporary Flemish picture of the in 1471.had established the House of Lancaster on the throne in 1399 when he deposed his cousin and was crowned as Henry IV. Bolingbroke's son maintained the family's hold on the crown, but when Henry V died in 1422, his heir was the infant. The Lancastrian claim to the throne descended from, the third surviving son of. Henry VI's right to the crown was challenged by, who could claim descent from Edward's second and fourth surviving sons,.

Richard of York, who had held several important offices of state, quarrelled with prominent Lancastrians at court and with Henry VI's queen,.Although armed clashes had occurred previously between supporters of York and Lancaster, the first open fighting broke out in 1455 at the. Several prominent Lancastrians died, but their heirs continued a deadly with Richard.

Although peace was temporarily restored, the Lancastrians were inspired by Margaret of Anjou to contest York's influence. Fighting resumed more violently in 1459.

York and his supporters were forced to flee the country, but one of his most prominent supporters, the, invaded England from Calais and captured Henry at the.York returned to the country and became Protector of England, but was dissuaded from claiming the throne. Margaret and the irreconcilable Lancastrian nobles gathered their forces in the north of England, and when York moved north to suppress them, he and his second son Edmund were killed at the in December 1460. The Lancastrian army advanced south and released Henry at the, but failed to occupy London, and subsequently retreated to the north. York's eldest son, Edward, Earl of March, was proclaimed King Edward IV. He gathered the Yorkist armies and won a crushing victory at the in March 1461.After Lancastrian revolts in the north were suppressed in 1464 and Henry was captured once again, Edward fell out with his chief supporter and advisor, the Earl of Warwick (known as the 'Kingmaker'), and also alienated many friends and even family members by favouring the family of his queen, whom he had married in secret. Warwick tried first to supplant Edward with his younger brother, and then to restore Henry VI to the throne.

This resulted in two years of rapid changes of fortune, before Edward IV once again won complete victories at (April 1471), where Warwick was killed, and (May 1471) where the Lancastrian heir, was executed after the battle. Henry was murdered in the several days later, ending the direct Lancastrian line of succession.A period of comparative peace followed, but King Edward died unexpectedly in 1483. His surviving brother, first moved to prevent the unpopular Woodville family of Edward's widow from participating in the government during the minority of Edward's son, and then seized the throne for himself, using the suspect legitimacy of Edward IV's marriage as pretext., a distant relative of the Lancastrian kings who had inherited their claim, defeated Richard at in 1485. He was crowned Henry VII, and married, daughter of Edward IV, to unite and reconcile the two houses.Yorkist revolts, directed by and others, flared up in 1487 under the banner of the pretender, who claimed to be (son of George of Clarence), resulting in the last pitched battles. Although most of the surviving descendants of Richard of York were imprisoned, sporadic rebellions continued until 1497 when, who claimed to be the of Edward V, one of the two disappeared, was imprisoned and later executed.Origins of the conflict The state of the realmThis was a period when kings of England claimed and were believed by their people to be the 'Lord's anointed', directed and guided by the hand of God.

It was considered that the king had a duty to defend his people and to uphold the law of the land, but the way he fulfilled these functions was entirely dependent, in practice, on the character of the individual sovereign. Although the king still wielded vast personal power, the complexity of government in a nation of some 3 million people had led to increasing delegation of power through a growing number of state departments.The rule of male primogeniture generally applied to the royal succession. Since, caused by the death of King in 1135 without a male heir, was brought to an end by the accession of his grandson, no major problems had arisen with this approach. From the deposition of in 1399 to the end of the fifteenth century, however, the crown was the focus of discontent, partly because of the rise of what, writing in the 1460s, called 'the over-mighty subject'. Owing largely to the number of sons produced by King Edward III, too many leading subjects had a claim to the throne or aspired to be the power behind it.(depicted c.

1390)The prime movers in the Wars of the Roses were members of the, including royal dukes, marquesses and earls (relatively few in number), and a greater number of barons, knights and landed gentry. Many controlled huge estates and enjoyed political alliances that put at their disposal large numbers of feudal retainers and tenants; in addition, the practice of keeping large numbers of paid men-at-arms (known as 'maintenance') increased a nobleman's prestige, often measured in terms of his 'affinity', (i.e., those bound by contract to serve him), who wore his 'livery' (a uniform and badge) and accompanied him on military campaigns. In return, the nobleman paid pensions, provided protection and granted financial rewards.

Through ', the decline of feudalism in the wake of the was replaced by an unofficial system whereby the nobleman was served by liveried retainers under contract or indenture. Since kings relied upon their nobles to furnish them with troops when necessary, it was in their interests to maintain good relations with the aristocracy and gentry who, if provoked, could compete with them in terms of armed strength. Likewise, a king was duty bound to prevent power struggles between his lords, since these could impact the stability of the realm in addition to the threat to his own position that they presented. Following defeat in the Hundred Years' War, English landowners complained vociferously about the financial losses resulting from the loss of their continental holdings; this is often considered a contributory cause of the Wars of the Roses.At the same time, the middle class was growing more prosperous and influential through its mercantile interests. The slow decline of the wool trade after 1450 was offset by increased demand from abroad, not only for woollen cloth, but for tin, lead, leather and other products. Calais, which remained in English hands after the rest of England's French territories were lost in 1453, was the chief wool market, attracting merchants from all over Europe. The importance of retaining Calais was therefore crucial for the nation's continued prosperity.

During the Wars of the Roses, however, Calais also came to be seen as a potential place of refuge for those who had fallen from power, and even as a springboard for the potential invasion of England.The lower classes, heavily influenced by the teachings of the and increasingly prepared to question the established order, began to show a lessening of respect for authority and the law, which contributed to the general atmosphere of unrest. From the beginning of reign in 1422, complaints about corruption, public disorder, riots and the maladministration of justice, became widespread. One of the biggest threats to law and order came from soldiers returning from the wars in France. Short of money, accustomed to violence, and now freed from military discipline, many took to a life of and law-breaking.

Some of these entered the service of noblemen as part of their private armies. Although the King's Council governed the country in the name of the young king, it was unable to control the magnates. The chronicler wrote: 'In every shire, with jacks and sallets clean, misrule doth rise and maketh neighbours war'. Most criminals appear to have got away with their crimes. Of those who were caught, many were acquitted while others were granted pardons issued in the name of Henry VI.The rules of military engagement changed as civil war succeeded overseas campaigns. It was customary for the heavy cavalry to fight entirely on foot.

In several cases, noblemen dismounted and fought among the common foot-soldiers, to inspire them and to dispel the notion that in the case of defeat they might be ransomed while the common soldiers, being of little value, faced death. It was often claimed, however, that the nobles faced greater risks than the ordinary soldiers. The Burgundian observer reported that once Edward IV had seen that victory was certain on the battlefield, he would call out that the fleeing common soldiers would be spared, but no mercy would be shown to the lords. There was little incentive for anyone to take prisoner any high-ranking noble during or immediately after a battle. During the Hundred Years' War against France, a captured noble would be able to ransom himself for a large sum, but in the Wars of the Roses, a noble who belonged to a defeated faction would be declared attainted, and therefore possessing no property, and of no value to his captor.

Disputed successionThe 'race of powerful magnates' was created by in the fourteenth century. Edward and his wife had thirteen children, including five sons who grew to maturity. Edward arranged strong marriages for them with English heiresses and created the first ever English dukedoms: Cornwall, Clarence, York and Gloucester. The descendants of these dukes would 'ultimately challenge each other for the throne itself'.Edward III was succeeded in 1377 by his nine-year-old grandson, whose father, had died in 1376. Edward III's second son, the first Duke of Clarence, had also predeceased him and left one daughter, who became heiress presumptive to Richard II.

Philippa married, but the couple died within a month of each other in 1381. The childless Richard II named their son, as his heir presumptive, but Roger Mortimer too died, in 1398, leaving a young son,.

When the Black Prince's line failed, primogeniture would have dictated the crown passing to Edmund Mortimer, as the descendant of Lionel of Antwerp. When Richard II's throne was usurped by his cousin, the normal line of succession was by-passed and this was a crucial issue in what became known as the Wars of the Roses.Richard II's government became highly unpopular outside of his strongholds in Cheshire and Wales, and he exiled Bolingbroke, the son of Edward III's third son. When Bolingbroke returned from exile in 1399, initially to reclaim his rights as Duke of Lancaster, he took advantage of the support of most of the nobles to depose Richard and was crowned King Henry IV.

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There was little support for the counter-claim of the young Edmund Mortimer, but the Mortimer family's claim to the throne was a pretext for the major rebellion of in Wales, and other, less successful, revolts in Cheshire and Northumberland.Henry IV's son and successor, inherited a temporarily pacified nation, and his military success against France in the bolstered his popularity, enabling him to strengthen the Lancastrian hold on the throne. Nevertheless, one notable conspiracy against Henry took place during his nine-year reign: the, led by, a son of, the fourth son of Edward III.

Cambridge was executed in 1415, for treason, at the start of the campaign that led to the. Cambridge's wife, who had died in 1411, was the daughter of Roger Mortimer and thus a descendant of Lionel of Antwerp. Her brother Edmund, Earl of March, who had loyally supported Henry, died childless in 1425 and his claim and titles thus passed to Anne's descendants., the son of Cambridge and Anne Mortimer, was four years old at the time of his father's execution. Although Cambridge was attainted, Henry later allowed Richard to inherit the title and lands of Cambridge's elder brother, who had died fighting alongside Henry at Agincourt and had no issue. Henry, who had three younger brothers and was himself in his prime and recently married, had no doubt that the Lancastrian right to the crown was secure.

Henry's premature death led to his only son coming to the throne as an infant and the country being ruled by regents. Henry V's younger brothers produced no surviving legitimate issue, leaving only distant cousins (the ) as alternative Lancaster heirs, and thus Richard of York's claim to the throne became more significant, placing him in a position to threaten the weak King Henry VI.Henry VIHenry V died unexpectedly in 1422 and his son, King, ascended the throne as an infant only nine months old. After the death of his uncle, in 1435, he was surrounded by quarrelsome councillors and advisors. Henry's surviving paternal uncle, sought to be named Protector and deliberately courted the popularity of the common people for his own ends, but was opposed by and, who were blamed for mismanaging the government and poorly executing the continuing with France. Under Henry VI, virtually all English holdings in France, including the land won by Henry V, were lost.Suffolk eventually succeeded in having Humphrey of Gloucester arrested for treason. Humphrey died while awaiting trial in prison at in 1447.

Some authorities date the start of the War of the Roses from the death of Humphrey. However, with severe reverses in France, Suffolk was stripped of office and was murdered on his way to exile. Succeeded him as leader of the party seeking peace with France. The Duke of York, who had succeeded Bedford as Lieutenant in France, meanwhile represented those who wished to prosecute the war more vigorously, and criticised the court, and Somerset in particular, for starving him of funds and men during his campaigns in France. In all these quarrels, Henry VI had taken little part.

He was seen as a weak, ineffectual king. In addition, he suffered from episodes of mental illness that he may have inherited from his grandfather Charles VI of France. By 1450 many considered Henry incapable of carrying out the duties and responsibilities of a king.Henry VIIn 1450, there was a violent popular revolt in Kent, 's rebellion. The grievances were extortion by some of the king's officials and the failure of the courts to protect the local property-owners of all classes. The rebels occupied parts of London, but were driven out by the citizens after some of them fell to looting. The rebels dispersed after they were supposedly pardoned but several, including Cade, were later executed.Two years later, Richard of York returned to England from his new post as Lieutenant of Ireland and marched on London, demanding Somerset's removal and reform of the government. At this stage, few of the nobles supported such drastic action, and York was forced to submit to superior force at Blackheath.

He was imprisoned for much of 1452 and 1453 but was released after swearing not to take arms against the court.The increasing discord at court was mirrored in the country as a whole, where noble families engaged in private feuds and showed increasing disrespect for the royal authority and for the courts of law. The was the best-known of these private wars, but others were being conducted freely. In many cases they were fought between old-established families, and formerly minor nobility raised in power and influence by Henry IV in the aftermath of the rebellions against him. The quarrel between the Percys—long the Earls of Northumberland—and the comparatively upstart Nevilles followed this pattern, as did the feud between the Courtenays and Bonvilles in Cornwall and Devon.

A factor in these feuds was the presence of large numbers of soldiers discharged from the English armies that had been defeated in France. Nobles engaged many of these to mount raids, or to pack courts of justice with their supporters, intimidating suitors, witnesses and judges.This growing civil discontent, the abundance of feuding nobles with private armies, and corruption in Henry VI's court formed a political climate ripe for civil war. With the king so easily manipulated, power rested with those closest to him at court, in other words Somerset and the Lancastrian faction. Richard and the Yorkist faction, who tended to be physically placed further away from the seat of power, found their power slowly being stripped away. Royal power also started to slip, as Henry was persuaded to grant many royal lands and estates to the Lancastrians.In 1453, Henry suffered the first of several bouts of complete mental collapse, during which he failed even to recognise his new-born son,. A Council of Regency was set up, headed by the Duke of York, who still remained popular with the people, as. York soon asserted his power with ever-greater boldness (although there is no proof that he had aspirations to the throne at this early stage).

He imprisoned Somerset and backed his Neville allies (his brother-in-law, the, and Salisbury's son, the ), in their continuing feud with the, a powerful supporter of Henry.Henry recovered in 1455 and once again fell under the influence of those closest to him at court. Directed by Henry's queen, the powerful and aggressive, who emerged as the de facto leader of the Lancastrians, Richard was forced out of court. Margaret built up an alliance against Richard and conspired with other nobles to reduce his influence. An increasingly thwarted Richard (who feared arrest for treason) finally resorted to armed hostilities in 1455.Start of the warThe Lancastrian siege of London in 1471 is attacked by a Yorkist sally.Richard the Duke of York led a small force toward London and was met by Henry's forces at St Albans, north of London, on 22 May 1455. The relatively small was the first open conflict of the civil war.

Richard's aim was ostensibly to remove 'poor advisors' from King Henry's side. The result was a Lancastrian defeat.

Several prominent Lancastrian leaders, including Somerset and Northumberland, were killed. After the battle, the Yorkists found Henry hiding in a local tanner's shop, abandoned by his advisors and servants, apparently having suffered another bout of mental illness. (He had also been slightly wounded in the neck by an arrow.) York and his allies regained their position of influence. With the king indisposed, York was again appointed Protector, and Margaret was shunted aside, charged with the king's care.For a while, both sides seemed shocked that an actual battle had been fought and did their best to reconcile their differences, but the problems that caused conflict soon re-emerged, particularly the issue of whether Richard the Duke of York, or Henry and Margaret's infant son Edward, would succeed to the throne. Margaret refused to accept any solution that would disinherit her son, and it became clear that she would only tolerate the situation for as long as the Duke of York and his allies retained the military ascendancy.Henry recovered and in February 1456 he relieved York of his office of Protector. In the autumn of that year, Henry went on in the Midlands, where the king and queen were popular.

Margaret did not allow him to return to London where the merchants were angry at the decline in trade and the widespread disorder. The king's court was set up at Coventry. By then, the new was emerging as a favourite of the royal court. Margaret persuaded Henry to revoke the appointments York had made as Protector, while York was made to return to his post as lieutenant in Ireland.Disorder in the capital and the north of England (where fighting between the Nevilles and Percys had resumed ) and piracy by French fleets on the south coast were growing, but the king and queen remained intent on protecting their own positions, with the queen introducing for the first time in England. Meanwhile, York's ally, Warwick (later dubbed 'The Kingmaker'), was growing in popularity in London as the champion of the merchants.In the spring of 1458, the Archbishop of Canterbury, attempted to arrange a reconciliation.

The lords had gathered in London for a Grand Council and the city was full of armed retainers. The Archbishop negotiated complex settlements to resolve the blood-feuds that had persisted since the Battle of St. Then, on (25 March), the King led a 'love day' procession to, with Lancastrian and Yorkist nobles following him, hand in hand. No sooner had the procession and the Council dispersed than plotting resumed.The Act of AccordLudlow Castle, South ShropshireThe next outbreak of fighting was prompted by Warwick's high-handed actions as.

He led his ships in attacks on neutral Hanseatic League and Spanish ships in the Channel on flimsy grounds of sovereignty. He was summoned to London to face enquiries, but he claimed that attempts had been made on his life, and returned to Calais. York, Salisbury and Warwick were summoned to a royal council at Coventry, but they refused, fearing arrest when they were isolated from their own supporters.York summoned the Nevilles to join him at his stronghold at in the Welsh Marches. On 23 September 1459, at the in Staffordshire, a Lancastrian army failed to prevent Salisbury from marching from in Yorkshire to Ludlow.

Shortly afterwards the combined Yorkist armies confronted the much larger Lancastrian force at the. Warwick's contingent from the garrison of Calais under defected to the Lancastrians, and the Yorkist leaders fled. York returned to Ireland, and his eldest son, Edward, Earl of March, Salisbury and Warwick fled to Calais.The Lancastrians were back in total control. York and his supporters were attainted as traitors. Somerset was appointed Governor of Calais and was dispatched to take over the vital fortress on the French coast, but his attempts to evict Warwick were easily repulsed. Warwick and his supporters even began to launch raids on the English coast from Calais, adding to the sense of chaos and disorder. Being attainted, only a successful invasion would restore the Yorkists' lands and titles.

Warwick travelled to Ireland to concert plans with York, evading the royal ships commanded by the.In late June 1460, Warwick, Salisbury and Edward of March crossed the Channel and rapidly established themselves in Kent and London, where they enjoyed wide support. Backed by a papal emissary who had taken their side, they marched north. King Henry led an army south to meet them while Margaret remained in the north with Prince Edward. At the on 10 July, the Yorkist army under Warwick defeated the Lancastrians, aided by treachery in the king's ranks. For the second time in the war, King Henry was found by the Yorkists in a tent, abandoned by his retinue, having apparently suffered another breakdown.

With the king in their possession, the Yorkists returned to London.In the light of this military success, Richard of York moved to press his claim to the throne based on the illegitimacy of the Lancastrian line. Landing in north Wales, he and his wife entered London with all the ceremony usually reserved for a monarch. Parliament was assembled, and when York entered he made straight for the throne, which he may have been expecting the Lords to encourage him to take for himself as they had acclaimed Henry IV in 1399.

Instead, there was stunned silence. York announced his claim to the throne, but the Lords, even Warwick and Salisbury, were shocked by his presumption; they had no desire at this stage to overthrow King Henry. Their ambition was still limited to the removal of his councillors.The next day, York produced detailed genealogies to support his claim based on his descent from and was met with more understanding. Parliament agreed to consider the matter and accepted that York's claim was better, but by a majority of five, they voted that Henry VI should remain as king. A compromise was struck in October 1460 with the, which recognised York as Henry's successor, disinheriting Henry's six-year-old son, Edward.

York accepted this compromise as the best offer. It gave him much of what he wanted, particularly since he was also made Protector of the Realm and was able to govern in Henry's name.The death of Richard, Duke of York.