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The War of the Roses

The battles of the War of the Roses took place between 1455 and 1487. The war was fought between supporters of several descendants of Edward III, the King of England from 1327 to 1377. The war was not a constant fight that affected the whole country and its population, but a series of battles spread out over the years between sets of supporters known as the Lancastrians and the Yorkists. Some of the battles were fought by thousands of men. The Battle of Towton being the largest and the bloodiest.

Background to the war

In 1399 Richard II, King of England, was overthrown by Henry Bolingbroke who claimed the English throne as Henry IV. Bolingbroke's claim to the English throne was through his father, John of Gaunt, the fourth son of Edward III. At the time there was a stronger claim to the throne. That was Edmund Mortimer who was descended from Edward III's third son. Edmund was not old enough to rule the country and it was agreed that Henry Bolingbroke should become king. It would be more than 50 years later that this unsafe claim to the English throne would become important.

Family tree

Although slightly complicated, the following family tree of Edward III shows how the dispute arose.

1	Richard II deposed.
2	Henry IV deposed Richard II.
3	Edmund Mortimer had a better claim to the throne than Henry IV.
4	Anne Mortimer married Richard, Earl of Cambridge.
5	Richard, Earl of Cambridge like Anne Mortimer was also a descendant of Edward III. But he was descended from Edmund of Langley, the Duke of York (d. 1402), a younger brother.
6	Henry VI, who suffered bouts of mental illness.
7	Richard Duke of York, descended from Edmund Mortimer, attempted to become King of England because of Henry's illness.
8	Edward IV became King of England.

Red rose of Lancaster

White rose of York

EDWARD, III, King of England 1327-1377

Philippa, of Hainault

Edward, The Black Prince

Joan, of Kent

Lionel, of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence

Elizabeth, de Burgh

John, of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster

Blanche, of Lancaster

RICHARD, II, King of England 1377-1399

Philippa, daughter of Lionel Duke of Clarence

Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March

HENRY, IV, King of England 1399-1413

Mary Bohun

Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March

Eleanor Holland, Wife of Roger, Earl of March

Henry, V, King of England 1413-1422

Catherine, of France

Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March

Anne Mortimer, daughter of Roger, Earl of March

Richard, Earl of Cambridge

Henry, VI, King of England 1422-1461, 1470-1471

Richard, Duke of York

Cecily Neville

Edward, IV, Earl of March and King of England 1461-1470, 1471-1483

Richard, III, King of England 1483-1485

The Red and White Roses

The red and white roses were probably not used at the time of the war. It may have been William Shakespeare who invented the symbols when he used them in a scene from Henry VI, part 1. The scene takes place in the Temple garden between Richard, Duke of York, and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, in the presence of other important barons. Each choose a different coloured rose and ask those who support them to choose a rose of the same colour.

Battles of the War of the Rosess

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Timeline

Reign of Henry (VI, King of England 1422-1461, 1470-1471)
1447		Edmund Beaufort appointed lieutenant of France
		Edmund Beaufort was appointed lieutenant of France. Richard of York had wanted to be re-appointed to the position. Edmund and Richard became rivals in the battles of the War of the Roses.
1450	May	Revolt in Kent
		Jack Cade was the leader of a rebellion that began in Kent and elsewhere in the south east of England. The rebels' grievances were directed at the king's councillors who were using their influence on the king for their own gains.
	May	Death of William de la Pole
		William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk was accused by Parliament of being the cause of the country's problems. Suffolk was arrested and imprisoned. The King allowed the Duke to be banished rather than executed but as he left the country he was attacked and killed.
	Jun	London ransacked by the rebels
		The rebels under the command of Jack Cade defeated a section of King Henry's army at Sevenoaks and entered London. The rebels ransacked the city and after crossing London Bridge to the south were prevented crossing back to the north by angry Londoners. The rebels were defeated and fled.
	Jul	Jack Cade killed
		After the defeat of the rebels in London Jack Cade fled but was pursued. He was caught and killed while resisting arrest.
1453	Aug	The King's health suffers
		From August 1453 until the end of 1454, the King's mental health was such that he was unable to conduct the day-to-day government of the country. The illness was some kind of mental condition possibly inherited from his grandfather Charles VI of France who also suffered from bouts of madness.
	Oct 13	Prince Edward of Lancaster is born
		Edward of Westminster, also known as Edward of Lancaster, King Henry's and Catherine of France's only son, was born at Westminster.
	Nov	Somerset sent to the Tower
		Edmund Beaufort, the duke of Somerset was unpopular and only kept his position of power with the support of the King. While Henry VI was ill Somerset was sent to the Tower of London.
1454	Mar 27	Richard, Duke of York made Protector
		With the King unable to govern, the queen with the support of the powerful Neville Earls gave Richard, Duke of York the position of 'Protector of England'.
	Apr 2	Earl of Salisbury becomes chancellor
		With Richard, Duke of York running the country, several changes were made, one of which was to make the elder Richard Neville chancellor. Richard also made himself the Captain of Calais removing his rival the Earl of Somerset from the post.
	Dec	Henry's health returns
		Henry returned to health and Edward, the Duke of York was removed from the position of Protector.
1455	Feb	Somerset released from the Tower
		With Henry back in power the Duke of Somerset was released from captivity.
	Mar	Somerset back in command
		Henry's return to sanity swung the balance of power back to favour the Duke of Somerset and he was quickly restored to his former position of Captain of Calais. The Yorkists at this time felt it wise to leave London in fear of reprisals.
	May 21	The Yorkists are summoned
		A council was called and the Edward and Warwick were summoned to attend. Concerned that the reason they have been called to attend was that they would be punished, the Yorkists decided to demand a meeting of their own with the King at St. Albans.
	May 22	Battle of St. Albans
		The King had by his side at St. Albans the Dukes of Somerset and Buckingham, Lords Pembroke, Northumberland and Devon and around 2,000 Lancastrian men. They tried to hold the town against the Yorkists led by Salisbury and Warwick but Warwick was able to enter the town through an unguarded spot and attack the flanks of the Lancastrian barricades. Although this battle was small it left the Duke of Somerset dead along with Lord Northumberland and Clifford. As a result of this victory power again swung to the Yorkists although support from the Barons was not total. Edward again became Protector of the Realm and the powerful position of Captain of Calais was given to the Earl of Warwick.
	Jul	Parliament held
		A Parliament was held after the Battle of St. Albans to confirm the changes of appointment. Richard, Duke of York became protector for the second time.
	Oct	Henry VI becomes ill once more
		King Henry VI suffered another bout of mental illness. This time to last until February of the following year.
1456	Feb 25	Duke of York resigns as protector
		Henry IV again came around from a bout of mental illness and Richard, Duke of York, was relieved of position of protector of the realm.
1458	Mar 24	Loveday march
		In an attempt to bring both Yorkists and Lancastrians together in peace, King Henry led a march of both parties to a ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral. Could have been on the 25th of March.
1459	Jun 24	Great Council
		A council at Coventry decided that the Yorkists should be brought under control by the use of force.
	Sep 23	Battle of Blore Heath
		Led by Richard Earl of Salisbury the Yorkists in the north mobilised an army and headed south to meet the Duke of York at Ludlow. Salisbury was intercepted by a Lancastrian army led by Lord Audley at Blore Heath in Shropshire. The Lancastrians were the first to attack. Their first and second cavalry charges were repulsed and when the Lancastrian foot soldiers were also repulsed they turned and fled. In the battle Audley was killed and although two of Salisbury's sons were captured they were quickly released. The Yorkists had won this battle.
	Oct 12	Battle of Ludford Bridge
		The Earl of Warwick with a force from Calais reached Ludlow and the combined army of the Yorkists attacked the King's army at Ludford Bridge near Ludlow. The men from Calais refused to fight their king and a weak Yorkist army was defeated. Richard Duke of York and his younger son escaped and fled to Ireland while Salisbury, Warwick and Edward of March (later Edward IV) fled to Calais.
	Nov	Parliament acts against the Yorkists
		At a Parliament called in Coventry the Yorkists are condemned as rebels and their land was confiscated by the crown.
1460	Jun	Yorkists take control of Kent
		After the defeat at Ludford Bridge the Yorkists had dispersed. Having had time to regroup, the Yorkists from Calais led by the Earls of Warwick and March landed on the south coast of England and quickly seized Sandwich.
	Summer	Queen Margaret flees to Wales
		After the Lancastrian defeat at Northampton, Queen Margaret and her son Edward escaped to Wales and the safety of Harlech Castle.
	Jun 26	Earls of March and Warwick land in England
		Once the Yorkist army had secured Sandwich the Earls of March and Warwick arrived from Calais. They had a force of around 2,000 and the support of the Kentish men.
	Jul 2	Yorkists enter London
		The Yorkists marched first to Canterbury where the officers in charge of protecting the town against them joined forces with the rebels. They then moved on and arrived at London on July 2nd. There they were welcomed by the Mayor of London and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
	Jul 5	The Earls of Warwick and March leave London
		Accompanied by a large army of Yorkist supporters, the Earl of Warwick and Edward, the Earl of March left London and marched towards Northampton where the King was staying.
	Jul 10	Battle of Northampton
		The Lancastrians's Court was in Coventry at the time of the Yorkist rebels entering London. When news reached them, the Lancastrians moved south to Northampton to meet the rebels. The Yorkists led by the Earl of Warwick wanted to talk but the Lancastrians led by the Duke of Buckingham wanted to fight. Although the Lancastrians had less men than the Yorkists, they did have control of a stronger position. The Yorkists managed to defeat the Lancastrians due to a section of the Lancastrian army led by Lord Grey of Ruthin moving away allowing the Yorkists through. Orders were given that the King and ordinary men should be spared, while the knights and lords should be killed. When the fighting was over the casualties were light, but the Lancastrian leaders, Buckingham, Shrewsbury and Egremont were dead and the King was captured.
	Jul 19	Garrison at Tower of London surrenders
		The Lancastrian garrison holding the Tower of London surrendered. Lord Scrope tried to escape but was seen and killed by the river, but most of the garrison escaped.
	Jul 30	Yorkists in power
		Now that the Yorkists had control of the King, they started moves to regain their confiscated lands and reverse the sentences of attainder passed by the Coventry Parliament. To this end they sent letters demanding Parliament should meet on 7th October. George Neville, the Kingmaker's brother was made chancellor of England.
	Oct	Duke of York claims throne
		Richard, Duke of York returned from Ireland to claim the throne of England as a direct descendant of Edward III. The Lords refused to abandon Henry VI and Parliament agreed he should remain King until his death. Then Richard or his heir should become the next king of England.
	Dec 30	Battle of Wakefield
		Queen Margaret had been building an army in the North and started attacking Yorkist held settlements. Richard left London with a small army to deal with the Queen. He had underestimated the Lancastrians and at his castle at Sandal Richard was confronted by superior forces. Although Richard sent word to the Earl of March for assistance he didn't wait and attacked. The battle left Richard Duke of York and his son Earl of Rutland dead.
Reign of Edward (IV, Earl of March and King of England 1461-1470, 1471-1483)
1461	Feb 2	Battle of Mortimers Cross
		Edward Earl of March, now the heir to the English throne, showed off his military skills at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire. The Lancastrians with Welsh support had caught Edward as he travelled to London. On the morning of the battle three bright lights were seen in the sky. Edward used this strange sight as a good omen. The Lancastrians were defeated and Owen Tudor was captured and beheaded. Jasper Tudor escaped.
	Feb 17	Second Battle of St. Albans
		The Lancastrians army led by the Queen met the Yorkist army led by Warwick at St. Albans. The Yorkist army was split in two and during the battle sections of the Yorkists defected to the Queen's side. The Yorkists were defeated and Warwick escaped. The King, who had been travelling with the Yorkists, was freed and he was reunited with his wife and son.
	Feb 27	Yorkists enter London
		Edward and Warwick were allowed to enter the city of London. The citizens of London had refused to let the Queen enter and so she returned north with the King.
	Mar 4	Edward IV is proclaimed king
		Edward, the Earl of March, was crowned Edward IV of England at London by the available peers and public acclamation.
	Mar 13	Edward leaves London
		Edward IV with a large army left London to march north and face the Lancastrians. Richard and George, the young sons of the late Duke of York were put on a ship and sent to Burgundy where they would be safe from Lancastrian hands.
	Mar 29	Battle of Towton
		This was the bloodiest battle of the War of the Roses and was fought in a snowstorm at Towton in Yorkshire. Both the Lancastrian and Yorkist armies were large having possibly 40,000 men each. The battle lasted many hours until the Lancastrians's line was broken. Fleeing into a river many of the Lancastrians were drowned due to their heavy armour and the rest were killed by the pursuing Yorkists.
	Jun 28	Edward IV is crowned
		The Yorkists were in control after the battle of Towton and Richard and George were brought back to England where they were made Knights of the Order of the Bath. Edward took part in the crown-wearing ceremonies at Westminster Abbey and became King of England. Shortly afterwards his younger brother George was given the title of Duke of Clarence.
	Sep	Pembroke Castle captured
		Pembroke Castle was captured by William Herbert. The young Henry Tudor was found in the castle where he had been hiding.
	Nov	Pembroke Castle in Yorkist hands
		William Herbert was given the castle at Pembroke in recognition of his assistance to Edward IV. Herbert was made the guardian of the future Henry VII who was living at the castle.
1462	Jun 28	Queen Margaret and Louis XI
		Queen Margaret of England and Louis XI of France sign a treaty. Margaret promised that Calais would be his if he helped her return Henry to the throne.
	Oct 25	Queen Margaret invades
		Queen Margaret landed near Bamburgh Castle on the Northumbrian coast with a small army. The main castles in the area, Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh surrendered to the Queen.
	Nov 13	Queen Margaret retreats to Scotland
		Edward acted quickly to Queen Margaret's arrival in the north. He raised a large army that marched towards Northumbria. Queen Margaret did not have the resources and local support required to fight Edward and so she decided to seek refuge in Scotland. A garrison of soldiers were left at the three Northumbrian castles.
	Dec	Yorkists take back control of Northumbrian castles
		The Earl of Warwick was put in charge of capturing the castles from the Lancastrian garrisons. Edward had to stay at Durham to recover from a bout of the measles. The castles were not attacked but cut off from supplies to starve the soldiers out. Just before the new year the Lancastrian soldiers surrendered and the Yorkists took control of Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh Castles.
1463	Mar	Northumbrian castles fall to Lancastrians
		Sir Ralph Percy, the constable in charge of Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh castles, defected and allowed the Lancastrians to take control. Alnwick Castle fell to the Lancastrians shortly afterwards.
	May	Alnwick Castle in Lancastrian hands
		Alnwick Castle was captured by the Lancastrians.
	Jul	Queen Margaret returns to France
		Warwick took an army north to deal with the new threat from Queen Margaret. The Yorkists again proved too powerful for the Lancastrians and with her invasion plans in ruin Margaret decided to return to France. She took Prince Edward with her.
	Jul	Siege of Norham Castle
		Queen Margaret, Henry VI and Scottish support besieged the castle at Norham. King Edward failed to react to the problem and it was left to the Earls of Warwick and Northumberland to come to the castle's rescue. Henry, Margaret and the Scots fled.
	Oct	Treaty with France
		Edward agreed a treaty with France in which both sides promising not to assist each others enemies.
	Dec	Duke of Somerset rebels
		Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset and Lancastrian supporters rebelled against Edward and used Bamburgh Castle as a base.
	Dec	English Truce with Scotland
		Edward IV agreed a truce with Scotland who had lost interest in fighting for the Lancastrians and Queen Margaret. The truce was signed at York and Edward spent Christmas in the city.
1464	Apr	Battle of Hedgeley Moor
		Battle of Hedgeley Moor
	May	Edward secretly marries
		Edward married Elizabeth Woodville (Wydville) secretly during a hunting trip. The hunting trip that may have been arranged as a cover. Edward is supposed to have had a reputation as a lady's man and had many lovers. To Edward, Elizabeth could have been just another lover, but Elizabeth may have wanted more and persuaded Edward to marry her. The marriage took place in secret and was kept quiet until the spring of 1465. One problem with the marriage was that Elizabeth was the widow of Henry V's brother John, a Lancastrian and her family were Lancastrian supporters. The other problem was that Warwick had contacted the French king Louis XI and had been trying to arrange a marriage for Edward to a French princess. Edward's act upset Warwick's plans.
	May	Battle of Hexham
		The Nevilles defeated the last of the Lancastrian forces near Hexham and executed the rebels including Henry Beaufort the Duke of Somerset. In recognition of their contribution to the security of his reign Edward IV gave John Neville, Lord Montagu, the title of Earl of Northumberland and George Neville became the Archbishop of York.
	Jun	Herbert becomes Constable of Harlech
		Could be 1463. William Herbert was given the title of Constable of Harlech Castle.
	Sep 14	Council at Reading
		Great Council at Reading Abbey; Edward IV announced his marriage and (29.9 - Michaelmas) Elizabeth recognised as Queen.
1465	May 26	Elizabeth crowned
		Elizabeth Woodville was finally crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey.
	Summer	Henry VI captured
		Henry had been helped by Lancastrian supporters in the north but was finally captured at Waddington Hall. He was taken to London and put in the Tower.
1468	Qtr 4	Warwick plots against the King
		Warwick was unhappy with the marriage of Edward and Elizabeth Woodville and he began to plan how overthrow the king. Warwick's plans centred around Edward's brother George, the Duke of Clarence. If George was to marry Warwick's daughter Isabel and become king, Warwick would be back in a position of power.
1469	Qtr 1	Rebellion of Robin of Redesdale
		A rebellion began early in the year started by a mysterious person calling himself Robin of Redesdale. The motivation for the uprising against the king was his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville and the influence the Woodvilles were having. The rebels were supported by the Earl of Warwick.
	Jun	Edward advances against rebels
		Edward and the Duke of Gloucester took a small army in search of the rebels in the North.
	Jul	Clarence marries Isabel Neville
		Warwick and the Duke of Clarence travelled to France where Clarence was married to Warwick's fifteen year old daughter Isabel. The ceremony was conducted by Warwick's brother George Neville the Archbishop of York.
	Jul 26	Battle of Edgecote
		Edward's army was insufficient to deal with the rebels alone and he had moved them to Nottingham to wait for a larger army to join them led by Sir William Herbert. Pembroke's army was attacked and defeated by a combined rebel army led by Robin of Redesdale and the Earl of Warwick who had returned from France. The battle took place at Edgecote near Banbury. Sir William Herbert and his brother Richard were captured and executed.
	Jul 29	Edward is captured
		After the defeat of William Herbert at Edgecote, Edward was left without a strong enough army to deal with the Earl of Warwick. Either Edward's army deserted him, or he dispersed his army on purpose, the outcome was the same. Edward was captured.
	Aug	Woodville family members executed
		While Edward was imprisoned, Warwick captured the Queen's father (Earl Rivers) and one of her brothers and had them executed at Warwick Castle.
	Sep	Riots and rebellions
		With the king in custody there began a series of riots around the country protesting against the Earl of Warwick. Warwick did not have the backing of Parliament and in the end had little choice but to let Edward go free and return to rule the country.
Reign of Henry (VI, King of England 1422-1461, 1470-1471)
1470		Marriage of Edward of Lancaster and Anne Neville
		The marriage between Edward of Lancaster, the son of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, to Anne Neville, the daughter of Richard Neville the Kingmaker was a marriage to cement the agreement that Richard and Margaret would support each other and try to get Henry VI back on the English throne. The marriage took place in France where Margaret and Edward were exiled.
	Mar 12	Lincolnshire rebellion
		A rebellion had begun in Lincolnshire early in the year and had been mostly been dealt with by Edward, but Sir Robert (Welles ?) had escaped capture and was still on the run. Edward finally caught up with Sir Robert near Stamford in Lincolnshire. In the battle known as Empingham (or Lose-Coat), Sir Robert was captured and confessed that the rebellion had been master-minded by the Earl of Warwick and the Duke of Clarence.
	May	Warwick and Clarence escape to France
		After their treachery had been uncovered, the Earl of Warwick and Duke of Clarence fled to France. Warwick's plan was to get help from the French King.
	Jul 22	Warwick and the Lancastrians
		Louis XI, the French King devised a plan to remove Edward IV from the English throne. Louis persuaded the Earl of Warwick (a Yorkist) and Margaret of Anjou the exiled wife of Henry VI (a Lancastrian) to combine forces and attempt to over through Edward. Warwick and Margaret met on 22 July at Anger Cathedral to put their differences aside and to agree on a course of action.
	Jul 31	The plan to restore Henry VI
		Warwick promised to restore Henry VI to the English throne, and he betrothed his youngest daughter Anne to Margaret's son Edward, the Prince of Wales.
	Sep 13	Warwick lands in England
		The Earl of Warwick landed at Dartmouth in Devon accompanied by the Lancastrian Earl of Oxford and Jasper Tudor, the half-brother of Henry VI. Edward was in the north at the time of Warwick's return and was turned upon by John Neville, Warwick's brother. Although John Neville had accepted Edward as King, Edward had removed John's title of Earl of Northumberland earlier in the year and given it to the Percys.
	Oct	Henry restored as King
		Henry VI was released from the Tower of London by the Earl of Warwick and crowned King of England for the second time.
	Oct 2	Edward flees to Burgundy
		Warwick did not need to fight the King. Edward was outnumbered and was almost captured by John Neville at Doncaster. Along with his brother Richard and a small party of followers, Edward travelled to Lynn in Norfolk where he sailed to Burgundy and refuge.
Reign of Edward (IV, Earl of March and King of England 1461-1470, 1471-1483)
1471	Mar 14	Edward returns to England
		With a small combined force of English and Burgundians, Edward landed on the Yorkshire coast. His fleet had been hit and scattered by a storm off the coast of Norfolk. Luckily for Edward he wasn't attacked even though Lord Montagu, the Earl of Northumberland, was close by. As he marched south, Edward gained supporters and his army grew.
	Apr 4	Clarence rejoins his brothers
		George, Duke of Clarence deserted the Earl of Warwick and joined his brothers Edward and Richard. Importantly for the Yorkist cause, he brought with him a sizable army.
	Apr 11	London opens its gates to Edward and the Yorkists
		The Earl of Warwick was in Coventry and apparently unwilling to confront Edward, so Edward and Richard marched south to London. London was under the control of Warwick's brother, George Neville the Archbishop of York, but the Londoners were Yorkists and they welcomed the return of their true king. Once inside the city Edward had the Archbishop arrested and along with King Henry VI put in the Tower of London.
	Apr 14	The Battle of Barnet
		The Earl of Warwick had left Coventry to confront Edward. The armies met at Barnet just north of London in thick fog. The two battle lines overlapped and Warwick's Lancastrian men commanded by the Earl of Oxford were able to get around the Yorkists commanded by Lord Hastings. Hastings' men fled back to London with Oxford's men in hot pursuit. On the other side of the battle the Yorkists, led by Richard, were outflanking the Lancastrians and took the advantage pushing their enemy back. When Oxford's men returned to the battle they were mistakenly fired upon by their fellow Lancastrians and fled. By early evening Lord Montagu and the Earl of Warwick were dead. The Lancastrians were defeated.
	May	London attacked by rebels
		A group of men from Kent attacked London but left the city before the victorious Edward returned after the battle of Tewkesbury.
	May 4	The Battle of Tewkesbury
		The Yorkists led by Edward and Richard met the Lancastrians at Tewkesbury. Richard was able to outflank the Lancastrians led by Edmund Beaufort, the self-proclaimed Duke of Somerset. Once Somerset's men had been dealt with, Richard attacked the rear of the Lancastrian line which broke apart and fled. Many of the Lancastrian leaders were caught and killed including Edward the Prince of Wales. Margaret of Anjou was also captured.
	May 21	The murder of Henry VI
		Edward arrived back in London and that night Henry VI was murdered at the Tower of London.
Reign of Richard (III, King of England 1483-1485)
1483	Apr 30	Richard captures the King
		Richard, assisted by the Duke of Buckingham rode to Stony Stratford where they met with the King under the pretence of offering their condolences for the death of his father. Instead, they captured King Edward and took him directly to London and safe keeping in the Tower. Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers was arrested and imprisoned at Sherriff Hutton Castle, near York.
	Jun 13	Hastings executed
		Lord Hastings had supported Richard against the Woodvilles and had hoped to gain some reward for his loyalty, but the Duke of Buckingham seemed more likely to be rewarded at his expense. Hastings' loyalties swayed towards the Woodvilles and when Richard found out, Hastings was arrested and executed.
Reign of Henry (VII, King of England 1485-1509)
1485	Aug 22	Battle of Bosworth
		Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth and Henry Tudor was proclaimed King of England.

Event Participants

Beaufort, Edmund (2nd Duke of Somerset)
Richard (Duke of York)
Henry (VI, King of England 1422-1461, 1470-1471)
Pole, William de la (Duke of Suffolk)
Cade, Jack
Edward (of Lancaster, Prince of Wales)
Edward (IV, Earl of March and King of England 1461-1470, 1471-1483)
Neville, Richard (Earl of Salisbury)
Neville, Richard (Earl of Warwick, 'The Kingmaker')
Stafford, Humphrey (Duke of Buckingham)
Margaret (of Anjou)
Neville, George (Archbishop of York)
Tudor, Owen
Richard (III, King of England 1483-1485)
George (Duke of Clarence)
Beaufort, Henry (3rd Duke of Somerset)
Herbert, William
Henry (VII, King of England 1485-1509)
Louis (XI, King of France 1461-1483)
Neville, John (Earl of Northumberland, Lord Montagu)
Woodville, Elizabeth
Robin (of Redesdale)
Neville, Anne
William (Lord Hastings)
Beaufort, Edmund
Edward (V, King of England 1483)
Stafford, Henry (Duke of Buckingham)
Woodville, Anthony (Earl Rivers)

Event Locations

Tower of London
Ludlow Castle
Harlech Castle
Westminster Abbey
Pembroke Castle
Bamburgh Castle
Alnwick Castle
Dunstanburgh Castle
Nottingham Castle
Warwick Castle
Tewkesbury Abbey

Other

House of Lancaster

HENRY VI, King of England. Henry became King of England in 1422 but was deposed by Edward IV between 1461 and 1470. Henry suffered from bouts of mental illness resulting in him being unable to rule the country.

Margaret of Anjou was the wife of Henry VI. The marriage between the two was arranged as part of the Treaty of Tours in 1444 between Henry and Charles VII of France. Henry and Margaret were married in 1445. They had one child, Edward, who was born in 1453. Queen Margaret led the fight for the Lancastrians against the Yorkists while Henry was in captivity.

Louis XI, King of France. Louis was a supporter of the Lancastrians and signed a treaty with Margaret of Anjou that promised him the return of Calais if Henry VI could be restored to the English throne.

Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou. Prince Edward travelled to France with his mother while she looked for support to help against the Yorkists. Edward returned to England in April 1471 but was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury in May of the same year.

Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset. Somerset's early military successes were not enough to save his career when his mistakes led to the loss of Anjou. He was locked in the Tower of London when King Henry lost power. The duke was released when Henry regained control of the the country but was killed at the Battle of St. Albans in May of 1455.

Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset. Son of Edmund Beaufort. Supported King Henry VI but was killed at the Battle of Hexham in May if 1464.

Edmund Beaufort. Son of the 2nd Duke of Somerset (above). Edmund proclaimed himself teh Duke of Somerset when his elder brother Henry died. Edmund was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury.

Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham was killed at the Battle of Northampton in July of 1460.

Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers (**). Originally a Lancastrian supporter fighting at the Battle of Towton. Earl Rivers, along with his father, changed sides to the Yorkists and his sister married King Edward IV. King Edward entrusted the safety of his son, Prince Edward, to Earl Rivers, but when the King died and the Earl was escorting the Prince to London they were captured by Richard of Gloucester (Richard III). Anthony Woodville was arrested and executed.

House of York

Richard, Duke of York. Richard was descended from two sons of Edward III by an intermarriage in the family. By being descended from Lionel, Duke of Clarence, Richard had a better claim to the English throne than Henry VI. Richard was killed at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460.

EDWARD IV, King of England. Edward was the son of Richard, Duke of York and after his father died continued the fight against the Lancastrians. In 1461 entered London and with the support of the Londoners was crowned King of England. His first reign lasted until 1470 when the Lancastrians took back control and placed Henry VI on the throne. Edward fled the country but returned in 1471 to defeat the Lancastrians at the Battle of Tewkesbury and reclaim the English throne.

EDWARD V, King of England. Son of Edward IV. He was King of England for a short period in 1483 after the death of his father, but was taken to the Tower of London and may have been murdered on the orders of Richard III his uncle.

Richard Neville (The Kingmaker), Earl of Warwick (**). As a supporter of Richard, Duke of York, the 'Kingmaker' played an important role in the War of the Roses, first for the Yorkists and then for the Lancastrians when he swapped sides. The Earl was killed at the Battle of Barnet in April of 1471.

Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury. Father of the 'Kingmaker'. Richard held estates in Yorkshire which he inherited from his father Ralph Neville who was Earl of Westmorland. Richard married Alice, the heiress to the estates of Salisbury, and this gave him control of lands in the south of England as well.

George Neville, Archbishop of York. Brother of Richard Neville the 'Kingmaker'. After the battle of Northampton the Yorkists gained power and George was made chancellor of England. At this time he was already Bishop of Exeter. George became Archbishop of York in 1465.

William Herbert. Owner of Raglan Castle. Herbert became Earl of Pembroke in recognition of his support of Edward IV. Was killed after the Battle of Edgecote.

John Neville, Lord Montagu (**). Brother of the 'Kingmaker'. Lord Montague started as a Yorkist supporter but when his titles were removed and given to a rival he defected to the side of the Lancastrians and supported Henry VI. He was killed at the Battle of Barnet.

Elizabeth Woodville. Elizabeth married Edward IV secretly in May of 1464. The marriage was kept secret for several months because Elizabeth was the widow of a Lancastrian supporter as was the Woodville family.

Richard III, King of England. Brother of Edward IV and would become King of England himself.

George, Duke of Clarence (**). Brother of Edward IV. Clarence came under the influence of the 'Kingmaker' when he married Isabel Neville, the 'Kingmaker's' sister. Clarence was taken back by Edward IV but conflicts between the brothers ended with the arrest of Clarence accused of treason and he was executed.

Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham (**). Initially a supporter of Richard III, but defected to the side of the Woodvilles and Henry Tudor. Was captured during a failed rebellion and was executed.

House of Tudor

Owen Tudor. Owen Tudor was a Welsh landowner and worked in the household of Catherine of France, the wife of Henry V. After Henry died in 1422 Owen married Catherine. Their son was Edmund Tudor the Earl of Richmond who married into the Beaufort family and their son became Henry VII, the first Tudor king.

HENRY VII, King of England Grandson of Owen Tudor and Catherine of France, the wife of Henry V. Henry VII's claim to the English throne was through his mother, Margaret of Beaufort who was descended from Edward III via John of Gaunt and Catherine Swynford.

(**) Indicates that the person changed side during the conflict.

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Medieval and Middle Ages History Timelines - War of the Roses

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