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Introduction
In all likelihood, you have heard of the War of the Roses. It inspired some of the most popular films and shows of our time (aka Games of Thrones). It also led directly to England’s most famous dynasty, the Tudors (hint: Henry VIII and his six wives). As I will be exploring this time period in English history first, here is some background information or the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) version of the War of the Roses.
The Drama That Started It All
While the actual battles did not start until the mid 1400s, the dispute over succession started two generations prior when Henry IV took the throne from his cousin Richard II. Richard II inherited the throne from his grandfather when he was a child (never a good sign). He was the first and only son of Edward III’s first born son (named Edward of course) who died before his father. Henry IV, on the other hand, was the first son of Edward III’s third son, John of Gaunt.
Richard II grew up to be a dick (pun intended) who pissed off Henry IV by stealing his inheritance (not the throne but John of Gaunt’s lands and title). Henry IV imprisoned Richard II, took the throne and had Richard II quietly assassinated (as one does when they steal the throne). To justify his actions, beyond the general “he was an asshole so I got rid of him”, Henry IV argued that since Edward III’s first and second sons died before Edward III died, the crown should have gone to his third son, who was Henry IV’s father. A bit confusing, but the English people accepted it (for the most part) and moved forward.
History Repeats Itself
Ironically, it was another inept child king that reopened the case of “Who the fuck should have been Edward III’s heir?” Henry VI, (Henry IV’s grandson who literally became king before he turned one) essentially lost the Hundred’s Year War and all of the English holdings in France. Since England literally spent over 100 years fighting this war, a significant and powerful section of the English nobility were really fucking pissed. In comes Richard, Duke of York, who was descended from Edward III’s second and fourth sons (because cousins should always marry cousins). He and his sons (most notably Edward IV and Richard III) overthrow Henry VI.
As Richard of York dies before Henry VI is overthrown, Edward IV (his first born) takes the throne. Aside from a little hiccup where a former ally who got his panties in a twist (aka Warwick the Kingmaker) briefly put Henry VI on the throne again, Edward IV’s reign was relatively stable. And then he died.
Despite having two sons, Edward IV’s brother, Richard III took the throne and the princes disappeared. A distant relative of Henry VI, Henry Tudor (otherwise known as Henry VII), challenged Richard III for the throne. Henry Tudor won, married Edward IV’s oldest daughter, Elizabeth of York and the War of the Roses ended.
And that is a very brief overview and background of the War of the Roses. Confused? Don’t worry. I am going to go into a lot more detail as we explore this time period in England.
A Few Fun Things to Look Forward To:
- There are some really badass women that we are going to talk about.
- Entirely way too many people are related. Seriously. The other name for this war is the Cousins’ War. Because everyone is related.
- There are legit mysteries from this conflict that we will likely not ever be able to solve, but everyone and their mother has a theory.
- And soooooo much more….
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Sources
Charles River Editors. Medieval England: The History of England from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Tudor Dynasty. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56157716-medieval-england
Dan Jones. The War of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13844539.Dan_Jones
Alison Weir. The War of the Roses. http://www.alisonweir.org.uk/