1.

The Wars of the Roses

The House of the Lancasters. The House of the Yorks.

Write down three important facts about the Write down three important facts about the House of
House of the Lancasters. the Yorks.

1. TheLancasters were a royal dynasty that ruled from 1. The Yorks were a dynasty of English kings in 1461-
1399 to 1461. 1485.

2. Its founder was the Duke of Lancaster (later Henry 2. Its first representative was Edward IV, who ruled in
IV). 1461 - 1483 (with a break).

3. Theancestral center of the Lancasters was the city of 3. The Yorks owned one of the most important cities in
Lancaster. They were supported by the north-western England — York. On the side of the Yorks stood the
counties, Wales and Ireland. commercial southeast, the middle strata of the city and the
countryside.
1. Henry Ⅵ versus Edward Ⅳ
Henry Ⅵ
When was Henry VI King? Henry VI has succeeded the
throne of both England and France in 1422, he was only 9
months old at that moment. In 1461 Henry VI was
overthrown by Edward IV. In 1470 Henry was restored to
the throne, but in 1471 Edward returned and claimed the
throne once again.
Why did he think he should be King? It’s rather difficult
to say if Henry VI actually wanted to be the king. Since he
was very inefficient ruler, he was manipulated by his uncles
and later by his wife, Margaret of Anjou.
What sort of king was he? Henry VI was very incapable
ruler, the control over the kingdom was mostly in the hands
of noble families. Later he even lost most of his control over
France, this inflicted series of rebellions and the Wars of
Roses.
Edward Ⅳ
When was Edward IV King? In 1461 Edward defeated the
Lancastrians and claimed the throne as Edward IV. From
1470 he was deposed from the throne buy reclaimed it in the
following year.
In 1483, Edward died and his son inherited the throne.
Why did he think he should be King? He took up his
father’s cause to reclaim reign over England and overthrow
the unable ruler.
What sort of king was he? He managed to restore the
country’s prosperity to some degree. Most of his rule was
peaceful.
5. Was Richard Ⅲ guilty?
Evidence the Princes were
murdered
 The two princes were never seen after
the summer of 1483.
 Two hundred years after their deaths,
two skeletons were found under a staircase
in the Tower of London. They were
confirmed to be the skeletons of two
young boys.
Evidence the story is false
 An English Knight who was loyal to
Richard III later confessed that he killed
the princes under Richard’s orders.
However, he may have made the
confession under torture.
 People like to believe the story of the
Princes in the Tower because Shakespeare
later wrote a play about it, which cast
Richard III as an evil villain.
 Richard III was known for being a loyal
brother, who was brave and charming.
Could he really have murdered his own
nephews?
 The story about Richard II being a
murderer may have been made up by his
enemies, such as Henry Tudor, who
disliked him because he was a Yorkist.
7. The Tudor Rose

What did the Tudor Rose Represent?

The Tudor Rose (sometimes called the Rose of the Union) is a traditional
floral heraldic coat of arms of England, which got its name and origin from
the Tudor Family, which united the House of Lancaster and the House of
York. The Tudor rose consists of five inner white petals representing the
House of York and five outer red petals representing the House of
Lancaster.
How did Henry Tudor end the Wars of the Roses?
Henry Tudor married the daughter of Edward IV, as if combining the Scarlet
and White Roses together. However, the war ended, rather, due to the fact
that the country was finally drained of blood, and only the most insignificant
of their representatives remained from the huge noble clans, who were not
capable of a serious struggle for power.