What Were The Wars Of The Roses?

The roses were symbols used by two warring factions – white for the House of York, red for Lancaster – who fought for supremacy in the later Middle Ages. The Wars of the Roses really started during the reign of Henry VI,  who lost control of the country and became mentally ill in 1453. From this time until his death in 1471, there was sporadic fighting between Henry's own faction, the Lancastrians (led largely by his wife Margaret) and the Yorkists, led by the Duke of York and Earl of Warwick. Richard of York was a descendant of the 14th-century king Edward III, which gave him a possible claim to the throne. Eventually Richard's son did triumph over the Lancastrians, becoming Edward IV in 1471. However, the struggles for power continued through Edward's reign and that of his brother, Richard III. The Wars of the Roses ended in 1485, when Richard was killed in battle and Henry VII, leader of the Lancastrians, seized the crown.