The Complicated Convolutions of the Lancastrian Lineage

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n It is a great mistake to imagine the Wars of thenRoses as some latter-day Roses cricket match, with the Red Rose county ofnLancashire and the White Rose county of Yorkshire fighting it out for victory.nThe real War of the Roses had little to do with the neat geographicalndistinctions between the opponents and everything to do with the noble Housesnof Lancaster and York. In fact, many noble families in Lancashire alliednthemselves to the Yorkist faction and, similarly, many Yorkshire familiesnfought on the Lancastrian side, as England was riven by political, financialnand social in-fighting as the Hundred Years War with France came to an end.

King Edward III

nThenleading contenders for the throne of England came from the Plantagenet Kings,nnotably the offspring of Edward III. His son, Edward the Black Prince, died onenyear before his father and the crown passed to the Black Prince’s son, whonbecame King Richard II.

John of Gaunt

nKing Edward III’s third son, John of Gaunt, had a son,nHenry Bolingbroke, who eventually deposed his cousin, Richard II, and declarednhimself King Henry IV, the first of the Lancastrian Kings of England.

King Henry IV

nHis son,nHenry V, carried on the Lancastrian line, and he was followed by his infantnson, Henry VI.

King Henry V

nDuring, and following, the regency of Henry VI, the Yorkist sidenof the Plantagenet family gained influence and power, and Henry was deposed,ntwice, by Edward IV, who was the great-grandson of King Edward III. Edward IVnwas then followed by his brother, Richard III, who has had his reputationnblackened by later historians.

Richard III accepts the crown

nHe is said to have had a hand in the murder ofnHenry VI, his brothers Edward IV and George, Duke of Clarence, his nephews KingnEdward V and Richard, Duke of York, and numerous others who stood in his way tonthe throne. As you will appreciate from all this, the family threads of thenlater Plantagenets were very tangled, and just as Richard III thought that henmight form them into a single strand, another distant relative made a bid fornthe crown.

King Richard III

nHenry of Richmond, was an unlikely contender, his father had diednthree months before he was born, his claim came through his mother, MargaretnBeaufort, who was thirteen when he was born, and was a great-granddaughter ofnJohn of Gaunt’s third marriage, by children who had been born out of wedlocknbut later legitimised by Richard II, (who had added a clause of doubtfulnlegality denying that branch of the family any claims of succession). It was antenuous, but nonetheless, valid relationship, strengthened a little by links tonthe Welsh Tudors. Young Richmond spent most of his life in exile, in France andnBrittany, where his mother, who had remarried into the Yorkist Stanley family,npromoted his claim to the throne.

Elizabeth of York

nIn 1483, Richmond was betrothed to Elizabethnof York, their marriage would unite the Yorkist and Lancastrian lines of thenfamily. In October, an unsuccessful invasion was planned from Brittany butnterrible weather turned them back. Richard III was aware of the plans againstnhim and took steps to counter Richmond’s claims, but his own dynastic dreamsnreceived a fatal blow when Edward, his ten year old son, died unexpectedly.

Princes in the Tower

nRichard had had plans for this son Richard to marry Elizabeth of York, daughternof Edward IV, sister of the Princes in the Tower and his own niece; now henconsidered murdering his wife, Anne Neville, (widow of Edward, son of Henry VI)nin order to marry her himself, thus thwarting Richmond’s plans of uniting thenYorkist and Lancastrian branches of the family.

Sailing for England

nOn August 1^st 1485,nRichmond and an army of exiles, Scots and French mercenaries sailed fromnHarfleur and landed at Mill Bay, near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, seven daysnlater. His Welsh family connections brought him support from the Welsh, andnothers joined him from the north, as they marched east, through Wales and intonLeicestershire, where Richard was waiting with a massed army (although Stanleynalone did not join him, claiming to be suffering from the sweating sickness).

Richard III rides out

nOn August 21^st, Richard rode out from Leicester to Bosworth, twonmiles away, at the head of 30,000 men, including the finest cavalry in Europe;nRichmond was at Atherstone, his forces barely half the size of Richard’s. Herenhe met Stanley, who assured him of support although he could not act at once,nas Richard was holding his son, Lord Strange, as a virtual hostage to ensurenhis loyalty.

Plan of Battle of Bosworth

nThe following day, August 22^nd, Richmond and Richardnengaged on Bosworth Field, the battle opening with the archers on each sidenfiring into their enemy’s troops. Richard led the central body of his armynforward himself, clad in the same burnished armour he had worn at the Battle ofnTewkesbury and wearing a royal circlet on his helmet. He was flanked on eachnside by men of the Stanley contingent and these, on a sign, began to attacknRichard’s men.

Battle of Bosworth Field

nRichard, seeing that the Duke of Northumberland was also holdingnback, led a direct attack on Richmond’s position; he made three charges in annattempt to kill Richmond, he killed Richmond’s standard-bearer, Sir WilliamnBrandon, with his own hands, struck Sir John Cheyney from his horse and launchednhimself on Richmond himself, when the Stanleys arrived, surrounded him andnhacked him down. He fought, it was said, with tremendous spirit, courage andnstrength, distinguishing himself in battle. It was said that the circlet thatnRichard wore was hidden in a hawthorn bush by a soldier, but was recovered andngiven to Lord Stanley, who crowned Richmond as King Henry VII on thenbattlefield of Bosworth Field.