A Rosy and Thorny Game of Thrones - Part 2

Sunday sees the return of the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, the medieval fantasy based on A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin, which was influenced by the Wars of the Roses. The Daily Mail and History Behind Game of Thrones compare the Cousin's War in 15th Century England and the War of the Five Kings that ravaged across Westeros in Game of Thrones.

The conflicted characters of Game of Thrones share many characteristics with the real-life players of the Wars of the Roses as rival families fought for the throne and once again there are spoilers below for those who aren't up-to-date with Game of Thrones. 

HOUSE STARK/YORK

The first family introduced in the Game of Thrones TV Series was the House of Stark led by patriarch Lord Eddard 'Ned' Stark. Ned, played by Sean Bean, was the Warden of the North who served his friend, Robert Baratheon, during the King's successful rebellion and he begrudgingly left his northern stronghold of Winterfell after being awarded the title Hand of the King in the first episode.

Ned Stark with his sword Ice

Despite the title's suggestion, Richard, Duke of York didn't command the north of England as strongly as Ned Stark. Land titles were often inherited and York's northern territories were limited to Sandal Castle in Wakefield whilst the north was mainly owned by the Neville and Percy families.

York served as Lieutenant of both France and Ireland but would soon be passed over for the favourites of England's king and queen. York's loyalty to the crown was tested by the queen, Margaret of Anjou, who would exchange scathing arguments similar to those had by Ned and Queen Cersei.

The turning point in Series One of Game of Thrones is when King Robert dies and Ned becomes Protector of the Realm to rule until King Joffrey comes of age. York was also named Lord Protector in 1453 when an incapacitated Henry VI was unable to rule. Ned soon discovers that King Joffrey and his siblings are bastards born from incest and publicly declares Joffrey illegitimate in the Throne Room.

Richard, Duke of York, claimant to the throne

York had arguably a better claim to the throne than Henry VI and would publicly declare this by placing his hand on the empty throne in October 1460. York wasn't betrayed as severely as Ned in the Throne Room but courtiers didn't support York as much as he would have liked and would spend weeks negotiating that resulted in decreeing York would inherit the throne after Henry VI.

Ned, however, was imprisoned for treason and his confession in the Sept of Baelor didn't dissuade Joffrey from having Ned beheaded and put on the battlements of the Red Keep. York would never get the chance to inherit the throne after dying in battle during December 1460 and he too would have his decapitated head spiked and put on display.

The wives of Lord Stark and York would also share similarities. Lady Catelyn Stark, played by Michelle Fairley, was part of the Riverlands' House Tully whilst Duchess of York, Cecily Neville, was of the northern Neville family.

Catelyn Stark would negotiate terms for her son's rebellion

York's wife was known as 'Proud Cis' and Catelyn would also share this trait as she hated to be reminded of Ned's infidelity and acted coldly around Ned's bastard son, Jon Snow.

Catelyn was actively involved in negotiating alliances with Lord Walder Frey and Renly Baratheon. Cecily would also negotiate for peace with Margaret of Anjou and the Council following her husband's several challenges to royal authority. Lady Stark's sister, Lysa, had married Lord John Arryn who would die as Hand of the King and caused Lysa to remove herself to the Vale of Arryn. The Stark sisters reunion at the Eyrie didn't go as Catelyn would have liked as Tyrion Lannister escaped execution and Lysa refused to commit troops to the Stark cause.

Cecily Neville would outlive her husband and 13 children

Cecily would also be reunited with her sister, Anne, in harsh circumstances after York had fled the battlefield and left his Duchess to the mercy of the Lancastrian forces. Cecily and her three youngest children were placed under the care of Anne Neville, Duchess of Buckingham, who was married to the Lancastrian commander, Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. 

The fates of Lady Stark and the Duchess of York would however differ. Cecily would live to the age of 80, outliving all of her 13 children, two of which became kings, and saw her grand-daughter become queen. Catelyn would live a much shorter live after falling victim to Walder Frey's betrayal and was killed alongside her eldest son, Robb at the Red Wedding.

Robb Stark, played by Richard Madden, had taken up arms in his father's defence and was named King of the North by his men. The eldest son of York, Edward IV would also take up arms following his father's death and would be proclaimed King of England in March 1461. Edward IV's victory at Towton confirmed his rule and was similar to Robb's victory at the Whispering Wood.

Robb Stark's marriage was similar to Edward IV's

Robb marched south from the Twins after negotiating a crossing with Walder Frey that involved Robb's betrothal to one of Frey's daughters. The betrothal was soon abandoned by Robb when he married Talisa Maegyr (played by Oona Chaplin)and this unwanted marriage was similar to Edward IV's union with Elizabeth Woodville. 

Edward IV was a valiant young King

The Earl of Warwick was negotiating a marriage between Edward IV and a European princess when the king married the daughter of a former squire and this alienated Warwick. Edward IV's uncle would unsuccessfully rebel against the king and was killed at the Battle of Barnet whilst Walder Frey was more successful by betraying Robb, his mother, his wife and unborn child who were killed at the Red Wedding.

Robb was himself betrayed by the Stark ward, Theon Greyjoy (played by Alfie Allen), and was reminiscent of George, Duke of Clarence's betraying his brother, Edward IV. Theon suggested a Stark/Greyjoy alliance to his surrogate brother and Robb allowed him to propose this alliance in person to Theon's father, Balon Greyjoy. This reunion would see Theon looking to prove himself to his father by betraying Robb and attacking Stark's home of Winterfell.

Theon Greyjoy couldn't resist his Iron Island roots

Clarence had aligned himself with Warwick following his brother's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville and this was affirmed with Clarence marrying Warwick's eldest daughter, Isabel Neville. Warwick's plan to overthrow the king and crown Clarence with his grandson as heir was soon thwarted and Warwick looked instead to an alliance with the exiled Margaret of Anjou. Clarence felt betrayed by Warwick and joined his brother's side at the Battle of Barnet in 1471 where they defeated Warwick.

George, Duke of Clarence, betrayed his brother

Clarence would soon rebel against Edward IV after his wife had died and would be executed for treason in 1478 by being drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine. Theon's confident and brash persona would die when he was captured and tortured by Ramsey Snow but it remains to be seen whether Theon can return to glory.

The Stark family is now led by the eldest daughter, Sansa Stark, played by Sophie Turner, who has transformed throughout the TV series. The naive 'little dove' had seen her Prince Joffrey take the head of her father and sadistically ridicule her. The Lady of Winterfell was married to Tyrion Lannister as a strategic match which Littlefinger wanted and engineered to possess the heiress of the North.

Sansa Stark, Lady of Winterfell, is highly sought after

Elizabeth of York was Edward IV's eldest daughter and was seen as a strategic match to end the Wars of the Roses. In December 1483, Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor, agreed to the marriage of Elizabeth of York and Henry Tudor that was realised in January 1486. This marriage would unite the warring York and Lannister families and was symbolised by the Tudor Rose.

Elizabeth of York became Queen

Elizabeth of York's brothers, King Edward V and Prince Richard, were last seen housed in the Tower of London in late 1483 and were presumed dead, just as the youngest Stark boys, Bran and Rickon were when Theon Greyjoy falsely displayed two charred farm boys as the Starks.

Jon Snow, like Richard, Duke of Gloucester, fought in the North

Ned Stark's bastard son, Jon Snow, played by Kit Harrington became a Man of the Night's Watch and defended The Wall against the Wildlings. Richard, Duke of Gloucester was named Lieutenant-General of the North in 1480 by his brother, Edward IV. Richard raged war against the Scots and recaptured Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1482.

HOUSE LANNISTER/LANCASTER

House of Lancaster originated from the descendants of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and ruled England for over 60 years. 

Henry V was the most famous Lancastrian king, showing warrior-like qualities in defeating the French at Agincourt and Jaime Lannister, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, was known as the greatest swordsman in Westeros. Jaime's illegitmate son, Joffrey, would take the throne under the guise of King Robert's son and would show signs of madness as did Henry VI. 

Jaime Lannister and Henry V showed their prowess with a sword

Henry VI's first mental breakdown coincided with the birth of his only son, Edward of Westminster, who shares similarities with King Joffrey (played by Jack Gleeson) who took pleasure in meeting out justice to his captors. 

The sadistic King Joffrey 

Prince Edward was exposed to cruelty from an early age when the five-year-old boy witnessed the Lancastrian victory at the Second Battle of St. Albans. Margaret of Anjou asked her young son how the two York knights held captive should be killed and the prince requested death by decapitation, an order repeated by King Joffrey for Ned Stark.

Prince Edward was aged five when he passed judgement of execution

Margaret of Anjou looked to reaffirm her son's birthright by aligning with the Earl of Warwick who betrothed his daughter, Anne Neville, to Prince Edward. 

The "Kingmaker" Earl of Warwick

The Earl of Warwick was known as the Kingmaker for his decisive military and political actions whose lands and titles gave him vast wealth and served as inspiration for the Lannister patriach, Tywin Lannister, played by Charles Dance. 

Tywin Lannister

Tywin was also the richest man in the land and served twice as Hand of the King, betrothed his daughter to King Robert and saw his two grandsons sit on the Iron Throne. Tywin, like Warwick, looked to affirm his power by negotiating favourable marriages and he betrothed Cersei once again and his two grandsons to the powerful Tyrells. Joffrey's marriage to Margaery Tyrell didn't last a day after he was poisoned at the wedding feast and Prince Edward would also die young at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.

Joffrey's mother, Cersei Lannister, played by Lena Headey, draws inspiration from Margaret of Anjou and Elizabeth Woodville. Cersei would act as Queen Regent during Joffrey's minority and looked to wield power but was unable to control her son.

Queen Cersei divided many in King's Landing

Margaret of Anjou had several admirers at court, the biggest being the 2nd Duke of Somerset. Somerset had negotiated the royal marriage and carried the young queen-to-be ashore when she arrived in England. Queen Margaret returned this by awarding Somerset several titles and intervened numerous times when others called for Somerset's arrest. Many wondered whether Prince Edward was a result of an adulterous liaison between the queen and Somerset, a relationship that somewhat resembles the Lannister twins of Cersei and Jaime.

Margaret of Anjou's favourtism resembled Cersei's

This incestuous relationship bore illegitimate children which were revealed as such by Ned Stark and, more publicly, by Stannis Baratheon. Elizabeth Woodville would also see her children declared bastards after an Act of Accord in 1483 ruled that Edward IV was betrothed to another when Woodville married the king.

HOUSE BARATHEON/LATER YORK

King Robert Baratheon, like Edward IV, had won a valiant war to claim the throne but times of peace allowed both kings to revel in royal luxuries. King Robert, played by Mark Addy, was over-bloated after years of excess food and drink and would die on an alcohol-fuelled hunting trip. Edward IV also led an unhealthy lifestyle towards the end of his reign and would fall fatally ill, possibly from pneumonia, in Spring of 1483.

Robert Baratheon resembled an older Edward IV

Robert's two younger brothers would each look to replace him but Renly Baratheon (played by Gethin Anthony) was killed by his brother Stannis whilst George, Duke of Clarence, was executed for treason before Edward IV died.

Renly Baratheon wanted the throne as did George, Duke of Clarence

Ned Stark had informed Stannis Baratheon (played by Stephen Dillane) of the true identity of Cersei's children and Stannis publicly declared them bastards following Ned Stark's execution. 

Stannis Baratheon publicly declared his nephews & niece as bastards

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, did the same when he discovered the illegitimacy of Edward IV's sons and would become King Richard III. Both Stannis and Richard III were known for their duty and believed in just law, they would also share a sickly child with Richard's son Prince Edward dying aged 10.

Richard III took the throne after declaring his nephew a bastard

Stannis looked to support the Men of the Night's Watch cause but arrived a day afterward the Battle of the Castle Black. He continues to pursue the Iron Throne but it remains to be seen whether he'll be successful.

HOUSE TARGARYEN/LANCASTER & TUDOR

The final Targaryen king was Aerys II, known as the Mad King, and the final Lancastrian king Henry VI would also show mental frailties. Aegon II was promoted to the Iron Throne by his mother Queen Alicent Hightower much like how Margaret Beaufort encouraged her son, Henry Tudor, to the English throne, to become Henry VII.

Henry VII provided inspiration for at least two Targaryens

Henry VII had been sent into exile during Edward IV's reign - as had Daenerys Targaryen (played by Emilia Clarke). Daenerys was the daughter of Aerys II and fled to Essos with her brother Viserys and the Mother of Dragons is currently planning a return to Westeros with her dragons to claim the Iron Throne.

The exiled 'Mother of Dragons' Daenerys Targaryen

Henry Tudor was descended from the Welsh Tudor family and he flew the Welsh Dragon on his banners when he successfully won the crown by defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. This would then usher in the Tudor dynasty that ruled England for over 100 years.

HOUSES TULLY & TYRELL/NEVILLE

In order to successfully claim the throne you need support from lesser families. The Neville family descended from the Beauforts of John of Gaunt were originally sympathetic to the Lancastrian cause. Ralph Neville betrothed his nine-year-old daughter, Cecily Neviile to the Duke of York, similar to Catelyn Tully's betrothal to Ned Stark. 

Cecily's brother, Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, would later fight alongside York and his valour was similar to that shown by Catelyn's uncle Bryden Tully (played by Clive Russell).

Bryden 'Blackfish' Tully resembled the Earl of Salisbury

Salisbury's son, the Earl of Warwick, would also look to betroth his children in order to affirm his power. His eldest daughter, Isabel, was married to George, Duke of Clarence, as part of Warwick's original plan to overthrow Edward IV but this provided to be futile. Warwick would then use his other daughter, Anne, in a marriage with Lancastrian Prince Edward, in a second attempt to overthrow Edward IV.

Anne Neville would go from a Lancastrian Princess to a Yorkist Queen when Anne later married Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and became Queen Consort when Richard became king in 1483.

Anne Neville would be Princess and later Queen

Margaery Tyrell (played by Natalie Dormer) would also rise to power and told Littlefinger that she wants to be "THE queen" and not just a queen after the death of her betrothed Renly. 

Margaery Tyrell has aligned herself with two kings and one pretender

The Tyrells soon joined Tywin Lannister in fighting back Stannis' attack on King's Landing at the Battle of Backwater Bay and were rewarded by having Margaery betrothed to King Joffrey. Not to be deterred by Joffrey's death (engineered by Margaery's grandmother) Margaery would set her sights on the next king, Tommen Baratheon.

SIGILS & MOTTOS

Heraldry rose in prominence during the Middle Ages where soldiers could identify friend or foe on the battlefield. This soon developed into coats of arms where family lineage and personal emblems were displayed. Unlike the family sigils of Westeros, medieval banners would contain different emblems amongst family members. 

Whilst the Starks fought below Direwolf banners, the Yorkists flew under the Falcon and Fetterlock of the Duke of York, the Sunne in Splendour of Edward IV, the Black Bull of Duke of Clarence and the White Boar of Richard III. The White Rose of York was used early on during the so-called Wars of the Roses whilst the Red Rose of Lancaster was only used towards the end of the conflict with the banner of the  Welsh Red Dragon being flown by Henry Tudor's men.

The York symbols White Rose and Falcon & Fetterlock

Each family in Westeros has it's own motto such as Stark's "Winter Is Coming" or Lannister's "Hear Me Roar!" Mottos were usually reserved for English royalty and usually invoked fealty and loyalty with Edward IV's "Comfort and Joy", Richard III's "Loyalty Binds Me" and Henry VI's "God And My Right."  

Profile - Cecily Neville Part 1 1415-1460

The 80 years of Cecily Neville's life would see her family's power rise, fall and rise again as she became wife of a pretender to the English throne, mother to the two Yorkist kings, and grandmother to the first Tudor queen. Cecily, however, would tragically outlive her husband and all of their 13 children.

'ROSE OF RABY'

Cecily Neville was born on 3 May 1415 at Raby Castle in Durham as youngest daughter to parents Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, and Joan Beaufort with Cecily's good looks rewarded with the sobriquet 'Rose of Raby'. Her maternal grandparents were the English prince, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and Katherine Swynford. The family connections to the Beauforts would see Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor, as Cecily's second cousin.

Ralph Neville had become the royal warden of Richard, Duke of York after York's father, Richard of Conisburgh,  was condemned to death in 1415, and the young duke arrived at Raby Castle in December 1423 to live with the Nevilles. Cicely's father betrothed her to York in October 1424 at the expense of 3,000 marks to the crown to release York from his wardship. Cicely was 14 years-old and York was 18 when the couple married in October 1429 and would remain married for 31 years with Cicely bearing 13 children, seven of whom survived childhood.

Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire was a favourite family residence

York's vast estates would see Cecily live in Ludlow Castle in Shropshire, Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire and Baynard's Castle in London. The contented marriage saw Cicely follow her husband to France and Ireland during York's time in office. Rouen in France would see the births of Cecily's eldest living sons Edward and Edmund and second living daughter, Elizabeth, between 1443 and 1444.The third living son, George, was born in 1449 in Dublin, Ireland and Cicely would bear children across 17 years and daughters Anne, Margaret and youngest son Richard were all born at Fotheringhay Castle. This would indicate that Fotheringhay Castle was the family's favourite residence.

Cicely was renowned for her piety, attending eight services a day, and this would make a mockery of later Lancastrian propaganda that slandered her as an adulteress with the rumour that Edward IV was born a bastard to Blaybourne, a French archer. The Duchess would vehemently protest against this slander and Cicely's own pride and temper would bring her the nickname 'Proud Cis'.

LADY PROTECTOR

The Duke and Duchess of York attended the wedding of King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou in May 1445 and the queen would show court nepotism at Duke of York's expense. Cecily's first cousin, Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, replaced York as Lieutenant of France but wasn't able to emulate York's time in office as France reclaimed Normandy along the English Channel coast.

Southern England was fearful of a French invasion and Jack Cade led an unsuccessful rebellion against the king and his "friends". Cade appealed to York supporters by calling himself Mortimer after York's ancestors and demanded that Henry VI removed his friends or the king would be replaced by York if this wasn't done.

York had no association with Cade but the rebellion caused many at court to ponder whether York was going to claim the throne when he travelled from Ireland to England in September 1450. York protested his allegiance to the king and demanded Somerset's arrest over France. Henry VI initially agreed but the queen intervened and duly promoted her court favourite to Captain of Calais. York was in turn given a much the lower ranked title of Justice of the Forest South of the Trent. 

Cecily's nephew, Earl of Warwick, originally supported his Beaufort relatives

A frustrated York returned to his estates. Cecily, pregnant with Richard, may have encouraged York to reassert his power and birthright which led to her husband gathering troops and marching on London but he would find the capital gates locked. York reached Dartford in Kent and faced off against the royal troops including Cecily's brother, Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury and his son, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. York looked for peace and demanded Somerset's arrest but the queen intervened once again.  

Margaret of Anjou was incensed to see Somerset being carried away in chains and a showdown in the royal tent saw Queen Margaret demand York's arrest instead. The Duke returned to London being paraded like a prisoner at the head of the royal party.

Cecily and the queen met at the shrine of Our Lady of  Walsingham

Cecily came to her husband's defence and the queen agreed to hear the Duchess' pleas for clemency at the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk. The Duchess would later write to the queen and praised the meeting where Cecily surmised that her husband's "infinite sorrow and unrest of heart" caused him to be "estranged from the grace and benevolent favour" of the king. Cecily's plan worked as the queen stopped pursuing York's imprisonment but York he was publicly humiliated at St. Paul's Cathedral where he swore an oath of allegiance to the king. 

York was mindful of his own father's fate and withdrew to his estates once again to spend time with the family. York also provided much needed support to his in-laws in their land disputes with Somerset and Neville's northern rivals, the Percies. 

The royal couple welcomed their long-awaited heir in 1453 when the queen gave birth to Prince Edward. Henry VI was unable to acknowledge his son's existence after the king descended into a severe bout of mental illness following England's heavy loss at the Battle of Castillon. England needed a leader as York returning to court and was elected Lord Protector in March 1454. York brought much needed order and appointed his brother-in-law, Salisbury, as Chancellor and his nephew, Warwick, became Captain of Calais.

York's control of government didn't last long as Henry VI regained his senses during Christmas 1454 and Somerset, imprisoned in the Tower by York, was released. Parliament was to reconvene in Leicester in May 1455 and York saw this as a ruse by the queen to arrest him. Cecily's brother and nephew joined her husband and intercepted the royal army at the First Battle of St. Albans where Somerset was killed and the king captured. 

Cecily's brother successfully fought off a Lancastrian charge at Blore Heath

York would return as Lord Protector after Henry VI relapsed towards the end of 1455 and a rejuvenated king kept Warwick on as Captain of Calais after Henry VI recovered in 1456. The queen would now target Cecily's nephew with charges of piracy and a suspected murder plot against Warwick, further antagonising the Yorkist and Lancastrian divide. York and the Nevilles gathered troops and met at Ludlow in October 1459 after Salisbury had defeated a portion of the royal army at the Battle of Blore Heath en-route to Shropshire.  

DESERTED

Henry VI led his troops to just south of Ludlow and offers of royal pardons proved too tempting to York's army as Warwick's Calais troops commanded by Andrew Trollope, defected. The Battle of Ludford Bridge proved to be bloodless after York abandoned his army and fled the battlefield. York took Edmund, now Earl of Rutland, to Ireland whilst Edward, now Earl of March, joined his uncle and cousin in fleeing to Calais. 

Cecily and her children were captured in Ludlow Market Square

Cecily was left to defend Ludlow with her three youngest children and they were discovered by the Lancastrian army at Ludlow Market Cross. Cecily pleaded for clemency once again and was placed under the care of her sister Anne, Duchess of Buckingham, and her husband, the Lancastrian commander, Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham.

The Duchess of York and her youngest children stayed with the Buckinghams at Tunbridge Castle in Kent and it's close proximity to Calais would have allowed possible secret communications between Cecily and her eldest son. Cecily, like seven years before, defended her husband at court and asked for a royal pardon. She was unsuccessful in preventing her husband, brother and nephew being given an Act of Attainder which forfeited all their lands and titles. The queen, possibly remembering the time at Walsingham, may have taken pity on Cecily and the defunct-Duchess was granted £600 a year to support herself and her children.

Cecily resided in London at Banyard's Castle before York returned to England

Cecily's nephew and husband met in Ireland during the spring of 1460 to plan a return to England and Warwick, Salisbury and Edward landed in Sandwich on the Kent coast in June 1460. Salisbury held London and welcomed his sister to the capital as she took up residence in Banyard's Castle following the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Northampton. Warwick and Edward faced the royal troops in July 1460 near Northampton where treachery would allow March to take the vanguard and breach Lancastrian defences. The Lancastrian commanders were taken by surprise once the Yorkists were behind the front-lines and Buckingham would die defending the king who would once again be captured and brought back to London.

QUEEN-IN-WAITING

York returned to England on 8 September 1460 and immediately sent word to Cecily for the married couple to meet at Hereford. Cecily travelled to the west country in a charriot or litter dressed in blue velvet and carried by eight horses. York likely discussed his intentions of claiming the throne with Cicely at Hereford and, wIth Margaret of Anjou fleeing to Scotland, Cecily acted every part of a queen as she carried the royal arms during her husband's procession to London.

The Duke and Duchess of York reunited in Hereford before proceeding to London

Her husband's bold move in claiming the throne from Henry VI got little support in Parliament including Warwick and Salisbury who weren't aware of York's plan. A compromise in Parliament was struck in late October 1460 with an Act of Accord declaring York as heir-apparent and disinherited Prince Edward. York and his heirs would now take the throne once Henry VI died and Cecily became a queen-in-waiting. 

Word soon spread that Margaret of Anjou was courting Scottish support and the Percies were raiding the Yorkshire estates of York and Salisbury. York sent Edward to the Welsh Marches to rally the troops, Warwick held London and York took Edmund and Salisbury north to face the Lancastrians. Cecily gave her husband and son a fond farewell in early December 1460 and expected to welcome their return in the New Year. This never happened and Cecily was devastated when she heard of the deaths of her husband, second son and eldest brother at the Battle of Wakefield.

Battle of Ludford Bridge 1459

Ludford Bridge

Henry VI's Lancastrian army had their first victory of the Wars of the Roses with a bloodless battle at Ludford Bridge on 12 October 1459.

Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, victorious at the Battle of Blore Heath, linked up with his son, Earl of Warwick, and the Duke of York at Worcester on 10 October, 1459. The Yorkist commanders sent word to Henry VI that they had sworn an oath of loyalty to the king but decried the "evil councillors" surrounding him. The king responded by saying he would issue pardons to those who would join him within six days.

York retreated towards Ludlow and took up a fortified position near Ludford, Shropshire, by excavating a ditch on the opposite side of the River Teme from Ludlow and aimed cannons on Ludford.

Henry VI's presence at Ludford unsettled Warwick's contingency of 600 men from the Calais garrison who were unwilling to fight against their king. Word spread through the camp of the king's renewed wish for royal pardons for those who joined him and the Calais commander, Andrew Trollope, changed allegiances.

York reviewed the need to fight as he was severely outnumbered five to one with the royal forces totaling 30,000 men compared to York's 5,000. Under the cover of darkness, the Yorkist commanders abandoned their army and fled. York took his second son, Edmund, Earl of Rutland, to Ireland whilst Warwick, Salisbury and York's eldest son, Edward, Earl of March, fled to Calais.

Ludlow Market depicted by Louise Raynor

At dawn the next day the leaderless Yorkist troops knelt in submission before Henry VI and were pardoned. York left behind his wife Cecily, his two younger sons, George and Richard, and his youngest daughter, Margaret. The Duchess of York and her young children were found standing at Ludlow Market Cross and were placed in the care of Cecily's sister, Anne. Anne was married to Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham, and Buckingham kept Margaret of Anjou updated on the Nevilles' well-being. 

The Yorkist commanders may have been in exile but both York and Warwick were able to build on the military and financial support of Ireland and Calais. The royal couple responded in December 1459 by forfeiting York's, Salisbury's and Warwick's lands, titles and inheritance in an act of attainder. The Yorkist commanders would return to England in 1460 to reclaim their titles and power from the crown.

Profile - Richard Duke of York. Part 3 1456-1460

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, was arguably one of the most influential figures in 15th Century England.

UNDER SUSPICION

In August 1456, the Queen of England, Margaret of Anjou, persuaded her husband, King Henry VI, to move the royal court to her heartland of Coventry. Margaret of Anjou was suspicious of Richard Duke of York due to him threatening the succession of her son, negotiating the possible marriage of his son Edward into the rival Burgundian family and was a key supporter of the Neville family. The Neville/Percy feud in the north was disturbing the peace and the king looked to reconcile the families through peace talks which culminated in Loveday summit on 24 March 1458.

Margaret of Anjou

Later that year, the queen unsuccessfully tried to convict Warwick of piracy in the English Channel and the invitation to attend the Great Council in Coventry in June 1459 was seen by York, Salisbury and Warwick as a ruse to arrest them. The three men rallied their troops and met at Worcester after Salisbury's advance was slowed in the Battle of Blore Heath.

York tried to move his men south on 11 October 1459 but was forced to head to Ludlow and met the king's troops in Ludford, Shropshire. The Battle of Ludford Bridge on 12 October 1459 saw Warwick's men from Calais refuse to fight against the king. 

RETREAT

York, Salisbury and Warwick left the battlefield field for what appeared a night at Ludlow but they never returned and abandoned their troops. York, with his second son Edmund, Earl of Rutland, fled to Ireland via Wales. Salisbury, Warwick and York's eldest son Edward, Earl of March, fled to Calais.

Ludford Bridge

The leaderless Yorkist troops knelt in submission before Henry VI at dawn the next day and were pardoned. York had left behind not only his troops but his wife Cecily, his two younger sons, George and Richard, and his youngest daughter Margaret. The Duchess of York and her young children were found standing at the Ludlow Market Cross and were placed in the care of Cecily's sister Anne, the wife of Margaret of Anjou supporter, Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham. 

York and Warwick were able to build on the military and financial support of Ireland and Calais and the royal couple responded by forfeiting York's, Salisbury's and Warwick's lands, titles and inheritance in an act of attainder in December 1459. 

York was in the same position as Henry Bolingbroke 60 years earlier and planned for an invasion. Warwick, Salisbury and Edward landed in Sandwich, England on 26 June 1460. The men of Kent rose to join them and London opened its gates to York's commanders on 2 July. Their growing army marched north into the Midlands, and defeated the royal forces at the Battle of Northampton on 10 July. Henry was once again captured by the Nevilles and taken back to London. 

CLAIMANT

York arrived in England on 9 September to take the throne. He marched to London under the banner of his great-great-grandfather Lionel of Antwerp, third son of Edward III, and displayed the Coat of Arms of England as he approached the capital.

York arrived in London on 10 October and took residence in the royal palace. Entering Parliament with his sword raised above him, York made for the empty throne and placed his hand upon it. York expected the assembled peers to acclaim him as King but they remained silent. Thomas Bourchier, the Archbishop of Canterbury, asked whether York wished to see the King and he replied, "I know of no person in this realm that owes not to wait on me, rather than I of him." This high-handed reply did not impress the court.

York advanced his claim to the crown by hereditary right the next day but his narrow support among his peers let him down. The best that York could achieve after weeks of negotiation was the Act of Accord. This recognised York and his heirs as Henry's successors and York was once again made Protector of the Realm on 31 October 1460.

Lancastrian forces began to build in the north and Margaret of Anjou met with the new Scottish King, James III, to gain his support. York reacted by moving north with Salisbury and Rutland on December 9. They would meet the Lancastrian army, and their deaths, three weeks later at the Battle of Wakefield. 

The decapitated heads of York, Salisbury and Rutland were put on spikes on top of Micklegate Bar in York. York suffered the indignity of the Lancastrians by having a paper crown put upon his head with a sign hanging from his spike stating: "Let York overlook the town of York."

Duke of York and his paper crown

York's remains were buried in Pontefract but were later moved to Church of St Mary and All Saints in Fotheringhay, Northamptonshire.

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, was never able to sit upon the throne but his cause was quickly taken up by his son who would be crowned Edward IV a few months later. York would have been proclaimed King Richard III if he had ruled England and this title was taken up by his son, and namesake, in 1483.

Profile: Richard Duke of York. Part 1 1411-1447

Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, was arguably one of the most influential figures in 15th century England. 

BIRTHRIGHT 

Royal blood richly coursed through Richard's veins as he was great grandson to King Edward III on his father's side and great, great grandson to the same monarch on his mother's side. Richard's claim to the throne was based on him being the maternal descendant of Edward III's third son, Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence.

Edward III outlived his first three sons and his fourth, John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, exercised great influence over the minority of King Richard II. Upon John of Gaunt's death in 1399, the king disinherited Lancaster's son, Henry Bolingbroke, from his father's titles. Bolingbroke took up arms, declared himself king and imprisoned Richard II.

Henry IV staked his claim over heir presumptive, eight-year-old Edmund Mortimer, through his direct male line to the throne, instead of Mortimer's descent via his grandmother.

Edmund's sister, Anne Mortimer, married Richard of Conisburgh in 1406 and on 21 September, 1411, they had a son - Richard Plantagenet. Anne, however, didn't live past child-birth.

Richard Conisburgh, father to Richard Plantagenet

Richard would become an orphan four years later when his father was beheaded for treason. Henry IV died in 1413 and his son, Henry V, took the throne. Conisburgh was made Earl of Cambridge in 1414 but had no lands to accompany the earldom. Cambridge lacked resources to equip himself for King Henry V's French expedition and conspired with Henry Scrope and Sir Thomas Grey to place Edmund Mortimer on the throne. Mortimer revealed his brother-in-law's plot to the king and was part of the commission which passed the death sentence on the Southampton Plot conspirators.

Cambridge pleaded the king for mercy but was beheaded on 5 August 1415 and buried in Southampton's God's House chapel. Henry V's fleet set sail six days later for a successful campaign that culminated at the Battle of Agincourt. Cambridge's eldest brother, Edward, 2nd Duke of York, died at Agincourt and his land and titles passed to Richard Plantagenet. 

Richard's uncle, Edmund Mortimer, died in 1425 and the Duke of York inherited his lands. York's vast wealth was now only second to the king.

York was made a ward of the crown in 1417 and the wardship was awarded to Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmorland. York was placed under the guardianship of Robert Waterton at Pontefract Castle. Neville saw the potential in York and betrothed him at 13 years-of-age to his nine-year-old daughter, Cecily Neville.

Cecily Neville - Richard, Duke of York's wife

York was knighted by Henry V's brother, John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford, in Leicester on 19 May 1426. His marriage to Cecily Neville took place in October 1429 and York was able to take control of his estates and inheritance three years later.

Henry V had died suddenly in 1422 and the crown passed to his nine-month old son, Henry VI. The regency council governed England and they were preempted to crown the king on 6 November 1429 after the French had crowned Charles VII four months earlier. The regency council looked to reaffirm England's right to France and Henry VI's French coronation was on 26 December 1431. York was present at both of Henry VI's coronations as he took his place on the king's council.

COMMANDER

Following Bedford's death in 1436, York succeeded him as Lieutenant of France and had to contend with the alliance between France and Burgundy that no longer recognised Henry VI's claim to the French throne. Bedford's former captains assisted York in recapturing Fecamp, maintaining Pays de Caux and keeping order and justice in Normandy.

York was dissatisfied with the terms of his appointment as he had to finance his troops' wages and other expenses. He returned to England in November 1439 to find that he was no longer included in Henry VI's Council. The council looked for peace with France but reappointed York as Lieutenant of France after negotiations had broken down and York was now granted powers similar to what Bedford had before.

Henry VI granted John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset (and self declared Captain-General of Gascony), an army of 7,000 men that was dispatched to the French port of Cherbourg in August 1443. Somerset marched his army south to Gascony and his command denied York of much needed troops and resources at a time when York  was struggling to hold the borders of Normandy in northern France. Somerset's needless campaign antagonised prior peace treaties and he retreated north to Normandy where he would die shortly afterwards.

The remaining two years of York's lieutenancy was spent in routine administration and domestic matters with England looking for peace once again with France. Cecily accompanied him in Normandy and she gave birth to sons, Edward and Edmund, and daughter Elizabeth in Rouen between 1442 and 1444.

The king took council with Cardinal Beaufort and WIlliam de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, who advised that peace with France lay with marrying Margaret of Anjou, niece to the French King, Charles VII. The French king drove a hard bargain and the Treaty of Tours allowed the territories of Maine and Anjou to be handed over to France in exchange for the marriage. The terms were kept secret from the English parliament for a year after Henry VI had married Margaret of Anjou at Tichfield Abbey on 23 April 1445.

Henry VI marriage to Margaret of Anjou

York returned to England on 20 October 1445 and was expecting a third term as Lieutenant of France but the appointment went to Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, brother to York's fallen foe, John Beaufort. 

Henry VI and his 17-year-old queen had yet to have a child and York was made heir presumptive when Henry VI's uncle, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, died in 1447. However, York, was unofficially exiled when he was made Lieutenant of Ireland as the 10 year term would rule him out of consideration for any other roles in high office.