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 - Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, Part 1 1428-1458

Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, will forever be known as the "Kingmaker" due to the power he wielded during the Wars of the Roses.

EARL OF RICHES

The powerful magnate was born on 22 November 1428 to Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, and Alice Montague. The Nevilles had held Yorkshire strongholds since the 13th Century and Warwick's grandfather, Ralph, Earl of Westmorland,  joined the family to royal lineage with his marriage to Joan Beaufort, youngest daughter of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford.

Richard's betrothal at six years-of-age to Anne Beauchamp would prove to be highly fortuitous when the Beauchamp earldom of Warwick passed to him aged 20. Warwick owned land in 18 counties, from Cornwall to Yorkshire, with the greatest concentration in the West Midlands including the majestic Warwick Castle.

Warwick's early foe, Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset on horseback

A land dispute in Glamorgan, Wales, with the Lancastrian favourite, Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, led Warwick to side with his uncle, Richard, Duke of York, in the tumultuous year of 1453.

There had been eight childless years of marriage between King of England Henry VI and his queen consort Margaret of Anjou and the birth of Prince Edward of Westminster in 1453 should have strengthened the reign of Henry VI. But the king's mental breakdown left the country without a ruler.  

Henry VI's illness led to the king not acknowledging the existence of his son and Warwick contributed to court rumours that the baby boy was a bastard son born through an adulterous affair between the queen and Somerset.

Somerset's disastrous command of France led to his imprisonment in the Tower of London by York, now acting as Lord Protector following the king's incapacity. The head of the king's council, backed by Warwick and his father, was able to bring order and looked to balance the Crown's finances but York's peers were wary of the duke's true intentions. 

York was soon to resign as Protector when Henry VI regained his senses on Christmas Day 1454 and Somerset's swift release from the Tower led to the Yorkist faction to retire to their estates. Warwick quickly began assembling an army along with York and Salisbury and the three nobles suspected that the royal court was moving against them after they received invitations for a Great Council meeting in Leicester that would discuss the king's safety 'against his enemies'.

IN COMMAND

York led his men south to intercept Henry VI's men before they reached Leicester and the two forces clashed at the First Battle of St. Albans. 

The decisive moment in the battle came when Warwick led his men through inn gardens and attacked Lord Thomas Clifford's men holding the line against York and Salisbury's charges. The surprise attack from behind Clifford created a fierce battle through the streets of St. Albans and Warwick soon had the advantage when the Lancastrians fled.

Warwick instructed his archers to target the area around the king's royal standard on St. Peters Street and arrows rained down on the Lancastrian nobles. Clifford, Somerset, and Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, lay dead whilst Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, and the king were struck in the face by Warwick's arrows. The king sought refuge in a tanner's house and was soon discovered by York. The Yorkist commanders knelt in front of their king and pleaded forgiveness for their actions in that they never intended to harm the king.

York and Warwick discover Henry VI's whereabouts (depicted by Graham Turner)

Henry VI accepted and was escorted back to London alongside York and Salibury, with Warwick leading the way with the king's sword. After another bout of illness, Henry VI recovered in early 1456 and recognised York's influence in court by awarding Warwick Captain of Calais on 20 April 1456. Warwick courted favour with the town's powerful wool merchants with financial rewards and began to build a vital power base in England's last French domain.

POPULAR

Warwick's popularity in London increased when he stopped Italian traders from taking an unlimited supply of English wool after the Italians exploited a royal licence that was granted to them.

The queen looked to maneuver against the Yorkists by negotiating terms with her uncle, King of France Charles VII, in exchange for military support. The French seized on this and attacked the English south coast town of Sandwich and whispers spread throughout court that Margaret was behind the attack in order to antagonise Warwick across the Straits of Dover in Calais.

Warwick's new foe - Queen Margaret

Discontent rumbled throughout the land due to Margaret's attempts of conscription and the raging battle between the northern Neville and Percy families, led Henry VI to look for peace and initiated talks in early 1458. The arrival of Sir John Clifford, and other nobles whose fathers were slain at St. Albans, threatened to disrupt the talks but Warwick, York and Salisbury agreed to pay for a chantry in the town and further compensated the fallen families.

The talks culminated in a public display of harmony between Yorkist and Lancastrian supporters on Loveday, 24 March 1458. Henry VI led the procession of harmonious inter-family couples with Warwick, following behind York and the queen, knowing that peace would be short lived.

Profile - Margaret of Anjou Part 2 1453-1460

Margaret of Anjou was reputably the most powerful woman in 15th Century England by ruling through her passive husband, Henry VI. 

GRIEF, JOY, DESPAIR

The year 1453 was a turbulent one for Margaret of Anjou. On 28 February, Margaret's mother died and a pregnant Margaret grieved over the death of the influential Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine, through the first half of the year. This grief turned to joy when Margaret gave birth to Prince Edward of Westminster on 13 October but Henry VI didn't join in the celebrations.

Henry VI's domain over France was reduced to just Calais following the heavy defeat at the Battle of Castillon on 17 July 1453 and the king descended into a mental breakdown. Charles VI of France was known for his bouts of insanity and his grandson, Henry VI, showed signs of schizophrenia as paranoid hallucinations plagued him in late 1453.

Prince Edward of Westminster

Margaret tried to protect Henry VI by removing him to Windsor but the queen couldn't keep her husband's malaise secret when Henry VI wouldn't acknowledge his new-born son. The Great Council named Richard Duke of York Protector of the Realm and Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, was placed in the Tower of London. The queen and her prince retired to Greenwich Palace until Henry VI regained his senses at Christmas 1454. York relinquished being Protector and Somerset was reinstated as Captain of Calais. 

Orders were sent to convene a Great Council meeting for 21 May 1455 in Leicester, away from York's London supporters, and York saw this as an opportunity for the royal forces to arrest him. York, and his commanders, the Neville-father and son, Earl of Salisbury and Earl of Warwick, gathered troops and marched south to meet the royal forces before they reached Leicester.

Margaret stayed with her son in Greenwich and was dismayed to hear of York's swift victory at First Battle of St. Albans that left Somerset dead and her husband captured. York named himself Constable of England and Protector of the Realm once again when Henry VI had a mental relapse under York's watch.

The king recovered in February 1456 and Henry VI now accepted York's influence at court. Margaret was less accommodating to York and convinced Henry VI to move court to her heartland of Coventry. The royal couple went around the country to display their unity and prince but discontent was rumbling in the north between the feuding Neville and Percy families.

Henry VI tried to nullify the discord and peace talks in 1458 culminated on 25 March in the Loveday celebrations when the king proudly led former enemies out of St. Paul's Cathedral in amicable pairs. Behind the king followed Margaret arm-in-arm with the Duke of York and the queen wasn't ready to end her hostilities with York just yet. 

ANTAGONISER

The Earl of Warwick had since replaced the deceased Somerset as Captain of Calais and the queen looked to antagonise Warwick by supporting French raids on the English south coast and later unsuccessfully charged Warwick with piracy.

York decided to move on the royal forces and gathered with Warwick and Salisbury a Battle of Ludford Bridge in September 1459. Salisbury had earlier beaten Margaret's forces at Battle of Blore Heath but talk of royal pardons to those who would defect to the king spread throughout York's camp. Warwick's 600 men from Calais, led by Anthony Trollope, changed sides on the eve of battle and the Yorkist commanders fled into exile.

Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers and husband to Jacquetta of Luxembourg

York took his second eldest son, Edmund, Earl of Rutland, to Ireland whilst Warwick and Salisbury made their way to Calais with York's eldest son, Edward, Earl of March. Warwick still had a ship moored in Sandwich on the English south-east coast and Margaret sent the husband of long-time friend, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, to commandeer the vessel. This expedition would soon backfire when Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers, and his son, Anthony, arrived at Sandwich to take the ship but were taken prisoner. Warwick, Salisbury and March each ridiculed their captives in Calais, with Warwick berating Earl Rivers for being a son of a squire who had married himself into the nobility.

Warwick, Salisbury and March returned to England in June 1460 and met the royal forces at the Battle of Northampton on 10 July 1460. Margaret and Prince Edward stayed within the Northampton city walls whilst Henry VI stayed in his royal tent behind the Lancastrian front line. This front-line was soon breached due to Warwick and March bribing a key Lancastrian general, Lord Grey of Ruthin, and the king's troops quickly fled. Henry VI's tent was guarded by his lieutenants who died protecting the king.

Warwick and March greeted Henry VI and escorted him back to London. The queen and prince quickly fled north-west to Cheshire and later Wales. York arrived in England on 9 September to claim the English throne for himself but was balked by those on the council loyal to the royal couple.

DISINHERITED

York was able to have an Act of Accord passed that disinherited Prince Edward and recognised York, and his subsequent heirs, as successors to Henry VI's throne. Henry VI was still King of England but York was named Protector of the Realm once again.

James III of Scotland, potential ally to Margaret of Anjou 

Margaret and her disinherited son journeyed from Wales to Scotland and met with the new Scottish King, James III, to gain support. The border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed was offered up by Margaret in exchange for James III's support. Forces loyal to the royal couple grew south of the Scottish border and York marched north from London on 9 December 1460 to meet them. The two forces clashed at the Battle of Wakefield on 30 December 1460 which saw the deaths of York, Rutland and Salisbury. 

Margaret was overjoyed to hear the death of her fiercest adversary and how his claim to the throne was ridiculed with a paper crown adorning York's decapitated head on a spike overlooking the city of York.

Profile - Henry VI Part 1 1421-1460

The reign of Henry VI on the English throne was a turbulent and fractious one.

BABY KING

The son of King Henry V and French Princess, Catherine of Valois, was born at Windsor on 6 December 1421. The warrior king, Henry V, was campaigning in France when he suddenly died of dysentery on 31 August 1422. Henry VI became the youngest  ever English monarch the next day and the 10-month-old Henry was proclaimed king of France when his grandfather, Charles VI, died a few weeks later. 

The English nobles swore their allegiance to Henry VI and a regency council gathered to rule in the king's name. Henry VI' mother was kept out of the regency by the king's uncles, John, Duke of Bedford and Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. Bedford was appointed senior regent of the realm and regent of France whilst Gloucester was appointed Protector and Defender of the Realm.

Bedford knighted the king at Leicester in May 1426 and Henry VI was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey on 6 November 1429. This was in reaction to Charles VII's defiant coronation as King of France at Reims Cathedral four months earlier.

Henry VI himself was crowned King of France on 26 December 1431 but his power eroded when English allies in Burgundy changed their allegiances and sided with Charles VII during the Congress of Arras in 1435. Bedford died a week before the congress concluded.

A shy and pious Henry VI came of age in 1437 and his peaceful policy towards France caused divisions at court. The king's half-uncle, Cardinal Beaufort, and William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, sought peace whilst Gloucester, and Richard, Duke of York, looked for war.

Beaufort and Suffolk convinced Henry VI that a royal marriage to Charles VII's niece, Margaret of Anjou, would bring peace with France. The French king seized on this opportunity and negotiated with Suffolk the return of English territories back to the French in exchange for the marriage. These negotiations were kept secret from the English court for around a year after Henry VI married Margaret of Anjou on 23 April 1445.

Henry VI marriage to Margaret of Anjou

Public anger towards these negotiations focused on Suffolk and the royal couple charged Gloucester with treason in 1447 for instigating this anger. Gloucester soon died in custody and Cardinal Beaufort would die shortly after. Henry VI promoted the Cardinal's nephew, Edmund Beaufort, to 2nd Duke of Somerset and gave him the lieutenancy of France. This caused friction with York who had been demoted from Lieutenant of France to be Lieutenant of Ireland.

Somerset's command of France was disastrous and England's south coast was fearful of a French invasion. Discontent boiled over when Suffolk was caught and executed after Henry VI had allowed him to flee into exile. 

REBELLION

The south-east rebelled under Jack Cade who declared he would "destroy" the king and "bring" York to the throne. Henry VI initially sent a small force to quash the rebellion but fled to Warwickshire once Cade marched on London. Cade was unsuccessful in replacing the king but York returned from Ireland in 1450 to take his place on the council.

York demanded Somerset's arrest over France, which Henry VI initially agreed but the queen's intervention would made Somerset Captain of Calais. An agitated York asserted his claim to the throne in 1452 by marching his troops to London.The city was barred to York and the duke had to concede to the king after being outnumbered in Dartford, Kent. The king placed York under house arrest for two weeks until the duke pledged allegiance and Henry VI would later strip York of his terms of office.

Henry VI sits as Duke of Somerset (centre) and Duke of York argue

Somerset's French campaign began to haunt Henry VI, with the heavy loss at the Battle of Castillon in 1453, reducing England's French domain to just Calais. The king now descended into a mental breakdown with acute schizophrenia and hallucinations preventing him to recognise the birth of his son, Prince Edward, on 13 October 1453.York was declared Protector of the Realm in 1454 and placed Somerset in the Tower of London, but he would soon be released after Henry VI regained his senses later that year.

York took up arms and intercepted the king's forces on 22 May 1455 as Henry VI made his way to Leicester for a Great Council meeting. York had gained the support of the wealthy Neville family and he relied on the father and son of Earl of Salisbury and Earl of Warwick to outnumber the royal forces at the First Battle of St. Albans. The quick battle through the streets of St. Albans saw the death of Somerset and Henry was deserted by his standard bearer. The king took refuge in a tradesman's house before being discovered by York and escorted back to London.

PRISONER

York declared himself Constable of England and later Protector of the Realm once again when  Henry VI had another bout of mental illness during his imprisonment. The king recovered in February 1456 and had to accept York's influence at court. The queen was less accommodating to York and convinced Henry VI to move court to her heartland of Coventry.

Henry VI tried to nullify the discord between his northern lords and their supporters by having peace talks in 1458 but the queen continued her grievances. York, Salisbury and Warwick were summoned to the Great Council at Coventry and responded by gathering troops at the Battle of Ludford Bridge on 12 October 1459. 

The king promised the Yorkists that he would grant pardons to those who put down their arms and this was too much of an offer for Warwick's Calais troops, led by Andrew Trollope. York and his commanders fled Ludford into exile shortly after hearing of Trollope's treachery. The royal couple issued an act of attainder later that year which forfeited the Yorkist commanders' lands and titles. 

Warwick, Suffolk and York's eldest son, Edward, Earl of March, returned to England in June 1460 and met the royal forces at the Battle of Northampton on 10 July 1460. Treachery struck again, this time in favour of the Yorkists, as Lord Grey of Ruthin, gave March a helping hand over the Lancastrian front line defences. 

Henry VI's commanders defended their king to the death and a victorious Warwick greeted the king outside his royal tent. Warwick and his men swore their allegiances to the king and escorted him to London once more.

Warwick kneels before Henry VI before taking him to London as depicted by Graham Turner

Henry VI's place on the throne was now in doubt as York arrived in London three months later to take the throne but Henry VI's supporters denied York to sit on the throne. After weeks of negotiation, an act of accord was passed that disinherited Prince Edward and recognised York (and his subsequent heirs) as Henry's successors. York was once again made Protector of the Realm and Henry VI was his prisoner.

Meanwhile, the queen was building Lancastrian support and met with the new Scottish king, James III to offer the English border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in exchange for his support.

York left London to meet the growing Lancastrian forces at the Battle of Wakefield and left Warwick to watch over the royal captor. 

Profile - Richard Duke of York. Part 2 1450-1456

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

UNREST

William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, was publicly blamed for the loss of French lands over the marriage between Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou and the growing dissension led to him being impeached by parliament. Henry VI was forced to send his confidant into exile in January 1450 but Suffolk's ship to Calais was intercepted. Suffolk was captured, put on trial and executed with his body found on a Dover beach.

Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, disastrous lieutenancy of France came to a head with the loss of Normandy and the returning soldiers discontent boiled over in Portsmouth. Unpaid soldiers vented their frustration to the king's Lord Privy Seal by lynching him.

Distrustful of the monarchy and fearful of a French invasion, the south coast rebelled under Jack Cade. The "Captain of Kent" called himself John Mortimer to associate himself with York and his ancestors. Cade went further by proclaiming in the Complaint of the Poor Commoners of Kent that he would "destroy" the king and his friends, and then "bring the Duke of York to be king."

Jack Cade depicted by Sir John Gilbert

Henry VI responded by sending a small force to quash the rebellion but Cade led his men to victory at the Battle of Solefields. Further bloodshed forced Henry VI to flee London to Warwickshire. Cade promises of not harming the capital disappeared when his rebels drunkenly looted the city and Cade subsequently lost local support. Cade fled the city but was soon caught and executed.

Rebellion was still rife in the south with Sussex yeomen, John and WIlliam Merfold, proclaiming to a crowd that the "king was a fool" and that "another king must be ordained to rule the land."

PRETENDER

York seized on the hostile sentiments and landed in Wales on 7 September 1450. Gathering troops and evading Henry VI's interceptors along the way, York arrived in London on 27 September 1450. York presented a list of grievances and demands to the council, including the arrest of Somerset. The king initially agreed, but Margaret of Anjou intervened, and countered York by making him Justice of the Forest South of the Trent. York's chamberlain, Sir WIlliam Oldhall, was also made parliamentary speaker. 

York's inability to influence the Privy Council was confirmed when Somerset was made Captain of Calais and York retired to his residence at Ludlow Castle in Wales. York changed tactics a year later. In 1452, after the birth of his final son, Richard, York returned to London to protest his loyalty to the king and assert his inheritance to the throne. He found the gates to the city barred on the king's orders and conceded to Henry VI after he found his army outnumbered in Dartford, Kent.

Duke of Somerset (centre) argues with Duke of York as Henry VI sits

The king listened to York's complaints about Somerset but ordered York to be taken under house arrest in London until York pledged an oath of allegiance at St. Paul's Cathedral two weeks later. York was to see his power erode over the next year with him being stripped of Ireland and South of Trent titles and his supporters punished for their role in Dartford. York was also seeing his path to the throne diminish with the queen being pregnant.

England's defeat at the Battle of Castillon in August 1453 left Calais as the only English possession in France and this sent Henry VI into a mental breakdown. The breakdown was so severe that the king didn't even acknowledge the birth of his son, Edward Prince of Wales, on 13 October, 1453. This instigated a meeting of the Great Council to decide the governorship and York attended despite Somerset's opposition. York asserted his power by placing Somerset in the Tower of London and was declared Protector of the Realm and Chief Councillor on 27 March 1454, much to the queen's opposition.

PROTECTOR

York looked to tackle government overspending by appointing his brother-in-law, Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, as Chancellor. This came to a halt when Henry VI regained his senses at Christmas 1454 and awarded the Captaincy of Calais to the recently-released Somerset.

Orders were sent for the nobility to convene at the Great Council at Leicester on 21 May 1455, away from Somerset's enemies in London and York feared he would be charged with treason. York, Salisbury, and Salisbury's son, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, raised an army in the north and intercepted Somerset and the king at St. Albans in the First Battle of St. Albans on 22 May 1455. The king's army of 2,000 was ill-equipped and outnumbered by York's and Nevilles' more experienced army totaling 8,000.

First Battle of St. Albans depicted by Graham Turner

York was eager to clear his name and requested the king to remove certain Lancastrian advisers from his council. Negotiations went back and forth between the two camps for three hours to no avail and York ordered his men to attack the king's troops occupying the town. York caught them by a surprise and a quick battle in the streets resulted in the deaths of Somerset and Warwick's northern rivals, Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, and Lord Thomas de Clifford.

More importantly, York had the king captured and escorted back to the capital. York declared himself Constable of England and made Warwick Captain of Calais. The king was held prisoner and wasn't present when parliament reconvened in November due to another bout of madness. York resumed as Protector of the Realm during Henry VI's illness but surrendered the title when the king recovered in February 1456.

Henry VI accepted that York and his supporters had great influence at court and allowed Warwick to keep his command of Calais and York and Salisbury remained on the Privy Council. York was reinstated as Lieutenant of Ireland and was sent to the Scottish border to defend against a possible invasion.