Kings in Combat asks questions about the battles that went on during the Wars of the Roses.
The later years of the Wars of the Roses (1461-1485) were slightly more peaceful. The Lancastrian king, Henry VI, was either in exile, in custody or in the grave. But the wars continued, on and off, until the House of York was finally defeated and the line of Plantagenet kings, dating back over 300 years to Henry II, was brought to an end.
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The Lancastrian army was defeated and fled from the field. The Scottish envoys made it safely to York, where peace between England and Scotland was successfully negotiated
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With so many of their leaders dead, and their king soon to be in custody, the Lancastrian cause all but collapsed
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Warwick had lost his influence over King Edward and so he became allied to Edward's brother, George but he soon switched sides yet again and supported Henry VI. George himself was executed for treason in 1478. According to legend he was drowned in a barrel of wine
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Legend has it that Warwick's troops took off their coats after the battle so as not to be caught wearing his arms and this is how the battle got its name. However, it is more likely that the battle was named after a nearby field of the same name
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Warwick, as Henry's advisor, declared war on Burgundy where Edward and Richard were staying. Because of this the Duke of Burgundy gave Edward the help he needed to take back the English throne
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Aged only 18, Richard led the vanguard of Edward's army. The Yorkists were victorious and the treacherous Earl of Warwick was killed
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Edward IV was crowned for the second time the morning after Henry's death. Many historians suspect that Henry was murdered on the order of Edward, to prevent further rebellions in support of Henry's rule
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Richmond was the only surviving Lancastrian claimant to the throne. After his victory at Bosworth he was crowned King Henry VII, the first Tudor king
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He was, in fact, a commoner named Lambert Simnel. He was pardoned for his part in the rebellion by Henry VII because he was a youngster and had been used by adults to further their own cause
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These were: Henry VI, Edward IV, Edward V (who was never crowned), Richard III and Henry VII. Only two of these died natural deaths. One was killed in battle and two were murdered
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