The fight between the scarlet and white roses in England. The myth of the flower war

At the end of the 17th century, the English throne was seized by Henry Tudor from the Lancaster family, the founder of a new royal dynasty that remained in power for a century. This was preceded by a bloody dynastic conflict between the descendants of two branches of the ancient royal family of Plantagenets - Lancaster and York, which went down in history as the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, a brief historical description of which is the topic of this article.

Symbols of the warring parties

There is a misconception that the war owes its name to roses, supposedly depicted on the coats of arms of these opposing aristocratic families. In reality they weren't there. The reason lies in the fact that, when going into battle, supporters of both parties attached a symbolic rose to their armor as a distinctive sign - Lancasters - white, and their opponents Yorks - red. Elegant and royal.

The reasons that led to bloodshed -

It is known that the War of the Scarlet and White Roses began due to the political instability that developed in England in the middle of the 15th century. Most of society expressed dissatisfaction and demanded radical changes in government. This situation was aggravated by the incapacity of the weak-minded and often completely unconscious King Henry VI of Lancaster, under whom actual power was in the hands of his wife, Queen Margaret, and her many favorites.

Start of hostilities

The leader of the opposition was Duke Richard of York. A descendant of the Plantagenets, he had, in his own opinion, certain rights to the crown. With the active participation of this representative of the White Rose party, the political confrontation soon developed into bloody clashes, in one of which, which took place in 1455 near the city of St. Albans, the Duke’s supporters completely defeated the royal troops. Thus began the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, which lasted thirty-two years and was described in the works of Thomas More and Shakespeare. A summary of their works paints us a picture of those events.

Luck is on the side of the opposition

Such a brilliant victory of Richard of York over the legitimate authority convinced members of parliament that it was better not to irritate this thug, and they declared him protector of the state, and in the event of the death of the king, heir to the throne. It is difficult to say whether the Duke would have hastened this demise or not, but in the next battle with the troops of the party opposing him, he was killed.

After the death of the instigator of the war, the opposition was led by his son, who fulfilled his father’s long-standing dream, crowned in 1461 under the name of Edward IV. Soon his troops finally crushed the resistance of the Lancastrians, once again defeating them at the Battle of Mortimer Cross.

The betrayals that the War of the Roses knew

The summary of T. More's historical work conveys the depth of despair of the deposed Henry VI and his frivolous wife. They tried to escape, and if Margaret managed to hide abroad, then her unlucky husband was captured and imprisoned in the Tower. However, it was too early for the newly-made king to celebrate the victory. Intrigues began in his party, caused by the ambitious claims of the aristocrats closest to him, each of whom sought to get the largest piece in the division of honors and awards.

The wounded pride and envy of some deprived Yorkers pushed them to betrayal, as a result of which the younger brother of the new king, the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick, having violated all laws of honor, went over to the side of the enemy. Having gathered a sizeable army, they rescued the unfortunate Henry VI from the Tower and returned him to the throne. It was the turn of Edward IV, who had missed the throne, to flee. He and his younger brother Gloucester safely reached Burgundy, where they were popular and had numerous supporters.

New plot twist

The War of the Roses, briefly described by the great Shakespeare, prepared an unpleasant surprise for the Lancastrians this time. The king's brother Clarence, who had so shamefully compromised himself by betrayal and returned the throne to Henry, having learned with what strong army his relative was returning to London, realized that he was in a hurry. He clearly did not want to end up on the gallows - the most suitable place for traitors, and he, having appeared at Edward’s camp, convinced him of his deep repentance.

Reunited, the brothers and their numerous supporters from the York party twice defeated the Lancastrians at Barnet and Tewkesberry. In the first battle, Warwick died, the same one who committed treason along with Clarence, but, unlike the latter, did not have time to return to his former owner. The second battle proved fatal for the crown prince. Thus, the Lancastrian dynastic line was interrupted by the War of the Scarlet and White Roses that captured England. Read on for a summary of subsequent events.

What does history tell us about the following events?

Having won, Edward IV again sent the king he had deposed to the Tower. returned to his usual and habitable cell, but did not stay there for long. In the same year, his death was announced with deep regret. It is difficult to say whether it was natural, or whether the new overlord simply decided to save himself from possible troubles, but since then the ashes of Henry VI, abandoned during his lifetime by both his wife and his subjects, rested in a dungeon. What can you do, the royal throne can sometimes be very shaky.

Having gotten rid of his predecessor and potential rival, Edward IV ruled until 1483, when he suddenly died of unknown causes. For a short time, his son Edward took the throne, but was soon removed from power by the royal council, as doubts arose about the legitimacy of his birth. By the way, there were witnesses who claimed that his late father was not born from the Duke of York, but was the fruit of the secret love of the mother duchess and the handsome archer.

Whether it really was true or not, they didn’t get to the bottom of it, but just in case, the throne was taken away from the young heir, and the brother of the late king Richard of Gloucester, crowned under the name Richard III, was elevated to it. Fate did not have in store for him long years of quiet rule. Very soon, an open and secret opposition formed around the throne, poisoning the life of the monarch with all its might.

Return of the Scarlet Rose

Historical archives of the 15th century tell how the War of the Scarlet and White Roses subsequently developed. A brief summary of the documents stored in them indicates that the leading representatives of the Lancastrian party were able to assemble a significant army on the continent, consisting mainly of French mercenaries. Led by Henry Tudor, it landed on the coast of Britain in 1486 and began its victorious journey to London. King Richard III personally led the army that went out to meet the enemy, but died in the Battle of Bosworth.

End of the European Middle Ages

The War of the Roses in England was nearing its end. A summary of Shakespeare's account of these events recreates the picture of how, having reached the British capital without much trouble, Tudor was crowned under the name. From that time on, the Lancaster dynasty was firmly entrenched on the throne, and their reign lasted one hundred and seventeen years. The only serious attempt to overthrow the king was made in 1487 by the Earl of Lincoln, nephew of Richard III, who rebelled but was killed in the ensuing battle.

It is generally accepted that the War of the Scarlet and White Roses (1455-1487) is the final stage of the European Middle Ages. During this period, not only all direct descendants of the ancient Plantagenet family were destroyed, but most of the English knighthood. The main disasters fell on the shoulders of the common people, who in all centuries became hostages of other people's political ambitions.

The Wars Of The Roses

Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) - this definition is applied to a series of civil wars in England that broke out in the country one after another and provoked by a dynastic conflict between two branches of the royal house - York and Lancaster.

The Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) is a historical term for a series of civil wars that were sparked by dynastic conflict between the two main branches of the royal house of England, the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The coat of arms of the House of York was a white rose. However, the traditional claim that the Lancastrian emblem was a scarlet rose is erroneous. In the play by William Shakespeare "Henry VI" There is a moment when representatives of the opposing sides choose scarlet and white roses. This scene firmly established roses of various colors in the popular consciousness as emblems for the royal houses of Lancaster and York.

The first Lancastrian king was Henry IV, who overthrew his corrupt relative and tyrant Richard II and took the throne. Medieval concepts of succession to the throne and the king's right to the crown from God determined that Henry IV's rights to the throne, which he had essentially usurped, were not fully approved, which led to much civil unrest. His son, Henry V, directed his noble energy to the war with France. His astonishing triumph over French forces at the Battle of Agincourt (1415) made him a national hero. One of the conditions for signing the peace treaty was his marriage to the French princess Catherine, who provided him and his descendants with the right to inherit the French crown. He died suddenly in 1422, leaving as his heir a baby he had never even seen.

During the long minority-supported minority of Henry VI, the country was torn in two by the political divisions of two rival factions. In fact, the country was under the rule of lords who had their own armies. Even after Henry came of age, he was a weak and insignificant ruler. His extreme religiosity and love of solitude were very well known, which might have made him a good monk, but as a king he was a real disaster.

His marriage to Margaret of Anjou, the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Duke of Anjou, was arranged. Strong-willed and ambitious young Margarita had no problems managing her weak-willed husband. Margaret and her favorites at court tried to do everything possible to increase their wealth and influence. During their reign, the English treasury was empty. In addition to everything, the boundless corruption of Margaret's supporters led to the fact that England lost all the conquests that were hard won by the British in the war with France.

Henry VI, who had inherited his maternal grandfather's tendencies towards madness, fell into a state of catatonia in 1453. This opened up great prospects for Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (“the kingmaker”) to make Richard, Duke of York Protector of the Realm—a title essentially a regent. Ironically, Richard of York had a better claim to the throne than Henry VI, since the York dynasty descended from the second son of King Edward III, while Henry was a descendant of John of Gaunt, Edward's third son, whose heirs received the throne after Henry IV overthrew Richard II. Richard of York was also more suited to the crown as a person.

It is worth noting that Richard York never showed his claims to the throne, unlike Henry. In addition, he would never have attempted to seize power through rebellion if Queen Margaret had not tried to limit his rights, fearing that his strength and wealth would allow him to lay claim to the English throne.

In 1455, when suddenly King Henry recovered from his catatonia, he helped Margaret's supporters return to power. At this time, York was unexpectedly taken into custody, as he did not suspect how far Margarita could go, and came to the meeting with only one lightly armed bodyguard. Ultimately, he was forced to take up arms, since Margaret's supporters were a serious threat to his safety.

The first military action of the Wars of the Roses was the Battle of St Albans (22 May 1455), which ended in a landslide victory for the Duke of York. York's innocent intentions at that moment were clearly visible, since he did not take any action to overthrow the king or even to assert his claims to the throne, but simply apologized for raising his hand against the sovereign and presented a list of his demands. A fragile truce was concluded for four years.

The civil war resumed in 1459. Both sides won and suffered defeats in battle until the Earl of Warwick inflicted a final defeat on the Lancastrians at the Battle of Northampton in 1460. Before the assembled lords, York declared his claim to the crown with a spectacular gesture: walking across the entire hall and imperiously placing his hand on the throne. He was able to find the strength to overcome the ensuing silence, raising his hand in a greeting gesture. Knowing full well that he might lose support if he tried to overthrow Henry, York was content to proclaim himself the king's heir. Of course, Margaret refused to accept such a compromise, because it would deprive her son Edward of the right to succession to the throne.

Gathering her troops, Margaret continued her fight against the Yorks. In December 1460, the Lancastrian army surprised Richard of York's army at Wakefield, where Richard died. Warwick was also defeated at the Second Battle of St. Albans.

York's only son Edward, already a charismatic commander by the age of 18, defeated the Lancastrians at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross (1461) and captured London before Margaret's troops could get there. In March 1461 he was proclaimed King Edward IV. His armies pursued Margaret and finally defeated her forces at the Battle of Towton, forcing Henry, Margaret and their son Edward to flee to Scotland.

In the court of Edward IV, factionalism undermined unity. Warwick and Edward's younger brother George, Duke of Clarence, were “predators” who sought war with France and the return of all English conquests in France. In addition, both sought to strengthen their positions at court, hoping to receive the rewards and honor that they deserved. In addition, they had another reason for a quarrel with King Edward. The king took as his wife Elizabeth Woodville, a commoner who was considered by most to be unworthy to be Queen of England due to her low birth. All Warwick's attempts to conclude an alliance with France by marrying the king collapsed in an instant when he received such news, which greatly embarrassed him.

Clarence and Warwick started trouble in the north. Edward's troops were defeated and the king was captured. Edward managed to escape and gather his forces, forcing Warwick and Clarence to flee to France. There they joined forces with Margaret and returned to England to send Edward into exile. They restored Henry VI to the throne, but Edward soon returned, having made peace with his brother Clarence, who was increasingly dissatisfied with Warwick's actions. Edward's troops won a decisive victory at the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471), capturing Margaret and Henry. Their son Edward died and Henry died in the Tower under dubious circumstances, with King Edward likely involved. Clarence caused his brother a lot of trouble and he eventually had to kill him.

After this, Edward ruled peacefully until his death in 1483. His 12-year-old son Edward became heir as Edward V, but his uncle, Edward IV's younger brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, usurped the throne as Richard III. Even York supporters were outraged by Richard's bold move, especially after the boy king Edward and his younger brother were imprisoned in the Tower and died there under very mysterious circumstances.

The nobles who had turned their backs on Richard III supported Henry Tudor, the Lancastrian pretender to the throne. With their help and the help of France, his troops defeated Richard's army at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Richard was killed in this battle by a crossbow bolt in a futile attack on the rebels, and Henry Tudor took the throne as Henry VII, the first king of the Tudor dynasty. This event marked the end of the War of the Roses. After decades of bloody civil wars, the English people were grateful for the peace and prosperity they enjoyed under King Henry VII, who reigned until 1509 when he died of tuberculosis.

What started the “Wars of the Roses”? What is the history of military operations? What is the origin of the name of this historical period? And how was the myth of the Wars of the Roses formed? Candidate of Historical Sciences Elena Brown talks about this.

Internecine feudal (civil) wars, which were a manifestation of the deep crisis experienced by England in the second half of the 15th century, and resulted in a protracted struggle for the English throne between two coalitions of aristocratic families - the “parties” of York and Lancaster.

The Wars of the Roses consisted of several battles between the forces of York and Lancaster and a series of usurpations of the English throne. Name Contemporaries did not name the events of the third quarter of the 15th century. The War of the Scarlet and White Roses. The only known usage from that time is "The Cousin Wars". The idea that civil conflict is indicated by two opposing emblems of roses arose at the end of the 15th century. The white rose was one of the main emblems of Edward IV and the House of York; the use of the red rose as a symbol of Lancaster and, as a consequence, the emergence of the thesis of competing emblems dates back only to 1485. Thanks to Henry Tudor, the idea of ​​their unification became a commonplace of English propaganda.

Historiography. There is still no consensus in historiography regarding the dating, nature and causes of the War of the Roses. Modern British historiography is characterized by a tendency to define the Wars of the Roses as a series of loosely connected battles and usurpations of the throne that had virtually no impact on the lives of contemporaries. An important role is given to the personalities of the English monarchs of that time - the incapable Henry VI and the ambitious Richard III. Russian historiography views the War of the Roses as a manifestation of a general crisis that gripped not only the political, but also the social and economic spheres of life in England in the 15th century. Chronology In accordance with how the nature of the Wars of the Roses is understood, dating is also given: 1450-1487 (Mac Farlane), 1452-1497 (Goodman, Brown), 1459-1487 (Pollard), 1437-1509 (Carpenter). The number of wars is usually defined as 2 or 3, which in time, as a rule, coincide with periods of active hostilities. The main distinction is made between the struggle for the throne between the Yorks and Lancasters (until 1471) and between the Yorks and the Tudors (1483-1485/87). Causes The formal cause of the War of the Roses was the controversial claims of the Lancaster dynasty to the English throne. Henry VI was the great-grandson of John of Gaunt, the third son of King Edward III, and York was the great-grandson of Lionel, the second son of that king, and the first representative of the Lancastrian dynasty, Henry IV, seized the throne in 1399, forcibly forcing King Richard II to abdicate. However, the War of the Roses began in difficult conditions for England: 1) defeat in the Hundred Years' War (1453); 2) suppression of Jack Cad's rebellion (1450); 3) the weakness of the central government due to the inability of King Henry VI to govern the kingdom and the resulting replacement of the king’s power with the power of a narrow group of people who made decisions for him; 4) difficult economic situation. An important role in the emergence and duration of the Wars of the Roses was played by both objective reasons (the system of social connections within the nobility) and subjective factors - conflicts between aristocratic clans. Course of Action Initially, Richard, Duke of York, fought for control of the weak king. He opposed the faction that ruled in the name of the weak-minded King Henry VI, whose important members were Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and Henry VI's wife Margaret of Anjou. He managed to achieve the establishment of a protectorate over the king, but he was soon removed from the court of Henry VI. The beginning of open war. action was initiated by the Battle of St. Albans (May 22, 1455), when Richard, Duke of York, defeated the Lancastrian supporters. Richard managed to regain his influence at court and was appointed protector (ruler) of the kingdom. After being removed from power, Richard declared his claims to the English throne and started a rebellion. The Yorkists won victories at the battles of Blore Heath (09/23/1459) and Northampton (07/10/1460), which made it possible to conclude an agreement by which Richard was recognized as the heir of Henry VI and again appointed Protector (October 1460). Margaret of Anjou, wife of King Henry VI, led the Lancastrian forces. York's supporters were defeated at the battles of Wakefield (12/10/1460) and St. Albans (2/17/1461). Richard, the Yorkist leader, died along with the Earl of Salisbury. He was replaced by his eldest son Edward, who, with the support of the Earl of Warwick, heir to the Earl of Salisbury, defeated the Lancastrians at the battles of Mortimer Cross (02/02/1461) and at Towton (03/29/1461). Henry VI was deposed and Edward IV (1461-1483) was crowned in June 1461. However, the war did not end there. In 1464, two uprisings broke out in the north of England, suppressed by John Neville, Marquess of Montagu. The deposed king Henry VI was captured again in 1465 and imprisoned in the Tower. In 1467-1470, relations gradually deteriorated between Edward IV and the Earl of Warwick, which ultimately led to Warwick's defection along with the Duke of Clarence (Edward IV's younger brother) to the Lancastrian side (1470). Edward had to flee the country to Burgundy, and Henry VI was restored to the throne (1470-1471). On his return from Burgundy, Edward won victories at Barnet (April 14, 1471) and Tewkesbury (May 4, 1471) over the troops of Warwick and Margaret, wife of Henry VI, the latter landing in England with the support of the French king Louis XI. Warwick and Henry VI's son were killed, and Henry VI himself was again deposed and imprisoned in the Tower, where he soon died. Some researchers consider the restoration of Edward IV to the throne to be the end of the War of the Roses. Strengthening his power, Edward IV brutally dealt with the Lancastrians and rebellious Yorkists. After the death of Edward VI (1483), the throne passed to his infant son, Edward V, but the latter's uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, deposed the child on the grounds that he was illegitimate, and he and his brother were imprisoned in the Tower, where the children soon died. The executions and confiscations carried out by Richard III against his opponents led to general dissatisfaction with his rule. Opponents united around Henry Tudor, a distant relative of the Lancasters. At the Battle of Bosworth (August 22, 1485), Richard III was defeated and killed. Henry VII Tudor became king, initiating the Tudor dynasty. By marrying Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV, he united the Lancaster and York dynasties. Traditionally, the ascension to the throne of Henry VII marks the end of the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, but some researchers tend to extend this period until the Battle of Stoke (1487), when the army of another pretender to the throne, Lambert Simnel, and his supporter Earl of Lincoln, whom Richard III once appointed as his successor to the English throne. The appearance of other pretenders to the English throne (Perkin Warbeck declared himself Richard III in 1491) allows the period of the War of the Scarlet and White Roses to be extended even further. In general, hostilities were punctuated by long periods of relative calm. Results As a result of the War of the Scarlet and White Roses in England, there was a change of dynasties, since both branches of the Plantagenet dynasty (Lancaster and York) were destroyed and had no direct heirs. During the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, a significant part of the old aristocracy was exterminated (although researchers have recently been talking about the psychological effect that losses had on the surviving representatives of this layer), which allowed the royal power to “close” the entire system of social ties to itself, to concentrate power is in your hands. The importance of the gentry and the emerging bourgeois elements, interested in strengthening royal power, increased. This contributed to the establishment of Tudor absolutism. The end of the Wars of the Scarlet and White Roses is generally regarded as the end of the Middle Ages in England.

Russian Historical Encyclopedia

Reason for starting a war

1454 The King of England is Henry VI. He is not mentally healthy, so his ability to rule is questionable. At court, the struggle for real power in the country begins.
Duke of York Richard seeks the position of regent for the king who is unable to rule. This is a thoughtful move, since the Duke is a descendant of King Edward III, and therefore has the right to lay claim to the throne in the future.
The wife of the weak-minded monarch, Margaret of Anjou, used her influence and managed to remove the ambitious vassal from a promising position.
Richard responded to court intrigue with force. Thus began the war.

Progress of the War of the Roses

Richard York united his supporters and in 1455 opposed the king's army. Opponents met at St. Albans. The fight ended in victory for the Duke. He is again a regent, but now also the official heir of the insane king.
This is the beginning of the feudal war, later called the War of the Roses.
The country was divided into two camps: supporters of Richard York (white rose) and those who supported the rightful king from the Lancaster dynasty (scarlet rose). Richard's powerful ally was the Earl of Warwick - he was called the kingmaker. The French monarch provided support to the king, and in fact to Queen Margaret.
After a short truce established as a result of negotiations in 1458, both sides returned to the use of force to resolve differences.
July 1460 – The Earl of Warwick took London and then captured Henry VI.
December 1460 - Richard of York was defeated at Wakefield and killed. But it is too early to sum up the results of the war - it did not end there: the deceased contender for the throne from the White Rose camp had sons who also aspired to supreme power.
1461, February - Richard's eldest son Edward defeats the supporters of the current king at Mortimer's Cross.
February 17 - the forces of the Scarlet Rose freed the king, but London did not open the gates to its ruler.
March 29 - the son of the fallen Duke of York, Edward, again defeats the troops of Henry VI, now at Towton, and proclaims himself king - Edward IV.
Margaret and Henry flee north, but in 1464 they are overtaken by the York troops. Henry is captured again, Margarita finds protection with her patron in France.
Edward did not want to share the captured power with anyone, which greatly upset the kingmaker Earl of Warwick. Now the White Rose camp has split.
1468 - Warwick Neville defeats the troops of the new king, and Edward himself is captured. Having kept him in captivity for prevention, Edward IV was again placed on the throne. It's still needed.
1470 - Warwick changes his mind again. From now on he is on the side of the feudal lords of the Scarlet Rose. The Count releases Henry VI from prison and gives him the crown. And Edward is forced to leave England.
But not for long. The following year he returns, gathers allies and defeats the kingmaker's troops. Warwick himself met death on the battlefield. Presumably, in a duel with Edward's younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (he would later become Richard III). Henry was again captured by the victors, but he never left the Tower alive. The Yorks celebrate their victory over the Scarlet Rose camp. This was the intermediate result of the war. The subsequent years 1471-1485 can be characterized as a lull in the confrontation between the Scarlet and White Roses.
1483 - Edward IV dies. His 12-year-old son was placed on the throne under the royal name Edward V. The real power at court was held by the brother of the deceased ruler, Richard of Gloucester. First he becomes regent for the boy king. And then he declares the crowned nephew a bastard. On this basis, Edward V and his brother are locked in the Tower. The boys there soon die. Richard simply could not allow England to be left without a ruler. So he crowned himself and went down in history as Richard III.
During a fairly short period of reign, the newly-minted monarch managed to turn everyone against himself, even representatives of the White Rose camp (the relatives of Edward IV did not forgive him for the death of their children).
The logical result was the resumption of the war. Only now the forces of the Scarlet and White Rose have united to overthrow the usurper. The general army was led by Henry Tudor, who was related to the Lancastrians (scarlet).
1485, August 22 - the opposing sides met in a duel at Bosworth. The result of the battle was the defeat of the army of Richard III from the troops under the command of Tudor.
The symbolic end of the war was the wedding: the winner (scarlet) married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth (white). The Tudor dynastic coat of arms depicts the union of two flowers that competed for 30 years for England.

Results of the War of the Scarlet and White Roses

In their youth, many people read historical and adventure novels. Particularly attractive were stories about the noble knights of Europe, their ladies, equestrian tournaments, where the winner received not only the favor of the reigning monarch, but also the love of his chosen one. But there were still numerous battles with enemies, including for the desecrated honor of ancestors, the restoration of justice, the return of family castles and estates - you can’t count everything. Alas, this is only a very refined, almost perfect distortion of reality, which, unfortunately, not only fiction is famous for. In fact, the same White and Scarlet Roses in England are a typical civil strife, and during it there were big problems with nobility, especially higher goals. But first things first.

No, this is not about the Civil War in Russia, where there were completely different heroes on both sides, but about the confrontation between the Scarlet and White Roses in medieval England:

This widespread, beautiful legend with symbols romanticizing fratricidal confrontation, which, in fact, smells not of roses, but of horse sweat, manure, the human aroma of unwashed medieval fighters, blood and many other extremely unpleasant odors of war, has a hand in both historians, and writers and poets who are grateful to them for the magnificent plot for numerous plays, novels, poems, songs. Among them, which do not need any special introduction:

• William Shakespeare as the author of the plays Henry VI and Richard III.
• Robert Louis Stevenson with the exciting adventure novel “Black Arrow”, which literally all the youth of the Land of the Soviets read.

In the television series Game of Thrones, which deservedly enjoys great interest, based on the books of George Martin, included in the epic A Song of Ice and Fire, he brought under the representatives of the fictional Lannister dynasty - medieval earthly Lancasters, and Starks appear instead of Yorks. If we take into account that for a long time England was ruled by the Stuarts, who were very consonant with them, then the intrigue is not yet over, and the continuation, as usual, will follow.

A curious twist of history is that the results of this war did not bring victory to any of the Plantagenets - neither the Yorks nor the Lancasters:

• During 30 years of battles and subsequent periods of accumulation of forces, funds, attracting allies among the royal houses of Europe, hiring professional fighters there, victory alternately went to both sides of the conflict, for which they paid with thousands of corpses of titled nobility of various denominations.
• An end to this civil war, exhausting England, destroying the color of the nobility - the basis of autocratic power, was put by King Henry VII, who founded a new dynasty of rulers - the Tudors, who occupied the throne for more than a century, until 1603.
• Indirectly, however, it is possible with a large degree of assumption to give the technical victory “on points” to the Lancasters, since Henry VII Tudor was their relative on the female side.

He made a beautiful gesture by combining both symbols, the Scarlet and White Rose, into one - the Tudor Rose, which began not only to personify their dynasty in heraldic science, but also to this day the whole of England, because depicted on the royal coat of arms.

In this case, the Wars of the Roses. It must be said that in England, later in its successor - Great Britain, patriarchy, usual for most countries under the leadership of monarchs, was not so magnificently manifested. Thus, in the history of England there are much more queens than in other European countries, and extraordinary personalities who left a noticeable mark on world history, both glorifying their country and drenching it in the blood of their compatriots. One of them was Queen Margaret of Anjou (1430–1482), wife of Henry VI, who actively participated in the Wars of the Roses:

The final results of her activities were sad: she lost her only son Edward, her husband died or was killed in 1471 as a prisoner of the Tower of London, and she herself was captured by the Yorks. The French king Louis XI saved her from death by buying her from them.

The War of the White and Scarlet Roses in England put an end to feudal anarchy. The Tudors, who came to power, established their absolute power, and the time of their reign was later called the period of the Renaissance of the country.