The Wars of the Roses was a civil war consisting of a series of battles fought between two noble English families, the Lancastrians and the Yorkists, between 145* and 1471. These battles were coined "Wars of the Roses" after the emblems of the two families, both roses, the Lancastrians being a red rose and the Yorkists a white rose. The Lancastrians and the Yorkists were two sides of the same coin, two different branches of the House of Plantagenet, a long reigning dynasty in English history. The War of the Roses followed soon after the Hundred Years' War. England was in a shaky state, with discontent growing in the royal courts and under the rule of a king who was descending into madness. By this time, the Houses of Lancaster and York were at the helm of the monarchy, for as the Lancastrian king Henry VI slipped into another fit of madness, Richard Duke of York was appointed Protector of England in his place in March 1454. However , once the king had regained his sanity, he promptly ousted York as Protector and his predecessor, the Duke of Somerset, was reinstated in the role. After his discharge, York raised an army and thus began the first of the battles of the Wars of the Roses. The first battle fought in the Wars of the Roses was the First Battle of St Albans. After King Henry VI recovered from the attack and Richard of York was dismissed as protectorate, King Henry VI assembled a new council that was not only full of men who supported the House of Lancaster, but was noticeably devoid of Yorkist blood. York's newly assembled army marched to the town of St. Albans, where it encountered the Lancastrian front lines. This first battle proved to be very sloppy, seemingly without any real planning on either side of the rear flank, leading to the surrender and retreat of the Lancastrian army. Margaret set sail from France, AS DID MAGS ARRIVE IN FRANCE with an army, intending to surprise Edward IV and claim her family's right to the throne. However, Edward learned of his plans only two days after his arrival on the English coast. He led an army to intercept her and prevent her passage to Wales. The Battle of Tewkesbury was fought in May 1471 and was the last battle of the Wars of the Roses. With Somerset in command of the Lancastrian army, Edward and Gloucester surrounded the red forces and broke Prince Edward's lines. The young prince was killed in the battle, ending the Lancastrian direct line and the war. The Yorkists would then rule England for another 14 years. TALK ABOUT FUCKING RICHARD AND THE PRINCES IN THE TOWER TALK ABOUT HENRY VII