Portrait of Henry VII, National
Portrait Gallery (Great Britain),
Date Unknown.
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The War of the Roses was a series of civil wars fought in England over the control of the English throne. Lasting for 30 years (1455-85), the War of the Roses was fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.
The war was the result of contested claims to the English throne occurring in the political aftermath of the Hundred Years’ War and King Henry VI’s mental inability to rule. Many powerful figures in both Houses were killed in battle and the war ended in 1485 with Henry Tudor’s accession to the throne and marriage to Elizabeth of York. Today, historians debate the impact of the war and hold conflicting views on its causes. |
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