EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WARS OF THE ROSES
Q: What was the relationship like between the houses of Lancaster and York before the Wars of the Roses?
A: It was fairly congenial. I think one of the most amazing things in 15th-century history is that King Henry VI, despite being a baby when he inherited the throne, was supported by virtually all the nobility, including people who had a better claim to the throne than him, of which you could definitely include the house of York. Richard, Duke of York appeared to be a loyal supporter of Henry VI for many years until around 1450, when things started to go a bit pear-shaped.
The York family did have a bit of a history of rebelling against the Lancastrians, though. In 1415, just before Henry V’s victory at Agincourt, Richard’s father – Richard of Conisburgh, Earl of Cambridge – was involved in a treasonous plot against the king, and this led to the complete downfall of the York family for a while. So, the notion of the York family
