Three main figures - Wars of the Roses

HENRY VI

Born: 1421

Died: 21^st May 1471, London, England

Reign: 1^st: 1421-1461 & 2^nd: 1470-1471

Spouse: Margaret of Anjou

Children: Edward, Prince of Wales

Biography: His grandfather Henry IV (Henry of Bolingbrook) usurped the English throne in 1399, after rejecting the idea of Richard II being King. Henry VI’s father, Henry V, died when Henry was very young which meant that Henry became both King of England and France when he was an infant. Henry became known in history as the weakest King the country had ever known, favouriting nobles such as the Duke of Suffolk and the Duke of Somerset, and losing territory that his late father fought hard to retain. During his reign, his country lost the Hundred Years’ War all of its French territories, except for Calais. In 1445 he entered into a marriage treaty with France and wed Margaret of Anjou. In 1453, Henry suffered his first battle with mental health and fell into a catatonic stupor for just over a year. During this time, he missed the birth of his son Edward, Prince of Wales, and his cousin Richard, Duke of York, was in control of the country due to his first protectorate (1454-1455). Upon his recovery, the country went into up-raw over who was going to lead the realm, thus starting the Wars of the Roses. At the Battle of Northampton in 1460, Henry was captured by Yorkists and forced to acknowledge that Richard was the heir to the throne by signing the Act of Accord and, ultimately disinheriting his own son. In 1461, he lost the throne to Richards son, Edward IV. In 1470 until 1471, he was briefly restored as King but before the battle of Barnet in April, he was captured and sent to the tower, where he was killed the following…