Curious - Clever - Creative
thinker, writer, photographer
The Wars of the Roses
The Plantagenet King Henry was weak of mind
His Lancastrian court ruled by a Queen unkind
Not a suitable heir or spare waits in line
A claimant would seize the crown in time
The Kings incapacity to rule by hand
Caused unrest across the land
A Protector of the Realm would be appointed
The Duke of York therefore anointed
An unpopular choice for the unruly court
For the Duke's reputation had falling short
When from ill health the King recovered
The Duke's disloyalty was soon discovered
The feuding cousins prepared for war
Dynastic forces not witnessed before
A red rose for Lancaster and for York a white
The nobles would choose one and then they would fight
The Battle of St Albans was fought without shame
The Duke was victorious but had not won the game
The fighting continued 'til he captured the King
But the unkind Queen would not give in
Horns locked at Wakefield and the Yorks won
But the Duke died and the crown seized by his son
Edward of York proclaimed King of England, for now
Though a handsome young King would not end the row
The Earl of Warwick, maker of Kings
Fought supremely at Towton, another York win
But a "turncoat" the Kingmaker would soon become
Gave the crown back to Henry and told Edward to run
Soon Edward returned with a small army at hand
At the Battle of Barnet, he was able to command
He fought triumphantly, could not be outrun
And that's where the Kingmaker came undone
King Edward wedded a bewitching wife
Producing an heir was her duty, her life
Because trouble was kindling in the Lancaster House
And a boy would be needed to keep them all out
The tenacious Lancastrians had not given up the fight
At the Battle of Tewkesbury, they fought through the night
But the Queen was captured and her son, he fell
King Henry was murdered, now in heaven or hell
To the throne remained one Lancastrian claim
The Earl of Richmond, Henry Tudor by name
He had no choice but to flee 'cross the channel
To establish an army and bring it to battle
The York King Edward now reigning supreme
For twenty-two years with his bewitching Queen
Two sons, heirs, gifts from his wife
Would be young boys when the King lost his life
The Kings brother Richard swore the boys protected
In the tower he kept them while his loyalty defected
He claimed they were bastards and he was the heir
The boys in the tower, gone, and no one knows where
War is coming, like it or not
The usurper York King needed to plot
Henry wanted his crown, and with good reason
The King wanted to battle and charge him with treason
At the Battle of Bosworth, in the stench of war
The cousins were merciless, violent and raw
The King fell from his horse, hitting the earth
The white rose wilted and died in the dirt
The Battle at Bosworth would be the last
The wars of the roses would come to pass
Henry Tudor seized the crown for his head
Long live the King, they all said
The new King Henry from the Lancaster House
Took the York Princess Elizabeth for his spouse
Joining of the red and the white for the future
And so began the House of Tudor
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The Wars of the Roses is one of my favourite British History stories. While it's a complicated tale, the following YouTube clip provides a simple yet comprehensive explanation.