The House of York was a cadet branch of the House of Plantagenet. It came to power after the reign of the other cadet branch, the House of Lancaster, came to an end.
The House of York remained in power for a relatively brief power and its reign came to an end in less than three decades.
York Rose White | Lancaster Rose Red | *War of Roses
The ruling era of the House of York was succeeded by the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty which would usher in an iconic period of English history.
Henry VIII Tudor Dynasty
Three Yorkist monarchs ruled over England from 1461 to 1485.
Here is a look at the origins of the house and the monarchs that belonged to it.
The House of York traces its origins to Edmund of Langley, the 1st Duke of York. Edmund was a younger son of King Edward III and he founded the dukedom of York in 1385.
The dukedom passed on to Richard who was the 3rd Duke of York.
Richard 3rd Duke of York
Richard was the first from the House of York to claim the English throne in opposition to the reigning Lancastrian monarchs.
He did so after failing to persuade King Henry VI to modify his policies and improve a weak form of government.
Medieval King of England King Henry VI
Richard initially gained the upper hand over Henry VI’s government but was later slain in a battle fighting the royalist forces.
Soon after his death, his son Edward defeated Henry VI’s forces, captured the king, and himself crowned. This marked the start of the Yorkist period.
Yorkist kings ruled over England from 1461 to 1485. Their reign was troubled from the very beginning due to the Wars of the Roses, which were the continuing conflicts between the House of Lancaster and York.
Lancastrian rebellions, plots, and attempts to dethrone the House of York marred the Yorkist period.
This ultimately culminated in the history-making Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. At this battle, the third and final Yorkist king was slain. Henry Tudor was then crowned as king and married Elizabeth of York and put an end to the feud between the two houses.
Battle of Bosworth Field
Edward IV was the first Yorkist king. He first had King Henry VI deposed and ascended to the throne in 1461. A revolt briefly interrupted his reign and saw Henry VI reinstalled as king in 1470.
However, Edward defeated Henry’s forces and regained the throne in 1471. Around this time, the imprisoned King Henry IV died and it is believed that Edward played a role in it.
King Edward IV was the first Yorkist King of England who ruled in two phases.
King Edward then continued to reign until his death in 1483. His second reign was relatively more ruthless than the first reign.
He was the only Yorkist monarch who ruled for this long and had considerable success as a king.
Edward V was only 13 when his father, Edward IV, died. He was named King by his father who also appointed his own brother, Richard, as the Lord Protector until Edward V could come of age.
However, Edward V was never crowned the king. Months before his coronation was due, his uncle Richard had him declared an illegitimate son of Edward IV.
Edward V and his brother were then sent to the Tower of London and were never seen again. This gave birth to the legend of the ‘Princes in the Tower.’
It is believed that Richard had them killed to pave the way to his own coronation.
Tower of London
Richard III was the third and final monarch of the House of York.
He ascended to the throne after deposing his nephew, Edward V. Soon after his ascension, he faced a major rebellion from one of his former allies. He was able to defeat the rebel forces in 1483.
King Richard III *Ceremonial Dress
A second rebellion led by Henry Tudor came in 1485. This ultimately culminated in the Battle of the Bosworth Field.
Richard was killed in the battle which brought an end to the rule of the House of York. He was succeeded by Henry Tudor who laid the foundations of the Tudor Dynasty.
Tudor Rose