Battle of Tewkesbury

The Battle of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, which took place on 4 May 1471, completed one phase of the Wars of the Roses. It put a temporary end to Lancastrian hopes of regaining the throne of England. There would be fourteen years of peace before another political coup in the form of Henry Tudor finally settling the dispute between the two dynasties. At the time of Tewkesbury, the Lancastrian king, Henry VI of England, had just been deposed for... more

The Battle of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, which took place on 4 May 1471, completed one phase of the Wars of the Roses. It put a temporary end to Lancastrian hopes of regaining the throne of England. There would be fourteen years of peace before another political coup in the form of Henry Tudor finally settling the dispute between the two dynasties. At the time of Tewkesbury, the Lancastrian king, Henry VI of England, had just been deposed for a second time by his rival, the Yorkist Edward IV of England, who throughout his career was never defeated in battle. This change in circumstances had come about because Edward had become estranged from Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, "the Kingmaker", who had formerly been Edward's most important supporter and advisor. With the aid of Edward's jealous younger brother George, Duke of Clarence, Warwick had forced Edward into exile and reinstated Henry. Within months Edward had returned to England, helped by his brother-in-law, the Duke of... less