Henry VI divenne re quando aveva 9 mesi. Nonostante i notevoli sforzi da parte dei suoi custodi ed educatori, non solo crebbe lentamente, ma non si mostrò affatto come suo padre. Sembrava aver ereditato la follia del nonno francese. Era incompetente, malato di mente e chiaramente non aveva il temperamento per essere un leader efficace. L'Inghilterra aveva avuto brutte esperienze con re bambini in passato, nessuna più disastrosa di questa.
Era così grave che i rami cadetti della sua famiglia, i Lancaster e gli York, sentirono che qualcuno doveva farsi avanti, salvare il paese dalla rovina e ripristinare parte di ciò che Enrico VI aveva già perso o impedire che peggiorasse ulteriormente.
C'era disaccordo su chi dovesse uscire vincitore da questa impresa.
Si fermò solo quando Enrico Tudor (Enrico VII) sposò Elisabetta di York, ma il ricordo di un così lungo disastro fu difficilmente cancellato. Parte della disperazione di Enrico VIII di avere un erede maschio, credo, era che era re solo perché suo fratello maggiore era morto. Ha fatto quello che ha fatto per evitare che questa guerra familiare riprendesse se non poteva fornire un erede maschio sopravvissuto, per non parlare della sua preoccupazione che la linea Tudor fallisse sotto i suoi occhi. Non credo che immaginasse che sua figlia Elisabetta avrebbe fatto così bene come ha fatto.
04/20/2022
Shererd Lothrop
Two branches of the ruling Plantagenet family (Yorks and Lancasters), all descended from Edward III, fought for the throne of England. There was a background of deposition (Richard II), usurpation (Henry IV), and executions in the family going back several generations, which created instability. Henry VI, Henry IV's grandson, who succeeded to the throne as an infant, was an easy target for other relatives. At times, it was a classic case of the tail wagging the dog, since the mighty baronial families like the Nevilles, Percys, Poles, and Beauforts often had more power than the royal contestant that they were backing at the moment.
Briefly and over-simplistically: Henry VI, of the House of Lancaster, the grandson of the Henry IV who had deposed and murdered Richard II, was considered weak and ineffective.
Richard of York, a cousin and also a descendant of Edward III, the last king whom everyone agreed had been the rightful king, rebelled and was killed in battle. Eventually, Richard's son Edward prevailed, and deposed Henry, becoming Edward IV.
Henry made a brief comeback, so it was Henry/Edward/Henry/Edward for a few years. Edward won out in the end. Henry died, ending the legitimate Lancastrian claim. There was, however, still a Lancastrian claim through a bastard branch, the Beauforts, which was legally excluded, but hey, this is a civil war, right?
Edward IV died, leaving two minor sons, the elder of whom became Edward V. Theit uncle Richard of Gloucester, Edward IV's younger brother, became their protector, and locked them in the Tower of London, ostensibly for their safety.
They disappeared. No one knows whether they were murdered or kidnapped, or at whose instigation, but most people blame Richard. Henry Tudor, however (more on him later) is another good candidate. Richard had himself crowned as Richard III.
Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, had inherited the Beaufort claim through his mother. He was also married to Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV, so he combined both claims. He rebelled against Richard--and won. Richard died on the battlefield at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Henry was crowned as Henry VII, basing his claim not on the defective Lancastrian claim he had from his mother, but on his wife's rights as the Yorkist heiress, and on his own right of conquest.
Through all of this, the major lords of the realm shifted and manipulated and used royal heirs as their proxies in fights with each other and with the central government. In many ways it was more a war between them in the various regions of England than it was a intra-dynastic Plantagenet fight.
Ilgiardino.wiki
Henry VI divenne re quando aveva 9 mesi. Nonostante i notevoli sforzi da parte dei suoi custodi ed educatori, non solo crebbe lentamente, ma non si mostrò affatto come suo padre. Sembrava aver ereditato la follia del nonno francese. Era incompetente, malato di mente e chiaramente non aveva il temperamento per essere un leader efficace. L'Inghilterra aveva avuto brutte esperienze con re bambini in passato, nessuna più disastrosa di questa.
Era così grave che i rami cadetti della sua famiglia, i Lancaster e gli York, sentirono che qualcuno doveva farsi avanti, salvare il paese dalla rovina e ripristinare parte di ciò che Enrico VI aveva già perso o impedire che peggiorasse ulteriormente.
C'era disaccordo su chi dovesse uscire vincitore da questa impresa.
Si fermò solo quando Enrico Tudor (Enrico VII) sposò Elisabetta di York, ma il ricordo di un così lungo disastro fu difficilmente cancellato. Parte della disperazione di Enrico VIII di avere un erede maschio, credo, era che era re solo perché suo fratello maggiore era morto. Ha fatto quello che ha fatto per evitare che questa guerra familiare riprendesse se non poteva fornire un erede maschio sopravvissuto, per non parlare della sua preoccupazione che la linea Tudor fallisse sotto i suoi occhi. Non credo che immaginasse che sua figlia Elisabetta avrebbe fatto così bene come ha fatto.
Two branches of the ruling Plantagenet family (Yorks and Lancasters), all descended from Edward III, fought for the throne of England. There was a background of deposition (Richard II), usurpation (Henry IV), and executions in the family going back several generations, which created instability. Henry VI, Henry IV's grandson, who succeeded to the throne as an infant, was an easy target for other relatives.
At times, it was a classic case of the tail wagging the dog, since the mighty baronial families like the Nevilles, Percys, Poles, and Beauforts often had more power than the royal contestant that they were backing at the moment.
Briefly and over-simplistically:
Henry VI, of the House of Lancaster, the grandson of the Henry IV who had deposed and murdered Richard II, was considered weak and ineffective.
Richard of York, a cousin and also a descendant of Edward III, the last king whom everyone agreed had been the rightful king, rebelled and was killed in battle. Eventually, Richard's son Edward prevailed, and deposed Henry, becoming Edward IV.
Henry made a brief comeback, so it was Henry/Edward/Henry/Edward for a few years. Edward won out in the end. Henry died, ending the legitimate Lancastrian claim. There was, however, still a Lancastrian claim through a bastard branch, the Beauforts, which was legally excluded, but hey, this is a civil war, right?
Edward IV died, leaving two minor sons, the elder of whom became Edward V.
Theit uncle Richard of Gloucester, Edward IV's younger brother, became their protector, and locked them in the Tower of London, ostensibly for their safety.
They disappeared.
No one knows whether they were murdered or kidnapped, or at whose instigation, but most people blame Richard. Henry Tudor, however (more on him later) is another good candidate.
Richard had himself crowned as Richard III.
Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, had inherited the Beaufort claim through his mother. He was also married to Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV, so he combined both claims.
He rebelled against Richard--and won. Richard died on the battlefield at the Battle of Bosworth Field.
Henry was crowned as Henry VII, basing his claim not on the defective Lancastrian claim he had from his mother, but on his wife's rights as the Yorkist heiress, and on his own right of conquest.
Through all of this, the major lords of the realm shifted and manipulated and used royal heirs as their proxies in fights with each other and with the central government. In many ways it was more a war between them in the various regions of England than it was a intra-dynastic Plantagenet fight.