Editing House of York (section)

== Wars of the Roses ==

{{main|Wars of the Roses}}

Despite his elevated status, Richard Plantagenet was denied a position in government by the advisers of the weak [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]], particularly [[John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset]], and the queen consort, [[Margaret of Anjou]]. Although he served as protector of the realm during Henry VI's period of incapacity in 1453–54, his reforms were reversed by Somerset's party once the king had recovered.

The [[Wars of the Roses]] began the following year, with the [[First Battle of St Albans]]. Initially, Richard aimed only to purge his Lancastrian political opponents from positions of influence over the king. It was not until October 1460 that he claimed the throne for the House of York. In that year the Yorkists had captured the king at the [[battle of Northampton (1460)|battle of Northampton]], but victory was short-lived. Richard and his second son [[Edmund, Earl of Rutland|Edmund]] were killed at the [[battle of Wakefield]] on 30 December.

Richard's claim to the throne was inherited by his son [[Edward IV of England|Edward]]. With the support of [[Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick]] ("The Kingmaker"), Edward, already showing great promise as a leader of men, defeated the Lancastrians in a succession of battles. While Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou were campaigning in the north, Warwick gained control of the capital and had Edward declared king in London in 1461. Edward strengthened his claim with a decisive victory at the [[Battle of Towton]] in the same year, in the course of which the Lancastrian army was virtually wiped out.