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Game of Thrones is basically the War of the Roses with dragons and ice zombies. And a better ending, so long as you were a Tudor.
--On This Day in History, Shit Went Down: May 22, 1455--
Why roses? The royal House of Plantagenet had ruled England since 1154. Three centuries later, on May 22, 1455, two rival houses within House Plantagenet launched a three-decade civil war to claim the throne. They were House of York, represented by a white rose and what author George R.R. Martin named the “Starks,” and the Lancasters, represented by a red rose that George called “Lannisters.” Sorry, no cool wolf or lion standards. Just roses.
After Henry V, who was a badass Lancaster, there was his son Henry VI, who was . . . not a badass. He ascended the throne at nine months old and even as an adult was totally useless and prone to mental breakdowns. Number 6 had been “ruling” for over three decades, poorly, during a time when England was reeling from the aftermath of the Hundred Years’ War, and the Yorks were all fuck this guy let’s war the shit out him because we can do better.
Six years of war later and the Yorks punted Henry VI and put Edward IV on the throne, and things were chill for about five years but then shifting alliances saw the Lancasters start the war up again and four years later they put useless Henry VI back in charge. And he lasted six months. Because there were more shifting alliances and Edward IV’s forces won a decisive victory at the Battle of Tewkesbury in the spring of 1471.
You know that “Now is the winter of our discontent” Shakespeare stuff? It’s from his Richard III play, and a lot of people don’t realize the meaning, because it’s followed by “Made glorious summer by this sun of York.” It’s Richard (not yet the) III praising his brother Edward IV, a son/sun of York, cuz Shakespeare pun, for kicking Lancastrian ass and winning back the throne.
Then they snuffed Henry VI, along with a lot of other Lancasters, and Ed 4 ruled for 11 years, then died, and his son Ed 5 ruled for 78 days, but he was only 12 and Richard said fuck my nephew and deposed/killed him and became Richard III and later Shakespeare wrote a play about it.
And then, more civil war.
Many considered Dick 3 an usurper because he totally was, and abandoned the Yorks for the Lancasters and Jesus Christ are you fucking confused yet because I sure as shit am. Richard reigned for two years, was killed in battle, and in the chaos of it all Henry VI (the useless one) had his half-brother’s son Henry Tudor show up in 1485 and take the throne and say yo I’m Henry VII and he married Ed 4’s daughter Elizabeth of York to unite those two houses and then we had the House of Tudor. Fucking hell.
Anyway, after all that fuckery it was totally smooth sailing for the English monarchy with no further disputing claims to the throne. Kidding!
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Except that Edward IV had supposedly plighted his troth to some woman who ended up in a nunnery or convent or whatever and was considered as good as married. So his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was considered null and void and that made Richard III the legitimate heir. Henry Tudor was a slime bag and had the most reason to kill the princes. If he had them declared illegitimate then his marriage to Princess Elizabeth would haven't been to his advantage.