The
Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars for the
throne of England. They were fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal
House of Plantagenet, the Houses of
Lancaster and
York. They were fought in several sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1487, although there was related fighting before and after this period. The conflict resulted from social and financial troubles that followed the
Hundred Years' War, combined with the mental infirmity and weak rule of
Henry VI, which revived interest in the alternative claim to the throne of
Richard, Duke of York.