The ‘Wars of the Roses’: civil war in England and the ascent of the Tudors

This course is now fully booked.  Please contact us if you would like to be placed on the waiting list in case of any cancellations.

Over six weeks, we will explore the exciting and chaotic world of Fifteenth century England and its dramatic events and changes. We will investigate the lives of the warring factions of the Houses of Lancaster, Beaufort, Stafford, York and Tudor; following the trials and tribulations of Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III and Henry VII together with their consorts, including members of the great families of late medieval England.

The course will cover: The origin of the Wars of the Roses, the rise of Richard, Duke of York, the fall of the House of Lancaster, Edward IV and the consolidation of Yorkist power, the King and the Kingmaker – Edward and the Earl of Warwick.  Warwick’s rebellion and the readeption of Henry VI, the politics of rivalry – Clarence and Gloucester, Richard of Gloucester and the overthrow of Edward V, the Battle of Bosworth and the rise of Henry Tudor, and the ‘New Monarchy’ of Henry VII.


Course Details

This course finished on 22 May 2024