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Which descendants of Edward III claimed the English throne during the Wars of the Roses?
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Wars of the Roses
Illustration depicting the Battle of Bosworth Field, with King Richard III on the white horse.
During the Wars of the Roses, the English throne was contested by two cadet branches of the house of Plantagenet, both of which were descendants of King Edward III.12
- The House of Lancaster: This line descended from John of Gaunt, the third surviving son of Edward III. The Lancastrian claim to the throne was held by Henry VI and his supporters.134
- The House of York: This line descended from Edmund of Langley, the fourth surviving son of Edward III. Richard, 3rd Duke of York, asserted his claim based on his descent from Edmund of Langley through his father and from Lionel, Duke of ClarenceāEdward III's second surviving sonāthrough his mother.342
While the Lancastrians held the throne for three generations, the Yorkists argued that their lineage provided a superior hereditary right based on strict primogeniture. The conflict ultimately concluded with the rise of the house of Tudor under Henry VII, who united the two houses through marriage.3421