A Brief History of the Lancaster Family

By now several of you have got your hands on the first book of Lancastrian, and so I thought now would be a good time to explain the history behind the antagonist and his family. If you haven't started reading or finished the book yet, don't worry, no spoilers will be given here, as this is purely a background.

The Lancasters were responsible for most of the conflicts during the 100 Years' War, having laid claim to the French throne. But England was not entirely united in their conquest of France. During the time of which Henry VI was yet too young to rule, his uncle, the Duke of Bedford, wished to occupy the majority of French territories that Henry V left. Meanwhile, Humphrey of Lancaster, the 1st Duke of Gloucester, wished only to maintain Calais. This rivalry eventually led to the War of the Roses, so named because because the Lancastrians adopted a red rose as their house seal, while their rivals from York, chose a white rose.

The family was split into two different branches that led to the House of Plantagenet. The first house was started by Henry III of England, and the second came from John of Gaunt, who married the heiress of Henry III's house. John of Gaunt married his sons off more for wealth than political power, which in turn made the House of Lancaster very wealthy. Out of these marriages came King Henry IV, grandfather of Henry VI, who you will find to be very important in The Knight of Colchester book.

The Tower of London

When Henry VI came of age and took the English throne, which had been watched over by his uncle, the young monarch inherited the failing war with France, which ended in 1453. The conflict's failure led to his mental breakdown and Richard, the Duke of York, took the throne. The plan was to allow Henry VI a year to recover before taking up the crown again. But civil war began, during which the English king was captured and imprisoned twice by York. Henry's second time in jail, in the Tower of London, would see him to his end. It is believed that Edward of York ordered his execution. Henry VI left no surviving heir, only a widow, who could never claim the throne without a surviving male heir. The Lancaster house was not long-lived, having been founded in 1267 and coming to an end in 1471 since Henry VI's son had also been executed by Edward of Westminster. The Lancastrians did leave a lasting impression for today, having started several colleges, including King's College.

Ultimately, it was Henry VI's insanity that led to the downfall of the Lancaster dynasty and the rise of York. Since I plan to turn Lancastrian into a trilogy, this may be something that is explored, but perhaps not until book 3.