Historian Dan Jones tells the story of the War of the Roses, which is one of the most famous and controversial periods in English history. The War of the Roses was a series of conflicts between rival factions within the English royal family that took place from 1455 to 1485.
During this time, England was divided into two kingdoms: the north and south. The northern kingdom was ruled by King Henry VI, while the southern kingdom was ruled by King Richard III. Both kings were descended from the Plantagenet dynasty, but they had different claimants to the throne.
The war began when King Henry VI's brother, Prince Edward, died without leaving a male heir. This created a power vacuum that allowed Richard III to seize control of the southern kingdom and declare himself king. However, many English nobles, including Henry VI's cousins, refused to recognize him as their sovereign.
The war ended with the defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. He was killed by his own men during the battle, and his body was burned on the pyre. This event marked the end of the War of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor era.