Back to The Tudors
The Wars of the Roses caused trouble for England and its people.  Many people were killed; others could not grow food for their families because they were fighting, or becasuse they were afraid of being killed.  Rich people spent money on weapons and hiring soldiers instead of other things which would help their families.  The Wars were a disaster for England.  They ended when Henry Tudor took over as King.
The White Rose of York	The Red Rose of Lancaster	The Tudor Rose
Richard III was the last Plantagenet king.  He was defeated at Bosworth Field and the throne passed to Henry Tudor.	Henry was partly Welsh - see his coat of arms below.  He helped England to recover from all the poverty and violence of the Wars of the Roses.	Henry married Elizabeth of York and united the Houses of York and Lancaster.  The Tudor rose is a symbol of the two houses no longer separated but united
Richard is made a hunchback in Shakespeare's play.  It was probably a lie to make him look bad.  He is also accused of murdering the Princes in the Tower of London.	Can you see what Henry is holding in his hand?  Many people think that it was really Henry who killed the princes in the Tower to make sure that noone else could re-start the Wars of the Roses.	The Latin inscription says "Elizabeth, wife of Henry VII".  We do not know what she thought of marrying Henry.  She would not have had much choice!
	See the Welsh dragon in Henry's Coat of Arms.  There is a Tudor Rose and the coat of arms of the kings of England in the centre.