← Explore on the interactive map
Battle of Tewkesbury
On 4 May 1471, the Yorkist Edward IV annihilated the relief army led by the Lancastrian Queen Margaret at Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire;…
Timeline
- 1471South of Tewkesbury · GloucestershireQueen Margaret landed from France with her son Prince Edward of Westminster, intending to join Lancastrian forces in Wales. The Yorkists pursued closely; the Lancastrian army was blocked near the River Severn and forced to form up with its back to the river near Tewkesbury.
- 1471Tewkesbury battlefield · GloucestershireEdward IV led an assault on the Lancastrian positions, while the Duke of Gloucester led Yorkist forces in a flanking maneuver. The Lancastrian army routed, with many nobles killed or captured, and its main military strength destroyed in this battle.
- 1471Tewkesbury · GloucestershireAfter the battle the Yorkists executed several Lancastrian nobles. The Lancastrian heir died in this battle, and Queen Margaret was captured shortly after. Henry VI died within weeks after being imprisoned in the Tower of London, and the Lancastrian claim to the throne was nearly extinguished.
Sources
- Battle of Tewkesbury https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Tewkesbury
- The Wars of the Roses — John Gillingham (1981)