Richard, Duke of York

Timeline

1. 1411–1450Dublin · IrelandRichard, Duke of York, was born in 1411, orphaned young and raised by the king. Through inheritance he gained the Duchy of York and the Earldom of March, becoming one of England's wealthiest nobles. In 1447 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the court intending thereby to remove him from the centre of English politics. In 1450 he left Ireland without permission and returned home, openly presenting political demands to the king, with his rivalry against the king's favourite, the Duke of Somerset, growing ever clearer.
2. 1451–1456St Albans · HertfordshireThe Dartford affair of 1452 failed for lack of troops, and the Duke of York was forced to declare public loyalty. In 1453 Henry VI suffered a mental collapse, and in March 1454 Richard was formally appointed Lord Protector by Parliament, imprisoning his political rival the Duke of Somerset. In January 1455 Henry recovered his senses, Somerset was released and regained power, and Richard was dismissed. To prevent the Lancastrian forces from reaching Parliament, Richard intercepted them at St Albans on 22 May 1455, killing Somerset; this was the first battle of the Wars of the Roses. Richard then served as second Lord Protector until 1456.
3. 1456–1460Wakefield · YorkshireAfter the Battle of Blore Heath in 1459 and the rout at Ludford Bridge, the Duke of York fled to Ireland. In August 1460 he returned to England with an army, entering Westminster Hall to publicly claim the throne for the first time, but was coldly received by the House of Lords. In October Parliament passed the Act of Agreement, under which Henry VI would reign for life but be succeeded by Richard—a compromise. In December Richard marched north against the remaining Lancastrian forces and was killed on 30 December at the Battle of Wakefield near Sandal Castle, aged forty-nine; his head was displayed on the gates of York. His son Edward subsequently took the throne in 1461, carrying on the Yorkist cause.