The Four Suns in Splendour: A Wars of the Roses Collaborative Timeline

[RedKing]

December 30th 1460: The Battle of Wakefield has just ended. It has been a disaster for the Yorkists, with their leader, Richard of York falling alongside his close ally the Earl of Salisbury. York’s son, Edmund flees from the Battle, with a vengeful Baron, John Clifford in pursuit. For a moment, it seems as though the Baron has caught the Prince, but Edmund makes it to a nearby Monastery where he is granted sanctuary. Clifford, left with no other choice, returns to the Lancastrian army.

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Rules

1. Please try not to contradict previous posts.
2. You can, at most only write up to a year worth’s of events, i.e. if you start writing in March 1461, you can only write up to March 1462 at most.
3. Write about what you know/like. Don’t know much about England at this time, but still want to contribute? Write about Spain or hell write about the orient or native Americans, they get neglected a lot in these threads.
4. You can go back in time to write about something that wasn’t covered, but it must not contradict previous posts. Furthermore, you can only jump back at most, 10 years. For example, if everyone is writing about 1485 you can’t jump back to 1473.
5. You can do random/unexpected deaths/events, but please keep them realistic, provide an explanation and use them sparingly. E.g. don’t have X King die suddenly with no explanation, followed up by having the Pope openly convert to paganism. You can have, however, a King die suddenly of x illness and have rumours about the Pope being a non-believer/a follower of an obscure Christian sect in private.
6. No ASB.
7. No wanking or screwing, though you can have a nation get super powerful or super weak over a long period of time with decent explanations.
8. Feel free to correct people on historical facts or give input on updates, it’ll improve the over all quality of the timeline.
9. Lastly, have fun! Feel free to make something that isn’t likely, but not asb happen (i.e. René of Anjou getting the crown of Aragon or the reformation ending with the reunification of the churches).

 

[ordinarylittleme]

January 1, 1461: Edward, Prince of Wales, son of Henry VI dies at the age of seven. This means that the Yorkist claimant, Edward of York, is now heir presumptive. Terrified of what could happen to the Lancasters if York inherits, Margaret of Anjou tries desperately to fall pregnant again.

 

[RedKing]

January 1, 1461: Edward, Prince of Wales, son of Henry VI dies at the age of seven. This means that the Yorkist claimant, Edward of York, is now heir presumptive. Terrified of what could happen to the Lancasters if York inherits, Margaret of Anjou tries desperately to fall pregnant again.

Nice idea, but remember to include an explanation next time! Also Henry VI is currently in captivity so not sure if Margaret would try to become pregnant once more.

 

[RedKing]

January 5th 1461: With the aid of sympathisers, Edmund, Earl of Rutland escapes down into London. The Earl of Warwick and his supporters hold a feast in his honour.

January 12th 1461: In a bid to stabilise the Lancastrian cause John Fortescue publishes an article claiming that under the terms of Richard II’s Act of Legitimising the Beauforts, that heirs of John Beaufort precede Edmund of York’s line and hence are the heirs to Henry VI. Fortescue however, fails to declare whether Lady Margaret Beaufort or Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset is the heir. It is considered nothing more than an attempt by Margaret of Anjou to stabilise the Lancastrian cause and is widely criticised.

January 15th 1461: The Lancastrians prepare to March South to free Henry VI. Meanwhile, the Lancastrians in Wales begin hit and run attacks against the Yorkists.

 

[EdwardRex]

February 1, 1461: The Lancastrian cause is struck a blow when King Henry VI dies of a sudden bought of dysentery. Margaret of Anjou is heartbroken and announces she is pregnant, though it is obvious she isn’t (she bleeds not two days after her husband dies). If Edward of York manages to take the throne, he hopes to marry Madeline of Valois.

 

[RedKing]

February 2nd 1461: Edward, Duke of York engages a Lancastrian army led by Jasper, Earl of Pembroke and Owen Tudor. Hoping to stop the Lancastrian forces from joining up, he fights fiercely, yet he and his forces are defeated. Worse still, Edward is separated from his army and wanders into Wales with a handful of men.

February 8th 1461: Just as the Lancastrian army reaches Leicester, defections amass as word of Henry VI’s death spreads throughout it, despite Margaret’s attempts to suppress the rumours. Despite this, the army is relieved when the Welsh forces arrive.

 

[eliamartin65]

14th March 1461: Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich III agree to a betrothal between Charles's niece Emma of Burgundy and the Emperor's only son, Archduke Maximilian.

 

[RedKing]

16th of March 1461: With the death of Henry VI and Edward of Westminster, Louis XI comes to see the Lancastrian cause as dead in the water and sends an ambassador to London to negotiate an alliance with Edward, whom he refers to as Edward IV.

19th of March 1461: A three way split forms in the Lancastrians. The split is over who should become King. The three factions are the Henryites, Hollanders and Margaretines. The Henryites support Henry Beaufort as King, while the Hollanders back Henry Holland. Lastly, the Margaretines believe that Lady Margaret Beaufort or her son, Henry Tudor should become the new monarch. These divisions cause tensions to arise. However, Margaret manages to keep them together under the goal of reclaiming the government of England. They soon begin preparing to March on London.

At the same time rumours arise across England and Europe, that Edward, Duke of York had Henry VI killed via poison on his orders. Lancastrian sympathisers use this to claim that he is thus ineligible for the throne and conveniently ignore Edmund and his brothers in order to claim that one of the three Lancastrian claimants should be King.

 

[EdwardRex]

April 1, 1461: Edmund and his forces are surprisingly joined by Edward “IV”’s forces. A few miles outside of London a very dramatic battle will occur that will shape English history. The “Hollanders” are completely crused and Henry Holland is killed in battle. His wife and newborn daughter are Yorkists anyways, and Edward promises his sister she will make a better match in the future.

April 3, 1461: Edward IV of is proclaimed King of England. Seeing the rapid Yorkist success, many former Lancastrians flock to the Yorkist side. Edward IV is betrothed to Magdalena of Valois (her husband died in January), while his sister Anne is betrothed to the Count of Charolais, Charles, whose wife just died giving birth to a stillborn son.

May 7, 1461: Margaret Beaufort and her son Henry Tudor is captured by the Yorkists. The King offers a generous Margaret a generous truce. She will be given the title Countess of Richmond, which her son can inherit, and security as the bride of Edmund of York. She can raise her son until he can live at court. Margaret, only seventeen, accepts the offer and abdicates her right to the throne for her and her son. Edmund and Margaret are married at the beginning of June, and the two are very happy with each other. Princess Magdalena is set to arrive at the end of August, but Edward must first crush Henry Beaufort, which seems likely due to dwindling support. Realizing this, Henry runs off to Scotland.

 

[RedKing]

Edward IV is betrothed to Magdalena of Valois,

Magdalena’s husband is still alive. You can add in that he is dead though.

Margaret Beaufort and her son Henry Tudor is captured by the Yorkists.

Henry is still in Wales at this time (aiui) so how is he captured?

Everything else works though!

 

[eliamartin65]

April 3, 1461: Edward IV of is proclaimed King of England. Seeing the rapid Yorkist success, many former Lancastrians flock to the Yorkist side. Edward IV is betrothed to Magdalena of Valois, while his sister Elizabeth is betrothed to the Duke of Burgundy, Charles, whose wife just died giving birth to a stillborn son.

Emma's going to have a different but no less formidable Yorkist aunt, it looks like.

 

[RedKing]

Elizabeth is betrothed to the Duke of Burgundy, Charles, whose wife just died giving birth to a stillborn son.

Also, isn’t John still alive? Then again you could also have him killed off in battle.

 

[BoleynBuff]

Also, isn’t John still alive? Then again you could also have him killed off in battle.

I think they might mean Anne, as Henry Holland was already crushed by Edward’s forces.

 

[RedKing]

I think they might mean Anne, as Henry Holland was already crushed by Edward’s forces.

That makes a lot of sense. It was also proposed in otl too.

 

[EdwardRex]

Magdalena’s husband is still alive. You can add in that he is dead though.

Henry is still in Wales at this time (aiui) so how is he captured?

Everything else works though!

Ok, Gaston died I’ll say. Holland went to London to try to get the crown (not the smartest move but Holland was kind of dumb anyways).

Also, isn’t John still alive? Then again you could also have him killed off in battle.

No, Johns still alive. She would be Countess of Charolais.

 

[RedKing]

Holland went to London to try to get the crown (not the smartest move but Holland was kind of dumb anyways).

Oh, I know. I was talking about Henry Tudor who is currently in Wales if memory serves.

 

[RedKing]

No, Johns still alive. She would be Countess of Charolais.

I was talking about John, Duke of Suffolk who is still alive, so how can Elizabeth marry Charles? Did you mean Anne of York?

 

[EdwardRex]

I was talking about John, Duke of Suffolk who is still alive, so how can Elizabeth marry Charles? Did you mean Anne of York?

I didn’t think Elizabeth had married John yet? If so, has it been consummated? Whatever the matter, he needs to die so Elizabeth can have a foreign match (I did switch it out to Anne for Burgundy).

 

[RedKing]

I didn’t think Elizabeth had married John yet? If so, has it been consummated? Whatever the matter, he needs to die so Elizabeth can have a foreign match (I did switch it out to Anne for Burgundy).

They married in 1458 and John de la Pole was born in around 1460, so it has been consummated. You could always just have John die in battle though.

 

[EdwardRex]

They married in 1458 and John de la Pole was born in around 1460, so it has been consummated. You could always just have John die in battle though.

So, he died in battle and we’ll go with the 1462 birth date of John so no kids.