RousseauX
Donor
In OTL war of the roses, Richard of York was killed at the Battle of Wakefield, along with his second son Edmund of Rutland, and the earl of Salisbury (Warwick's father) in 1460.
His eldest son, Edward of March, would be crowned Edward IV and took the throne a few month later.
What if Richard of York had lived?
Let's assume that instead of being lured into a Lancastrian trap, York and Salisbury manage to avoid the debacle of Wakefield. Perhaps they are forced into battle anyway, but they manage to avoid a complete destruction of their forces and escape with their lives intact.
Let's further assume they withdraw towards London, perhaps some version of 2nd St.Albans occur with a Lancaster victory. The Lancasters are just as brutal in their looting as OTL, leading the Londoners to fear them and rally to the side of the Yorkists, again just as OTL.
Edward of March (The OTL Edward IV) at this point will march the forces he mustered from eastern England/Wales to save the day, the Lancasters withdraw in the face of this just as they did OTL. Joyous of their deliverance from the looting Lancastrian hordes, Londoners proclaim Richard of York the rightful king (he was already the heir by the act of accord), just as they did his son Edward in OTL.
The combined forces of Warwick, Edward, York, and Salibsury pursues the Lancasters and defeat them decisively in TTL's version of Towton, Henry VI is captured, Margret of Anjou and prince Edward flees to France as OTl. Richard of York seats himself on the throne as Richard III.
So now, we pretty much have the same situation in England as we did when Edward IV took the throne except with his father as king. Richard was by all accounts, an able administrator and diplomat and far less likely than his son at dong something stupid like marrying Elizabeth Woodsville, or creating the sort of power factionalism which resulted in OTL's Richard III taking and losing power. In other words, there might be a stable Yorkist settlement early in the war and the the 1471 and 1485 phases of the war could be avoided entirely There would also be 4 surviving Yorkist sons TTL (Edmund of Rutland lives). The Lancastrian lords are mostly attained with the possible exception of one or two who gets kept around to balance out the Nevilles.
Does this lead to a stable Yorkist dynasty which rules well into the 16th century?
His eldest son, Edward of March, would be crowned Edward IV and took the throne a few month later.
What if Richard of York had lived?
Let's assume that instead of being lured into a Lancastrian trap, York and Salisbury manage to avoid the debacle of Wakefield. Perhaps they are forced into battle anyway, but they manage to avoid a complete destruction of their forces and escape with their lives intact.
Let's further assume they withdraw towards London, perhaps some version of 2nd St.Albans occur with a Lancaster victory. The Lancasters are just as brutal in their looting as OTL, leading the Londoners to fear them and rally to the side of the Yorkists, again just as OTL.
Edward of March (The OTL Edward IV) at this point will march the forces he mustered from eastern England/Wales to save the day, the Lancasters withdraw in the face of this just as they did OTL. Joyous of their deliverance from the looting Lancastrian hordes, Londoners proclaim Richard of York the rightful king (he was already the heir by the act of accord), just as they did his son Edward in OTL.
The combined forces of Warwick, Edward, York, and Salibsury pursues the Lancasters and defeat them decisively in TTL's version of Towton, Henry VI is captured, Margret of Anjou and prince Edward flees to France as OTl. Richard of York seats himself on the throne as Richard III.
So now, we pretty much have the same situation in England as we did when Edward IV took the throne except with his father as king. Richard was by all accounts, an able administrator and diplomat and far less likely than his son at dong something stupid like marrying Elizabeth Woodsville, or creating the sort of power factionalism which resulted in OTL's Richard III taking and losing power. In other words, there might be a stable Yorkist settlement early in the war and the the 1471 and 1485 phases of the war could be avoided entirely There would also be 4 surviving Yorkist sons TTL (Edmund of Rutland lives). The Lancastrian lords are mostly attained with the possible exception of one or two who gets kept around to balance out the Nevilles.
Does this lead to a stable Yorkist dynasty which rules well into the 16th century?
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