1461:
- On the 29th March, the Yorkist army of Edward IV and the Lancastrian army of Henry VI meet at Towton, Yorkshire. In mud and snow, they fight, and,though outnumbered, the Yorkists win the day thanks to the timely arrival ofthe Duke of Norfolk, whose forces had been separated from the main force by a severe snowstorm.
- The Lancastrian forces melt away, and Henry VI flees into exile with his wife and child. Edward returns to London victorious, the new King of England.
- Edward ,however, is merciful, and pardons the vast majority of the Lancastrian lords who surrendered in the aftermath of Towton.
1462:
- King Henry and Queen Margaret of Anjou flee to France, along with their son, Edward of Westminster. They begin to try and gain support from the French King, Louis XI, to regain the throne of England.
- Edmund Beaufort, the Duke of Somerset and the commander of the Lancastrians at Towton, has fled to Scotland. He begins to bargain with the Scottish Queen Dowager,Mary of Guelders, for their support.
1464:
- Edward IV, in secret and dubious circumstances, marries Elizabeth Woodville, a Lancastrian knight’s widow.
- Lancaster bargained for the support of France through marriage and Scotland through thesecession of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Margaret of Anjou’s forces land in Cornwall with a French army at her back. Much of Wales, as well as Cornwall, answers her call.
- Edmund Beaufort leads an army of Scots down from the north in Lancaster’s name. The Earl of Surrey marches north to meet the threat, whilst the Earl of Northumberland eagerly joins Beaufort’s army.
- Edward IV quickly gathers his forces and marches to deal with this Lancastrian threat. The armies meet at Wallingford, in Berkshire – one of the most infamous battles in recent memory. At the parley, York was shot, and nearly killed, by a marksman under the orders of the vengeful Lancastrian Queen, Margaret of Anjou. With the King carried from the field, the veteran Earl of Kent, along with Norfolk, assumed command of the Yorkist forces. What followed was a massacre. The Earl of Devon, either out of outrage or sensing an opportunity, betrayed Lancaster, with the partisans of the Red Rose being hacked down from both the front and rear of their army. They were defeated, Margaret was captured, and not for the last time, Lancaster had been betrayed.
- In the north, news had not yet reached Beaufort of the tale of Wallingford, or else he may have been warier of false friends. Percy betrayed Lancaster just as Courtenay did, the Duke of Somerset finding his death upon the battlefield against the combined forces of Surrey and Northumberland.
- With no army and no allies, Henry VI, Prince Edward, and a mere few companions remain in France, adrift in the waters of exile.
1465:
- With Edward indisposed, the Duke of Norfolk seizes the governance of the realm, pressuring the King to marry Northumberland’s daughter once he has awoken from slumber. Edward and Margaret Percy are crowned together in Westminster Abbey ,and it appears as if new age will be ushered in by the golden King and his radiant Queen – who quickly falls pregnant with a girl, Eleanor.
- Norfolk completely seizes control of the government. He declares Edward as having relapsed, and confines him within Windsor Castle, ruling England as Lord Protector. With Norfolk having overreached, he is quickly turned upon – a few months later, the King returns to London, and Norfolk is forced to beg for mercy from the King. Though some question his judgement, the King grants this favour to his old friend, so long as he never returns to court again.
- Edward of Westminster flees to Provence, relying on the charity of his maternal grandfather, Rene of Anjou, to provide for his livelihood. Henry VI retires to a monastery, formally resigning the crown to his son. Only Baron Clifford, William Beaumont, and John de Vere bear witness; the last of the true Lancastrians did not turn their coats.
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1466:
- Edward begins a campaign against the Scots, with the aim of recapturing Berwick. Edward leaves Margaret Percy pregnant with a daughter, who is named Cecily.
- Elizabeth Woodville takes up residence at Baynard’s Castle, London, and is openly known as the King’s mistress – she calls herself his Queen. She has already borne him a daughter, Elizabeth.
1467:
- Elizabeth Woodville bears Edward a son, Edward of Grafton. Margaret Percy feels more and more marginalised by the growth in popularity of this apparent Queen.
1468:
- The campaign ends as soon as it begins. Edward returns home, having made peace with the King of Scots in exchange for a ransom and a promise of marriage.
- In Edward’s absence, Elizabeth named herself as Edward’s true wife, before witnesses, though the King returns to ensure civil war does not break out within the capital. Elizabeth returns to Baynard’s, in disgrace, whilst Edward reconciles with Margaret Percy. She becomes pregnant.
1469:
- Margaret and Edward’s marriage begins to break down, and he finds solace in the charms of Elizabeth Woodville.
- With Archbishop Francis O’Neill bringing the matter to the Pope’s attention, His Holiness commands it to be resolved. A synod is called at Lincoln Cathedral to decide the matter of who Edward’s rightful wife is, in the eyes of God.
1470:
- The trial proves eventful. Francis O’Neill, the representative of Margaret Percy, utterly humiliates himself, sabotaging Percy’s entire case. The trial ends prematurely, with Woodville declared the rightful Queen overwhelmingly. Margaret and Edward’s marriage is annulled. She is settled with an estate in Kent along with an annual pension, where she shall reside under guard with her children.
- Margaret, having fallen pregnant before the trial, gives birth to a boy. To spite her former husband, she names him Henry, for her own father… And the Lancastrian King.
- Francis O’Neill, charged with treason following a heated exchange with His Majesty, commits suicide.
- The Duke of Clarence begins preparations for a campaign into Ireland.
1471:
- Elizabeth Woodville is quickly crowned in Westminster Abbey, a lavish ceremony designed to cement her position as Edward’s rightful Queen.
- Edward passes the Act of Succession through Parliament, formally declaring Elizabeth Woodville as his rightful wife, her children as his lawful heirs, and Margaret Percy’s children to be bastards born outside of wedlock, with no rights to the throne.
- Edward of Lancaster, self-styled as King of England, becomes a mercenary in Italy, hoping to build up a force for himself to retake England. He is captured in a skirmish with the Genoese.
1472:
- Lord Stafford and Lord Suffolk go to Burgundy on a diplomatic mission, their purpose being to arrange the marriage of the King’s brother Richard to Mary of Burgundy, Charles the Bold’s daughter.
- Lady Percy attempts to escape from captivity with her children. Naturally, she is caught.
- England begins to train and equip a ‘royal army’ and ‘royal navy’. A foundry is constructed at Woolwich, with the aim to begin the manufacturing of gunpowder weaponry.
1473:
- A grand tournament takes place at Smithfield, not far from London. Somewhat surprisingly, the unheralded Sir John Stafford claims victory, defeating Lord Worcester in the final tilt.
- Lady Percy is separated from her children and confined to the Tower of London. She promptly disappears from the public eye, whilst her children are fostered amongst loyal Yorkist families.
- Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, weds the Queen’s sister Katherine Woodville at a lavish ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral.
- Edward of Lancaster’s ransom is paid… By the French King. Edward becomes a member of Louis’ court.
1474:
- The King, after spending the last decade securing peace with Scotland and alliances with Aragon and Burgundy, finally makes his move. With a large army and navy at his back, Edward declared his intent to revive the English claims to France and reclaim the lands lost by Henry VI so many years ago.
- English forces land in Calais, ferried over by the Royal Navy. With the army gathered in the last English toehold on the continent, Edward makes for Normandy.
1475:
- The Battle of Aigneville marks the beginning of a renewed phase in the Hundred Years War between England and France. A token French force defending Normandy is defeated by the English army with relative ease.
- Neuss finally falls to the forces of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, having been a significant delay in his campaign.
1476:
- Meanwhile ,in Ireland, the English forces consolidate their grip over the newly won territories in the Earldom of Ulster. The campaign is brought to an abrupt end, with the treasury dedicated entirely to the war with France rather than paying the soldiers to fight elsewhere.
- Charles the Bold opts to invade Lorraine rather than push into Champagne, taking the town of Nancy. Charles, from Nancy, marches against the Swiss. He suffers a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Grandson.
- The English fleet blockades Harfleur and le Havre, with the army occupying several towns in Normandy and laying siege to Rouen. The French, wary of another Agincourt, keep the English at arm’s length.
- Charles is defeated again at Morat, in June.
- Many small skirmishes take place throughout Normandy. The largest, at Coudray, ends in French victory, clearing the way for the French army to break the siege ofRouen.
- The English narrowly defeat a French force at Hacqueville. Later in the year, Rouen is taken by siege, opening the way for English expansion into Normandy.
- Charlesis forced from Lorraine, with Nancy lost to Rene.
1477:
- The French fleet attempts to break the blockade of Le Havre. It is decisively defeated by the English navy under the command of Admiral Stanley.
- Le Havre is secured after a short siege. From their base at Rouen, the English concentrate their forces upon taking Evreux.
- Charles returns once more to Lorraine, and is met once again by the pikes of the Swiss. At Nancy, Charles is killed in combat, and his army disintegrates. The Duke of Gloucester rallies what soldiers remain and returns to friendly territory; the vast Burgundian inheritance lies in hands of Charles’ infant son, Philip.
- The English launch raids into central France and western Normandy, but they are met with fierce resistance. For the rest of the year, they quarter in Evreux and Rouen.
1478:
- King Louis, sensing weakness, invades the Burgundian territories, laying siege to towns loyal to the Duke. Richard of Gloucester opposes them in the north, butthe Duchy itself is defenceless from French occupation.
- News of Charles’ death reaches Edward at Rouen. Frustrated, he leads a force south, towards Dreux, to bait the French into an attack.
- The French attempt to besiege Dijon. Richard achieves a costly victory at Coutiches, blocking the French probe into the Burgundian Low Countries.
- Taking advantage of soldiers leaving to join the fight against France, the Irish rebel, with the various clans seizing back various territories in southern and northern Ireland.
- Edward places Dreux under siege.
1479:
- The Irish rebellion continues, and although the English brutally repress any dissent, many of the vast gains quickly acquired in the Irish War of 1475 are lost. From Carrickfergus Castle, Clarence still however maintains a strong grip upon Ulster.
- Surely enough, the French react, and Edward quickly finds himself being encircled at Dreux; French forces approach from both the west and south.
- Edward abandons the siege. With a forced march west, he crosses the Eure and engages the French at Raville, defeating a French army that was extremely surprised to face the English so soon.
- However, with the route back to Dreux cut off by the other French force, Edward is forced to retreat north, back towards Evreux.
- Burgundy negotiates a separate peace with France, with Gloucester excluded from the secret negotiations. Richard makes his way to Normandy to link up with Edward’s forces.
1480:
- In the early winter months, the English and French met near the hamlet of Quessigny, on the road to Evreux. This engagement is by far the bloodiest battle fought on French soil since Azincourt, with thousands lying dead without a clear victor. Both sides withdraw from the field battered and bruised, andwithout the decisive victory they desperately sought.
- With the English proving a potent and irritating thorn in his side (with Brittany now weighing up an alliance with Edward, fearing the same treatment as Burgundy at the hands of Louis) Louis XI opens negotiations with Edward, who sees the continuation of the conflict as fruitless. Skirmishes continue until ceasefire is agreed in the summer.
- ByAugust, the two had met at Picquigny, not far from Amiens. Upon the 29t h day of August the two monarchs signed a treaty; effectively a bribe to remove Edward from French soil. An exorbitant sum was paid, as well as the restoration of the ancient Duchy of Aquitaine to Edward’s control.
- Edward of Lancaster was also to be ransomed into English hands, but the sum was never paid; the last of Bolingbroke’s heirs had either perished or fled into exile ,along with his last companions. Henry Holland and Henry Tudor are now the last Lancastrian heirs of any notoriety in England
- By the years end, Edward had returned to England, the end to the bloodshed marked by a great Christmas celebration held within Greenwich Palace.
1481:
- James Neville, 3rd Earl of Kent, perishes from illness without issue. His property is divided between his three sisters, who have now become the most attractive marriage prospects in all of England.
- Ireland is finally at relative peace, though many of the clans now live outside English rule once again. Warfare is frequent, as usual, though smaller in scale.
- Edward, King of England, passes from a debilitating illness acquired whilst on campaign in France. His final command is to charge the brother present at his bedside, Richard, to form a regency council until the Prince of Wales reaches his majority. With the potentially stabilising force of Clarence still residing in Ireland, unaware of the King’s demise, the Queen’s faction and the Duke of Gloucester’s allies will undoubtedly view for control over the young king.
Notable deaths:
Anthony Neville, Marquess of Somerset and Earl of Kent – perished in the skirmish at Coudray.
Henry Bourchier, Duke of Aumale etc – critically wounded at the battle of Quessigny. Dies from severe wounds.
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The Year is 1481...
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Originally Posted by General Brewster
