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{{Short description|Cadet branch of the House of Plantagenet}}
{{About||the Toronto strip clubs|House of Lancaster (strip clubs)|the mansion in London|Lancaster House}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox royal house
| estate = England
| coat of arms = [[File:Arms of Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Leicester and Lancaster.svg|140px]]<br>First house{{efn|As descendants of the sovereign in the male line, the earls of Lancaster bore the arms of the kingdom differenced by a ''label azure of three points each charged with three fleurs de lys Or''. The last male of this family – Henry of Grosmont – was granted a dukedom, which was then re-created for the second house.}}<br><br>[[File:Arms of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster.svg|140px]]<br>Second house{{efn|Arms of John of Gaunt, founder of the second house. The arms of the kingdom differenced by a ''label ermine''. His royal descendants bore the arms undifferenced.}}
| country = {{plainlist|
* [[File:Royal Arms of England (1399-1603).svg|20px]] [[Kingdom of England]]
* [[File:France moderne.svg|20px]] [[Henry VI of England|King]]dom of [[France in the Middle Ages|France]]
* [[File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Lordship_of_Ireland.svg|20px]] [[Lordship of Ireland]]}}
| parent house = [[House of Plantagenet]]
| founder = [[Edmund Crouchback|Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster and Leicester]] (first house)<br>[[John of Gaunt|John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster]] (second house)
| final ruler = [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster]] (first house)<br>[[Henry VI of England]] (second house)
| current head = Extinct
| founded = {{Start date and age|1267}}
| deposition = 1461 (first time)<br>1471 (final time and extinction)
| dissolution = 1361 (last unbroken male heir)<br>1471 (extinction)
| cadet branches = * [[House of Beaufort]] ''(legitimised)''
** [[Duke of Beaufort|House of Somerset]] ''(legitimised)''
}}

The '''House of Lancaster''' was a [[cadet branch]] of the royal [[House of Plantagenet]]. The first house was created when King [[Henry III of England]] created the [[Earldom of Lancaster]]{{mdash}}from which the house was named{{mdash}}for his second son [[Edmund Crouchback]] in 1267. Edmund had already been created [[Earl of Leicester]] in 1265 and was granted the lands and privileges of [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester]], after de Montfort's death and [[attainder]] at the end of the [[Second Barons' War]].<ref name=Weir2008>{{harvnb|Weir|2008|p=75}}</ref> When Edmund's son [[Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster]], inherited his father-in-law's estates and title of [[Earl of Lincoln]] he became at a stroke the most powerful nobleman in England, with lands throughout the kingdom and the ability to raise vast private armies to wield power at national and local levels.<ref name=Jones2012p371>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=371}}</ref> This brought him{{mdash}}and [[Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster|Henry]], his younger brother{{mdash}}into conflict with their cousin King [[Edward II]], leading to Thomas's execution. Henry inherited Thomas's titles and he and his son, who was also called [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster|Henry]], gave loyal service to Edward's son King [[Edward III]].

The second house of Lancaster was descended from [[John of Gaunt]], a Plantagenet prince, who married the heiress of the first house, [[Blanche of Lancaster]]. Edward III married all his sons to wealthy English heiresses rather than following his predecessors' practice of finding continental political marriages for royal princes. [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster]], had no male heir so Edward married his son John to Henry's heiress daughter and John's third cousin Blanche of Lancaster. This gave John the vast wealth of the House of Lancaster. Their son [[Henry IV of England|Henry]] usurped the throne in 1399, creating one of the factions in the [[Wars of the Roses]]. There was an intermittent dynastic struggle between the descendants of Edward III. In these wars, the term "Lancastrian" became a reference to members of the family and their supporters. The family provided England with three kings: [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]] (r. 1399–1413), [[Henry V of England|Henry V]] (r. 1413–1422), and [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]] (r. 1422–1461 and 1470–1471).

The house became extinct in the male line upon the death or murder in the [[Tower of London]] of Henry VI, following the battlefield execution of his son [[Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales]], by supporters of the [[House of York]] in 1471. Lancastrian [[cognatic]] descent{{mdash}}from John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster's daughter [[Philippa of Lancaster|Philippa]]{{mdash}}continued in the royal houses of Spain and Portugal while the Lancastrian political cause was maintained by [[Henry VII of England|Henry Tudor]]{{mdash}}a relatively unknown scion of the Lancastrian [[House of Beaufort|Beauforts]] (which also descended from Gaunt){{mdash}}eventually leading to the establishment of the [[House of Tudor]]. The Lancastrians left a legacy through the patronage of the arts, most notably in founding [[Eton College]] and [[King's College, Cambridge]]. However, to historians' chagrin, it is [[Shakespeare]]'s partly fictionalized history plays rather than medievalist scholarly research that has the greater influence on modern perceptions of the dynasty.<ref name=Galbraith>{{harvnb|Galbraith|1982|pp=223–239}}</ref>

==Origin of the Earls of Lancaster==

After the supporters of [[Henry III of England]] suppressed opposition from the English nobility in the [[Second Barons' War]], Henry granted to his second son [[Edmund Crouchback]] the titles and possessions forfeited by [[attainder]] of the barons' leader, [[Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester]], including the [[Earl of Leicester|Earldom of Leicester]], on 26 October 1265. Later grants included the first [[Earl of Lancaster|Earldom of Lancaster]] on 30 June 1267 and that of [[Earl Ferrers]] in 1301. Edmund was also [[Count of Champagne]] and Brie from 1276 by right of his wife.<ref name="Weir2008"/> [[Henry IV of England]] would later use his descent from Edmund to legitimise his claim to the throne, even making the spurious claim that Edmund was the elder son of Henry but had been passed over as king because of his deformity.<ref name=Weir1995>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|p=40}}</ref>

[[File:Edmond1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Seal (emblem)|Seal]] of Edmund Crouchback]] Edmund's second marriage to [[Blanche of Artois]], the widow of [[Henry I of Navarre|the King of Navarre]], placed him at the centre of the European aristocracy. Blanche's daughter [[Joan I of Navarre|Joan&nbsp;I of Navarre]] was queen regnant of Navarre and through her marriage to [[Philip IV of France]] was queen consort of France. Edmund's son [[Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster|Thomas]] became the most powerful nobleman in England, gaining the Earldoms of [[Earl of Lincoln|Lincoln]] and [[Earl of Salisbury|Salisbury]] through marriage to the heiress of [[Henry de Lacy, 3rd Earl of Lincoln]]. His income was £11,000 per annum{{mdash}}double that of the next wealthiest earl.<ref name="Jones2012p371"/>

Thomas and his younger brother [[Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster|Henry]] served in the [[Coronation of the British monarch|coronation]] of their cousin King [[Edward II of England]] on 25 February 1308; Thomas carried Curtana, the [[Sword of Mercy]], and Henry carried the royal sceptre.<ref name=Jones2012p363>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=363}}</ref> After initially supporting Edward, Thomas became one of the [[Lords Ordainers]], who demanded the banishment of [[Piers Gaveston]] and the governance of the realm by a baronial council. After Gaveston was captured, Thomas took the lead in his trial and execution at Warwick in 1312.<ref name=Jones2012p375>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|pp=375–178}}</ref> Edward's authority was weakened by poor governance and defeat by the Scots at the [[Battle of Bannockburn]]. This allowed Thomas to restrain Edward's power by republishing the [[Ordinances of 1311]]. Following this achievement Thomas took little part in the governance of the realm and instead retreated to [[Pontefract Castle]].<ref name=Jones2012p390>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=390}}</ref> This allowed Edward to regroup and re-arm, leading to a fragile peace in August 1318 with the [[Treaty of Leake]]. In 1321 Edward's rule again collapsed into civil war. Thomas raised a northern army but was defeated and captured at the [[Battle of Boroughbridge]] in March 1322. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered but because he was Edward's cousin he was given a quicker death by beheading.<ref name=Jones2012p400>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=400}}</ref>

Henry joined the revolt of Edward's wife [[Isabella of France]] and [[Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March|Mortimer]] in 1326, pursuing and capturing Edward at [[Neath]] in South Wales.<ref name="Jones2012p400"/> Following Edward's deposition at the Parliament of Kenilworth in 1326 and reputed murder at [[Berkeley Castle]],<ref name=Davies1999>{{harvnb|Davies|1999|p=381}}</ref> Thomas's conviction was posthumously reversed and Henry regained possession of the Earldoms of Lancaster, Derby, Salisbury and Lincoln that had been forfeit for Thomas's treason. His restored prestige led to him knighting the young King [[Edward III of England]] before his coronation.<ref name=Jones2012p422>{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=422}}</ref> Mortimer lost support over the [[Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton]] that formalised Scotland's independence, and his developing power in the [[Welsh Marches]] provoked jealousy from the barons. When Mortimer called a parliament to make his new powers and estates permanent with the title of [[Earl of March]] in 1328, Henry led the opposition and held a counter-meeting. In response, Mortimer ravaged the lands of Lancaster and checked the revolt. Edward III was able to assume control in 1330 but Henry's further influence was restricted by poor health and blindness for the last fifteen years of his life.<ref>{{harvnb|Waugh|2004}}; {{harvnb|Lee|1997|p=115}}</ref>

==Duchy and Palatinate of Lancaster==
{{See also|County palatine}}
{{House of Lancaster||Royal Arms of England (1399-1603).svg}}
Henry's son, also named [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster|Henry]], was born at the castle of [[Grosmont, Monmouthshire|Grosmont]] in [[Monmouthshire]] between 1299 and 1314.<ref name="Weir2008p77">{{harvnb|Weir|2008|p=77}}</ref> According to the younger Henry's memoirs, he was better at [[Historical European martial arts|martial arts]] than academic subjects and did not learn to read until later in life.<ref name=fowler26>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|p=26}}</ref> Henry was coeval with Edward III and was pivotal to his reign, becoming his best friend and most trusted commander.<ref name="Jones2012p471b">{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=471}}</ref> Henry was knighted in 1330, represented his father in [[Parliament of England|parliament]] and fought in Edward's Scottish campaign.<ref name=fowler30>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|p=30}}</ref> After the outbreak of the [[Hundred Years' War]], Henry took part in several diplomatic missions and minor campaigns and was present at the great English victory in the naval [[Battle of Sluys]] in 1340.<ref name=fowler34>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|p=34}}</ref> Later, he was required to commit himself as hostage in the [[Low Countries]] for Edward's considerable debts. He remained hostage for a year and had to pay a large ransom for his own release.<ref name=fowler35>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=35–37}}</ref>

In 1345, Edward III launched a major, three-pronged attack on France. The [[William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton|Earl of Northampton]] attacked from [[Brittany]], Edward from [[Flanders]], and Henry from [[Aquitaine]] in the south.<ref name="Jones2012p471b"/> Moving rapidly through the country, Henry confronted the [[Bertrand I, 1st Comte de l'Isle|Comte d'Isle]] at the [[Battle of Auberoche]] and achieved a victory described as "the greatest single achievement of Lancaster's entire military career".<ref name=fowler58>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=58–59}}</ref> The ransom from the prisoners has been estimated at £50,000.<ref name=fowler61>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|p=61}}</ref> Edward rewarded Henry by including him as a founding knight of the [[Order of the Garter]].<ref name=McKisack>{{harvnb|McKisack|1959|p=252}}</ref> An even greater honour was bestowed on Lancaster when Edward created him [[Duke of Lancaster]]. The title of duke was relatively new in England, with only Cornwall being a previous ducal title. Lancaster was also given [[County palatine|palatinate]] status for the county of [[Lancashire]], which entailed a separate administration independent of the crown.<ref name=fowler173>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=173–174}}</ref> There were two other counties palatine; [[County Durham|Durham]] was an ancient ecclesiastical palatinate and [[Chester]] was crown property.

In 1350, Henry was present at the naval victory at [[Battle of Les Espagnols sur Mer|Winchelsea]], where he saved the life of the [[Edward, the Black Prince|Black Prince]].<ref name=fowler193>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=193–195}}</ref> He spent 1351–52 on [[Northern Crusades|crusade]] in [[Old Prussians|Prussia]] where a quarrel with [[Otto the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Otto, Duke of Brunswick]], almost led to a duel between the two men, which was only averted by the intervention of [[John II of France]].<ref name=fowler106>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=106–109}}</ref> As campaigning in France resumed, Henry participated in the last great offensive of the [[Rheims]] campaign of 1359–1360{{mdash}}the first phase of the Hundred Years' War{{mdash}}before returning to England where he fell ill and died, most likely of the [[Bubonic plague|plague]], at [[Leicester Castle]].<ref name=fowler217>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=217–218}}</ref>

Edward III of England married [[John of Gaunt]], his third surviving son, to Henry's heiress [[Blanche of Lancaster]]. On Henry's death, Edward conferred on Gaunt the second creation of the title of Duke of Lancaster, which made Gaunt, after Edward, the wealthiest landowner in England. Gaunt enjoyed great political influence during his lifetime, but upon his death in 1399 his lands were confiscated by [[Richard II of England|Richard II]]. Gaunt's exiled son and heir Henry of Bolingbroke returned home and gathered military support in clear contravention of Richard's [[Treason Act 1397|treason act of 1397]], which included a definition of treason of "or [to]&nbsp;... raiseth People and rideth against the King to make War within his Realm ...". Although he claimed his aim was restoration of his Lancaster inheritance, this Act and Henry's knowledge of Richard's character{{mdash}}suspicious and vindictive{{mdash}}probably meant Henry knew that only by removing Richard from power could he be secure.<ref name=Brown2010>{{harvnb|Brown|Summerson|2010}}</ref> Henry unified popular opposition to Richard II, took control of the kingdom and Richard{{mdash}}recognising that he had insufficient support to resist{{mdash}}surrendered to Henry's forces at [[Conwy Castle]]. Henry instigated a commission to decide who should be king. Richard was forced to abdicate and although Henry was not next in line, he was chosen by an unlawfully constituted parliament dominated by his supporters.<ref name=Weir1995p36>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|pp=36–39}}</ref> After the first unrest of his reign and a revolt by the Earls of Salisbury, Gloucester, Exeter and Surrey, Richard reputedly starved to death.<ref name=Saul1995>{{harvnb|Saul|1997|pp=424–425}}</ref> There is some debate as to whether this was self-inflicted or ordered by Henry to end the risk of restoration without leaving incriminating marks on the body.<ref name=Tuck2004>{{harvnb|Tuck|2004|pp=209–215}}</ref>

==Reign of Henry IV==

There is much debate among historians about Henry's accession, in part because some see it as a cause of the Wars of the Roses. For many historians, the accession by force of the throne broke principles the Plantagenets had established successfully over two and a half centuries and allowed any magnate with sufficient power and Plantagenet blood to have ambitions to assume the throne. Richard had attempted to disinherit Henry and remove him from the succession. In response, Henry's legal advisors, led by [[William Thirning]], dissuaded Henry from claiming the throne by right of conquest and instead look for legal justification.<ref name=Mortimer2012p297>{{harvnb|Mortimer|2012|p=297}}</ref> Although Henry established a committee to investigate his assertion that his mother had legitimate rights through descent from Edmund Crouchback, who he said was the elder son of Henry III of England but was set aside because of deformity, no evidence was found. The eight-year-old [[Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March|Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March]], was the [[heir general]] to Richard II by being the great-grandson of Edward III's second son, [[Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence]], and also the son of Richard's last nominated heir. In desperation, Henry's advisors made the case that Henry was [[heir male]] to Henry III and this was supported by thirteenth-century entails.<ref name=Mortimer2012p298>{{harvnb|Mortimer|2012|pp=298–299}}</ref> Mortimer's sister [[Anne de Mortimer]] married [[Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge]], son of Edward III's fourth son [[Edmund of Langley]], consolidating Anne's place in the succession with that of the more junior [[House of York]].<ref name=Weir1995p235>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|p=235}}</ref> As a child, Mortimer was not considered a serious contender and, as an adult, he showed no interest in the throne. He instead loyally served the House of Lancaster. Mortimer informed Henry V when Conisburgh, in what was later called the [[Southampton Plot]], attempted to place him on the throne instead of Henry's newly crowned son{{mdash}}their mutual cousin{{mdash}}leading to the execution of Conisburgh and the other plotters.<ref>{{harvnb|Griffiths|2008}}.</ref>

Henry IV was plagued with financial problems, the political need to reward his supporters, frequent rebellions and declining health{{mdash}}including [[leprosy]] and [[epilepsy]].<ref>{{harvnb|Swanson|1995|p=298}}.</ref> The [[House of Percy|Percy family]] had been some of Henry's leading supporters, defending the North from Scotland largely at their own expense, but revolted in the face of lack of reward and suspicion from Henry. [[Henry Percy (Hotspur)]] was defeated and killed at the [[Battle of Shrewsbury]]. In 1405, Hotspur's father [[Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland]], supported [[Richard Scrope (bishop)|Richard le Scrope]], [[Archbishop of York]], in another rebellion, after which the elder Percy fled to Scotland and his estates were confiscated. Henry had Scrope executed in an act comparable to the murder of another Archbishop{{mdash}}[[Thomas Becket]]{{mdash}}by men loyal to Henry II. This would probably have led to Henry's excommunication, but the church was in the midst of the [[Western Schism]], with competing popes keen on Henry's support; it protested but took no action.<ref name=Weir1995p49>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|p=49}}</ref> In 1408, Percy invaded England once more and was killed at the [[Battle of Bramham Moor]].<ref name=Lee1997p138>{{harvnb|Lee|1997|pp=138–141}}</ref> In Wales, [[Owain Glyndŵr]]'s widespread rebellion was only suppressed with the recapture of [[Harlech Castle]] in 1409, although sporadic fighting continued until 1421.<ref name=Davies1995p293>{{harvnb|Davies|1995|p=293}}</ref>

Henry IV was succeeded by his son [[Henry V of England|Henry V]],<ref name=Weir2008p130>{{harvnb|Weir|2008|p=130}}</ref> and eventually by his grandson [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]] in 1422.<ref name=Weir2008p133>{{harvnb|Weir|2008|p=133}}</ref>

==Henry V and the Hundred Years' War==

{{Main|Hundred Years' War (1415–1453)}}
[[File:Battle of Agincourt, St. Alban's Chronicle by Thomas Walsingham.jpg|right|thumb|Henry V's victory at the [[Battle of Agincourt]]]]

[[Henry V of England]] was a successful and ruthless monarch.<ref name=Schama2656>{{harvnb|Schama|2000|pp=265–266}}</ref> He was quick to re-assert the claim to the French throne he inherited from Edward III, continuing what was later called the Hundred Years' War. The war was not a formal, continuous conflict but a series of English raids and military expeditions from 1337 until 1453. There were six major royal expeditions; Henry himself led the fifth and sixth, but these were unlike the smaller, frequent, provincial campaigns.<ref name=Davies419>{{harvnb|Davies|1997|pp=419–420}}</ref> In Henry's first major campaign{{mdash}}and the fifth major royal campaign of the war{{mdash}}he invaded France, captured [[Harfleur]], made a [[chevauchée]] to [[Calais]] and won a near-total victory over the French at the [[Battle of Agincourt]] despite being outnumbered, outmanoeuvred and low on supplies.<ref name=Schama265>{{harvnb|Schama|2000|p=265}}</ref> In his second campaign, he recaptured much of Normandy and in a treaty secured a marriage to [[Catherine of Valois]]. The terms of the [[Treaty of Troyes]] were that Henry's and Catherine's heirs would succeed to the throne of France. This condition was contested by the [[Charles VII of France|Dauphin]] and the momentum of the war changed. In 1421, Henry's brother [[Thomas, Duke of Clarence]], was killed at the [[Battle of Baugé]], and Henry V died of dysentery at [[Vincennes]] in 1422.<ref name="Weir2008p133"/>{{sfn|Harriss|2004a}}

[[Henry VI of England]] was less than a year old but his uncles{{mdash}}led by Henry V's brother [[John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford]]{{mdash}}continued the war.<ref name=Johndob>{{harvnb|Stratford|2004}}</ref> There were more victories, including the [[Battle of Verneuil]], but it was impossible to maintain campaigning at this level given the relative economic and manpower resources of England against France. [[Joan of Arc]]'s involvement helped the French remove the siege of Orleans<ref name=Davies76>{{harvnb|Davies|1999|pp=76–80}}</ref> and win the [[Battle of Patay]] before Joan was captured by the Burgundians, sold to the English, tried as a witch and burnt at the stake. The Dauphin was crowned and continued the successful [[Fabian tactics]] of avoiding full frontal assault and exploiting logistical advantage.<ref name=Weir1995p82>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|pp=82–83}}</ref>

==Henry VI and the fall of the House of Lancaster==

{{main|Wars of the Roses|House of York}}
{{see also|List of members of the House of Plantagenet|Issue of Edward III of England}}

The Hundred Years' War caused political division between the Lancastrians and the other Plantagenets during the minority of Henry VI: Bedford wanted to maintain the majority of the Lancastrians' French possessions; [[Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester]] wanted to hold only Calais; and [[Cardinal Beaufort]] desired a negotiated peace.<ref>{{harvnb|Harriss|2004b}}; {{harvnb|Weir|1995|pp=72–76}}</ref> Gloucester's attacks on Beaufort forced the latter from public life but brought him little advantage as the Earl of Suffolk's influence over the king enabled him to direct policy for the rest of the decade. Gloucester remained heir presumptive but in 1441 his ambitious wife, [[Eleanor Cobham]], consulted astrologers on the likelihood of the king's death and was arrested for treasonable necromancy{{mdash}}although Gloucester was not implicated he was discredited forced into retirement. In 1447 Suffolk had him arrested and within days he died in prison.{{sfn|Harriss|2004b}}

England's ally [[Philip III, Duke of Burgundy]] defected to Charles when the English ambassadors' refusal to renounce the claim to the French crown stalled negotiations, signing the [[Treaty of Arras (1435)]].<ref name=Weir1995p86>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|pp=86, 101}}</ref> The French reorganised the superior numbers of their feudal levies into a modern professional army and retook Paris, Rouen, Bordeaux and Normandy. Victories at the [[Battle of Formigny]] in 1450 and the [[Battle of Castillon]] in 1453 brought the war to an end with the House of Lancaster losing forever all its French holdings, except Calais and the Channel Islands.<ref>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|p=156}}; {{harvnb|Weir|1995|p=172}}</ref>

Henry VI proved to be a weak king and vulnerable to the over-mighty subjects who developed private armies of retainers. Rivalries often spilled over from the courtroom into armed confrontations, such as the [[Percy–Neville feud]].<ref name=Schama266>{{harvnb|Schama|2000|p=266}}</ref> Without the common purpose of the war in France, Henry's cousin [[Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York]], and [[Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick]], used their networks to defy the crown.<ref name=Castor>{{harvnb|Castor|2000|pp=3–22}}</ref> Henry became the focus of discontent as the population, agricultural production, prices, the wool trade and credit declined in the [[Great Slump (15th century)|Great Slump]].<ref name=Hicks44>{{harvnb|Hicks|2010|p=44}}</ref> This led to radical demands from the lower classes. In 1450, [[Jack Cade]] raised a rebellion to force Henry to address the economic problems or abdicate his throne.<ref name=Weir147>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|pp=147–155}}</ref> The uprising was suppressed but conflict remained between villagers, gentry and aristocracy. Society remained deeply unsettled and radical demands continued to be suppressed such as those from the yeoman brothers [[John and William Merfold]].<ref name=Mate156>{{harvnb|Mate|2006|p=156}}</ref>

[[File:Choosing the Red and White Roses.jpg|right|thumb|''[[Plucking the Red and White Roses in the Old Temple Gardens]]'' ([[Henry Payne (artist)|Henry Payne]], {{Circa|1908}}): Symbolic representation of the [[Wars of the Roses]] in art]]

Henry's marriage to [[Margaret of Anjou]] prompted criticism from [[Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York]], because it included the surrender of [[Maine (province)|Maine]] and an extended truce with France. York was Henry's cousin through his descent from Edward III sons Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, and Edmund, Duke of York. This gave York political influence but he was removed from English and French politics through his appointment as [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]].<ref name="croftonrichduke">{{harvnb|Crofton|2007|p=112}}.</ref> On returning to England, York was conscious of the fate of Henry's uncle Humphrey at the hands of the Beauforts and suspicious that Henry intended to nominate [[Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset]], as heir presumptive, and recruited military forces. Armed conflict was avoided because York lacked aristocratic support and was forced to swear allegiance to Henry. However, when Henry later underwent a mental breakdown, York was named regent. Henry was trusting and not a man of war, but Margaret was more assertive and showed open enmity towards York{{mdash}}particularly after the birth of a male heir that resolved the succession question and assured her position.<ref name="croftonrichdukeeleven">{{harvnb|Crofton|2007|p=111}}</ref>

According to historian Robin Storey, "If Henry's insanity was a tragedy; his recovery was a national disaster".<ref name="storey">{{harvnb|Storey|1986|p=159}}</ref> When Henry's sanity returned, the court party reasserted its authority but York and his relatives, the Nevilles, defeated them at the [[First Battle of St Albans]]. Historian [[Anthony Goodman (historian)|Anthony Goodman]] suggests that around 50 men were killed; among them were Somerset and two Percy lords, [[Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland]], and [[Thomas Clifford, 8th Baron de Clifford]], creating feuds that would confound reconciliation attempts despite the shock to the ruling class caused by the armed conflict.<ref>{{harvnb|Goodman|1981|p=25}}; {{harvnb|Goodman|1981|p=31}}</ref> Threatened with treason charges and lacking support, York, [[Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury]], and Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, fled abroad. Henry was captured by the opposition when the Nevilles returned and won the [[Battle of Northampton (1460)|Battle of Northampton]].<ref>{{harvnb|Goodman|1981|p=38}}.</ref> York joined them, surprising parliament by claiming the throne and then forcing through the [[Act of Accord]] stating that Henry would remain as monarch for his lifetime and that York would succeed him. The disinheriting of [[Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales|Henry's son Edward]] was unacceptable to Margaret so the conflict continued. York was killed at the [[Battle of Wakefield]] and his head was displayed at [[Micklegate Bar]], York, along with those of [[Edmund, Earl of Rutland]], and Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury{{mdash}}both of whom were captured and beheaded.<ref name=Weir257>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|p=257}}</ref>

Margaret gained the support of the Scottish queen [[Mary of Guelders]], and with a Scottish army she pillaged into southern England.<ref>{{harvnb|Goodman|1981|p=57}}.</ref> The citizens of London feared the city being plundered and enthusiastically welcomed York's son [[Edward IV of England|Edward, Earl of March]].<ref name="crowned">{{harvnb|Goodman|1981|p=1}}.</ref> Margaret's defeat at the [[Battle of Towton]] confirmed Edward's position and he was crowned.<ref>{{harvnb|Goodman|1981|p=147}}.</ref> Disaffected with Edward's marriage to [[Elizabeth Woodville]] and preferment of her formerly Lancastrian-supporting family, Warwick and Clarence defected to the Lancastrians. The alliance was sealed with the marriage of Henry's son Edward to Anne, Warwick's daughter. Edward and [[Richard III of England|Richard, Duke of Gloucester]], fled England. When they returned, Clarence switched sides at the [[Battle of Barnet]] and Warwick and his brother were killed. Henry, Margaret and Edward of Lancaster were caught at the [[Battle of Tewkesbury]] before they could escape back to France. Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, was executed on the battlefield and [[John Beaufort, Marquess of Dorset]], was killed in the fighting{{mdash}}meaning that when his brother [[Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset]], was executed two days later, the Beaufort family became extinct in the legitimate male line. The captive Henry was murdered on 21 May 1471 in the [[Tower of London]] and buried in [[Chertsey Abbey]], extinguishing the House of Lancaster.<ref name=End>{{harvnb|Weir|2008|p=134}}</ref>

==Legacy==

===Shakespeare's history plays===

{{Quote box|align=right|quote=<poem>
"This royal throne of kings, this sceptr’d isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house
Against the envy of less happier lands;
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England...
</poem>
|source=—John of Gaunt's speech in ''[[Richard II (play)|Richard II]]'', <br>Act II, Scene I, 40–50<ref>{{Harvnb|Davies|1999|p=508}}</ref>
}}

Historians have been dismayed by Shakespeare's influence on the perception of the later medieval period exceeding that of academic research.<ref>{{Harvnb|Davies|1999|p=506}}</ref> While the chronology of Shakespeare's [[Shakespearean history|history plays]] runs from [[King John (play)|King John]] to [[Henry VIII (play)|Henry VIII]], they are dominated by eight plays in which members of the House of Lancaster play a significant part, voicing speeches on a par with those in [[Hamlet]] and [[King Lear]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Davies|1999|p=507}}</ref> These plays are:
* ''[[Richard II (play)|Richard II]]''
* ''[[Henry IV, Part 1]]''
* ''[[Henry IV, Part 2]]''
* ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]''
* ''[[Henry VI, Part 1]]''
* ''[[Henry VI, Part 2]]''
* ''[[Henry VI, Part 3]]''
* ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]''.

According to the historian [[Norman Davies]], the plays were constrained by the political and religious requirements of Tudor England. While they are factually inaccurate, they demonstrate how the past and the House of Lancaster are remembered in terms of myth, legend, ideas and popular misconceptions. Shakespeare avoided contentious political and religious issues to dubiously illustrate Tudor England as having rejected medieval conflict and entered an era of harmony and prosperity. The famous patriotic "sceptr'd isle" speech is voiced by John of Gaunt, a man who spent the majority of his life in Aquitaine, and is a piece of poetic licence that illustrates English prejudices. ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]'' is one-sided with little sympathy for the French.<ref>{{Harvnb|Davies|1999|p=509}}</ref> Many of these historical lines illustrate historical myth rather than realism.<ref>{{Harvnb|Belsey|1992|p=103}}</ref>

===Succession===

Lancastrian [[Cognatic kinship|cognatic descent]] from John of Gaunt and Blanche's daughter Phillipa continued in the royal houses of Spain and Portugal.<ref name=Phillipa>{{harvnb|Weir|2008|p=100}}</ref> The remnants of the Lancastrian court party coalesced support around [[Henry VII of England|Henry Tudor]]{{mdash}}a relatively unknown scion of the [[Beaufort family|Beauforts]]. They had been amongst the most ardent supporters of the House of Lancaster and were descended illegitimately from John of Gaunt by his mistress [[Katherine Swynford]]. However John of Gaunt and Katherine subsequently married and their children were legitimated by the Pope and by Parliament during the reign of Richard II. Henry IV had tried to debar them from the succession by use of his royal prerogative to avoid competition with the House of Lancaster's claims to the throne but this was of limited effect. By some calculations of primogeniture, there were as many as 18 people{{mdash}}including both his mother and future wife{{mdash}}with what some might claim a better right to the throne. By 1510, this figure had increased with the birth of an additional 16 possible Yorkist claimants.<ref name=Tudor148>{{harvnb|Weir|2008|p=148}}</ref>

With the House of Lancaster extinct, Henry claimed to be the Lancastrian heir through his mother [[Lady Margaret Beaufort]]. His father, [[Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond|Edmund Tudor]], was Henry VI's maternal half-brother. In 1485, Henry Tudor united increasing opposition within England to the reign of [[Richard III of England|Richard III]] with the Lancastrian cause to take the throne. To further legitimise his claim, Henry married [[Elizabeth of York]]{{mdash}}Edward IV's daughter{{mdash}}and promoted the [[House of Tudor]] as a dynasty of dual Lancastrian and Yorkist descent.<ref name=Tudor>{{harvnb|Weir|2008|pp=146–149}}</ref>

===Religion, education and the arts===
[[File:Cambridge King's College Chapel 2011 03.jpg|right|thumb|[[King's College Chapel, Cambridge]]]]

The Lancastrians were both pious and well read. Henry IV was the first English king known to have possessed a vernacular Bible, supported the canonization of [[John Twenge]], gave a pension to the anchoress Margaret Pensax and maintained close relations with several Westminster recluses. His household accounts as king record conventional payments to large numbers of paupers (12,000 on Easter day 1406) and the intercession for him of twenty-four oratores domini regis at 2d each per day. However, his reliance on the church was both personal and political. [[Thomas Arundel|Archbishop Arundel]] gave the Lancastrians vital support and carried other bishops with him. In return the church required support for religious orthodoxy against heresy. [[Lollards]] were suppressed and heresy was made a capital offence in England under the statute of [[De haeretico comburendo]] even though Henry could not afford to overly antagonize his supporters with Lollard sympathies, including those among his Lancastrian retainers.<ref name="Brown2010"/>

According to the author of the Gesta Henrici quinti, Henry V aimed "to promote the honour of God, the extension of the Church, the deliverance of his country and the peace and tranquillity of kingdoms". He was deeply religious, engaged with ecclesiastical issues and saw that his role as king was to honour God, extend the church, fight heresy and defend the established social order. All his victories, especially Agincourt, were attributed to divine intervention. Henry V founded [[Syon Abbey]] in 1415, as penance for his father's execution of Archbishop Scrope, and three monasteries in London: for [[Carthusian]], [[Bridgettine]] and [[Celestines|Celestine]] orders.<ref name=H5>{{harvnb|Allmand|2010|p=1}}</ref> The equally devout Henry VI continued the architectural patronage begun by his father, founding [[Eton College]] and [[King's College, Cambridge]] and leaving a lasting educational and architectural legacy in buildings including [[King's College Chapel, Cambridge|King's College Chapel]] and [[Eton College Chapel]].<ref name=Eton>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|p=94}}</ref>

The Lancastrian regime was founded and legitimised by formal lying that was both public and official. This has been described as "a series of unconstitutional actions" based "upon three major acts of perjury".<ref name=Sherbourne>{{harvnb|Sherborne|1994|pp=218, 239}}</ref> The historian [[K.B. McFarlane]] found it hard "to think of another moment of comparable importance in medieval English political history when the supply of information was so effectively manipulated as it was by Henry IV on this occasion".<ref name=McFarlane>{{harvnb|McFarlane|1972|p=94}}</ref> The Lancastrians patronised poets for [[panegyric]] purposes for years before Henry IV ascended the throne, including [[Geoffrey Chaucer]] who dedicated [[The Book of the Duchess]] to Blanche of Lancaster around 1368. In 1400, poets in the pay of Henry IV were directed to [[propaganda]] purposes. [[John Gower]] based his [[Cronica Tripertita]] on the official Lancastrian accounts of the usurpation:"The Record and Process of the Deposition of Richard II" from 1399. Gower also produced a number of further favourable works including "In praise of peace" which was dedicated to Henry IV.<ref name=Brewer>{{harvnb|Brewer|2012|p=4}}</ref>

==Earls and Dukes of Lancaster (first creation)==

{{Sticky header}}
{{Nobility table header|name=Earl/Duke}}
| '''[[Edmund Crouchback|Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster and Leicester]]'''<ref name=Edmund>{{harvnb|Lloyd|2004}}</ref>
| [[File:Contemporary illustration of Edmund Crouchback.jpg|100px|Edmund Crouchback]]
| 16 January 1245<br>[[London]]<br>son of [[Henry III of England]] and [[Eleanor of Provence]]
| (1) [[Aveline de Forz]]<br>1269<br>0 children<br>(2) [[Blanche of Artois]]<br>21 September 1271<br>4 children<br>[[Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster]]<br>[[Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster]]<br>[[John of Lancaster, Lord of Beaufort]]<br>Mary of Lancaster
| 5 June 1296<br>[[Bayonne]], [[Gascony]]<br>aged 51
|-
| '''[[Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster|Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster and Leicester]]'''<ref name=Thomas2>{{harvnb|Weir|2008|pp=76–77}}</ref>
| [[File:BodleianDouce231Fol1rEdCrouchbackAndStGeorge.jpg|100px|Manuscript illustration of Thomas of Lancaster with Saint George.]]
| [[wikt:circa|c.]] 1278<br>[[Grismond Castle]], [[Monmouthshire]]<br>son of [[Edmund Crouchback]] and [[Blanche of Artois]]
| Alice de Lacey<br>28 October 1294 – Divorced 1318<br>0 children
| 22 March 1322<br>[[Pontefract]], [[Yorkshire]]<br>Executed by order of [[Edward II of England]]<br>aged 43–44
|-
| '''[[Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster|Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster and Leicester]]'''<ref name="Weir2008p77"/>
| [[File:Arms of Henry, 3rd Earl of Leicester and Lancaster.svg|100px]]<br>{{Small|(No portrait available)}}
| 1281<br>[[Grosmont Castle]], [[Monmouthshire]]<br>son of [[Edmund Crouchback]] and [[Blanche of Artois]]
| [[Maud Chaworth|Matilda de Chaworth]]<br>7 children<br>[[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster|Henry ''of Grosmont'', 1st Duke of Lancaster]]<br>[[Blanche of Lancaster, Baroness Wake of Liddell]]<br>[[Maud of Lancaster, Countess of Ulster]]<br>[[Joan of Lancaster|Joan of Lancaster, Baroness Mowbray]]<br>[[Isabel of Lancaster, Prioress of Amesbury]]<br>[[Eleanor of Lancaster|Eleanor of Lancaster, Countess of Arundel]]<br>[[Mary of Lancaster|Mary of Lancaster, Baroness Percy]]
| 22 September 1345<br>[[Leicestershire]]<br>aged 63–64
|-
| '''[[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster|Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster, 4th Earl of Lancaster and Leicester]]'''<ref name="Weir2008p77"/>
| [[File:Portrait of Henry, Duke of Lancaster - William Bruges's Garter Book (c.1440-1450), f.8 - BL Stowe MS 594 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| [[wikt:circa|c.]] 1310<br>[[Grosmont Castle]], [[Monmouthshire]]<br>son of [[Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster]]
| [[Isabel of Beaumont|Isabel de Beaumont]]<br>1334<br>2 children<br>[[Maud, Countess of Leicester]]<br>[[Blanche of Lancaster|Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster]]
| 23 March 1361<br>[[Leicester Castle]], [[Leicestershire]]<br>[[Black Death]]<br>aged 50–51
|-
| '''[[Blanche of Lancaster|Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster, 5th Countess of Lancaster and Leicester]]'''{{sfn|Walker|2004b}}
| [[File:Tomb of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster.jpg|100px]]
| 25 March 1345/1347<ref>Blanche's year of birth is a matter of scholarly debate. {{harvnb|Loschiavo|1978}}</ref><br>[[Bolingbroke Castle]], [[Lincolnshire]]<br>daughter of [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster|Henry of Grosmont]]
| [[John of Gaunt]]<br>19 May 1359<br>7 children<br>[[Philippa of Lancaster|Philippa, Queen of Portugal]]<br>John of Lancaster<br>[[Elizabeth of Lancaster, Duchess of Exeter]]<br>Edward of Lancaster<br>John of Lancaster<br>[[Henry IV of England|Henry IV ''Bolingbroke'', King of England]]<br>Isabel of Lancaster
| 12 September 1369<ref>Blanche was traditionally believed to have died in 1369, but Palmer's evidence that she died the year before is now widely accepted by scholars. {{harvnb|Palmer|1974}}</ref><br>[[Tutbury Castle]], [[Staffordshire]]<br>[[Black Death]]<br>aged about 22

|}

==Dukes of Lancaster (second creation)==
{{Nobility table header|name=Duke}}
| '''[[John of Gaunt|John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster]]'''{{sfn|Walker|2004a|p=124}}<br>Earl by right of his wife, the title Duke of Lancaster was vacant because there were no male heirs. Created Duke by his father Edward III of England
| [[File:Johnofgaunt.jpg|100px|John of Gaunt]]
| 6 March 1340<br>[[Ghent]], [[County of Flanders|Flanders]]<br>son of [[Edward III of England]] and [[Philippa of Hainault]]
| (1) [[Blanche of Lancaster]]<br>1359<br>7 children<br>See above<br> (2) [[Constance of Castile, Duchess of Lancaster|Constance of Castile]]<br>21 September 1371<br>2 children<br>[[Catherine of Lancaster|Catherine, Queen of Castile]]<br>John of Lancaster<br> (3) [[Katherine Swynford]]<br>13 January 1396<br>4 children<br>'''[[House of Beaufort]]'''<br>[[John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset]]<br> [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] [[Henry Beaufort]], [[Bishop of Winchester]]<br>[[Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter]]<br>[[Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland]]
| 3 February 1399<br>[[Leicester Castle]], [[Leicestershire]]<br>aged 58
|}

==Lancastrian Kings of England==
{{Nobility table header|extra column=Claim}}
|-
|'''[[Henry IV of England]]'''<ref name=HenryIV>{{harvnb|Weir|2008|p=124}}</ref>
| [[File:British - Henry IV - Google Art Project.jpg|100px|Henry IV]]
| 3 April 1367<br>[[Bolingbroke Castle]]<br>son of [[John of Gaunt]] and [[Blanche of Lancaster]]
| (1) [[Mary de Bohun]]<br>[[Arundel Castle]]<br>20 July 1380<br>seven children<br>Edward of Lancaster<br>[[Henry V of England]]<br>[[Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence]]<br>[[John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford]]<br>[[Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester|Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester]]<br>[[Blanche of England|Blanche, Electress Palatine]]<br>[[Philippa of England|Philippa, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden]]<br>(2) [[Joan of Navarre, Queen of England|Joanna of Navarre]]<br>[[Winchester Cathedral]]<br>7 February 1403<br>no children
| 20 March 1413<br>[[Westminster]], London<br>aged 45
| Henry's claim was extremely tenuous. He claimed the throne through his mother's descent from [[Edmund Crouchback|Edmund]] on the basis that he was older than [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] but had been set aside because of deformity. This was not widely accepted
|-
|'''[[Henry V of England]]'''<ref name="Weir2008p130"/>
| [[File:Henry V of England.jpg|100px]]
| 16 September 1386<br>[[Monmouth Castle]]<br>son of [[Henry IV of England|Henry IV]] and [[Mary de Bohun]]
| [[Catherine of Valois]]<br>[[Troyes Cathedral]]<br>2 June 1420<br>one son<br>[[Henry VI of England]]
| 31 August 1422<br>[[Château de Vincennes]]<br>aged 35
| son of Henry&nbsp;IV<br>(agnatic primogeniture)
|-
|'''[[Henry VI of England]]'''<ref name=HenryVI>{{harvnb|Griffiths|2004}}</ref>
| [[File:British - Henry VI - Google Art Project.jpg|100px|Henry VI]]
| 6 December 1421<br>[[Windsor Castle]]<br>son of [[Henry V of England|Henry V]] and [[Catherine of Valois]]
| [[Margaret of Anjou]]<br>[[Titchfield Abbey]]<br>22 April 1445<br>one son<br>[[Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales]]
| 21 May 1471<br>[[Tower of London]]<br>aged 49<br>(believed murdered)
| son of Henry&nbsp;V<br>(agnatic primogeniture)
|}

==Family tree==
{{Chart top|collapsed=auto|Family Tree: House of Lancaster}}
{{Tree chart/start|align=center| summary=Boxes and lines diagram with 22 boxes
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1|He3
 |He3=[[Henry III of England|King Henry III]]<br/>(1207–1272)<br/>{{R.|1216|1272}}
   |boxstyle_He3=border-color:#C00; border-width:2px
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| |)|-|-|-|.| 
}}

{{Tree chart|border=0| |!| | |Earl
 |Earl=''EARL OF LANCASTER, 1267''
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1|Ed1| |ECL
 |Ed1=[[Edward I of England|King Edward I]]<br/>(1239–1307)<br/>{{R.|1272|1307}}
   |boxstyle_Ed1=border-color:#C00; border-width:2px
 |ECL=[[Edmund Crouchback|Edmund Crouchback<br/>'''1st Earl of Lancaster''']]<br/>(1245–1296)
   |boxstyle_ECL=background-color:#CFFFFF; border-width:2px
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| |!| | | |)|-|-|-|.| 
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1|Ed2| |T2L| |H3L
 |Ed2=[[Edward II of England|King Edward II]]<br/>(1284–1327)<br/>{{R.|1307|1327}}
   |boxstyle_Ed2=border-color:#C00; border-width:2px
 |T2L=[[Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster|Thomas of Lancaster<br/>'''2nd Earl of Lancaster''']]<br/>(1278–1322)
   |boxstyle_T2L=background-color:#CFFFFF; border-width:2px
 |H3L=[[Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster|Henry of Lancaster<br/>'''3rd Earl of Lancaster''']]<br/>(1281–1345)
   |boxstyle_H3L=background-color:#CFFFFF; border-width:2px
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| |!| | | | | | | |!| 
}}

{{Tree chart|border=0| |!| | | | | | |Duke
 |Duke=''DUKE OF LANCASTER, 1351''
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1|Ed3| | | | | |HGL
 |Ed3=[[Edward III of England|King Edward III]]<br/>(1312–1377)<br/>{{R.|1327|1377}}
   |boxstyle_Ed3=border-color:#C00; border-width:2px
 |HGL=[[Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster|Henry of Grosmont<br/>'''4th Earl of Lancaster'''<br/>'''Duke of Lancaster''']]<br/>({{Circa|1310}}–1361)
   |boxstyle_HGL=background-color:#CFFFFF; border-width:2px
}}

{{Tree chart|border=0| |!| | | | | | |Loss
 |Loss=''Dukedom and Earldom of Lancaster extinct, 1361''
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| |`|-|-|-|.| | | |!| 
}}

{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | |Duke| | |!| 
 |Duke=''DUKE OF LANCASTER, 1362''
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| | | | |JoG|y|BoL
 |JoG=[[John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster|John of Gaunt<br/>'''5th Earl of Lancaster'''<br/>'''1st Duke of Lancaster''']]<br/>(1340–1399)
   |boxstyle_JoG=background-color:#CFFFFF; border-width:2px
 |BoL=[[Blanche of Lancaster]]<br/>(1345–1368)
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| | | | | |!| |`|-|.| 
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| | | | |Bea| |He4
 |Bea=[[John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset|John Beaufort]]<br/>1st Earl of Somerset<br/>(1371–1410)
 |He4=Henry Bolingbroke<br/>'''2nd Duke of Lancaster'''<br/>[[Henry IV of England|King Henry IV]]<br/>(1367–1413)<br/>{{R.|1399|1413}}
   |boxstyle_He4=background-color:#CFFFFF; border-color:#C00; border-width:2px
}}

{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | | |!| | |Loss
 |Loss=''Dukedom of Lancaster merged with the Crown, 1399''
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| | | | | |!| | | |!| 
}}

{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | | |!| | |Duke
 |Duke=''DUKE OF LANCASTER, 1399''
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| | | | |Bea2| |He5
 |Bea2=[[John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset|John Beaufort<br/>1st Duke of Somerset]]<br/>(1404–1444)
 |He5=Henry of Monmouth<br/>'''Duke of Lancaster'''<br/>[[Henry V of England|King Henry V]]<br/>(1386–1422)<br/>{{R.|1413|1422}}
   |boxstyle_He5= background-color:#CFFFFF; border-color:#C00; border-width:2px
}}

{{Tree chart|border=0| | | | | |!| | |Loss
 |Loss=''Dukedom of Lancaster merged with the Crown, 1413''
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| | | | | |!| | | |!| 
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| | | | |MBea| |He6
 |MBea=[[Lady Margaret Beaufort|Margaret Beaufort]]<br/>Countess of Richmond and Derby<br/>(1443–1509)
 |He6=[[Henry VI of England|King Henry VI]]<br/>(1421–1471)<br/>'''{{R.|1422|1461}}'''<br/>'''{{R.|1470|1471}}'''
   |boxstyle_He6=border-color:#C00; border-width:2px
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| | | | | |!| | | |!| 
}}

{{Tree chart|border=1| | | | |He7| |EdW
 |He7=[[King Henry VII of England]]<br/>(1457–1509)<br/>'''{{R.|1485|1509}}'''
   |boxstyle_He7=border-color:#C00; border-width:2px
 |EdW=[[Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales|Edward of Westminster]]<br/>Prince of Wales<br/>(1453–1471)
}}
{{Tree chart/end}}
{{chart bottom}}

== Coats of Arms ==
{{main|List of coats of arms of the House of Plantagenet}}
{{transcluded section|part=yes|List of coats of arms of the House of Plantagenet}}
{{see also|:fr:Armorial des Plantagenêts}}

{|width="100%" class="wikitable"
|- align=center
| width="206" | '''Armoiries'''
| width="206" | '''Écu'''
| '''Nom et blasonnement'''
|-
|align=center | [[Image:Coat of Arms of Henry IV of England (1399-1413).svg|200px]]
|align=center | [[Image:Royal Arms of England (1340-1367).svg|100px]]

[[Image:Royal Arms of England (1399-1603).svg|100 px]]
|'''[[Henry IV of England]]''' (1367 † 1413), son of [[John of Gaunt]], [[Duke of Lancaster]] grandson of [[Edward III of England]]. He deposed his cousin [[Richard II of England]] and became king.

:''Écartelé, aux 1 et 4, d'azur semé de lys d'or ''( [[Royal Arms of France|France ancien]])''; aux 2 et 3 de gueules à trois léopards d'or armés et lampassés d'azur ''([[Arms of England|England]]).<ref name="auto1">{{cite book|last1=Maclagan|first1=Michael |last2=Louda|first2=Jiří|title=Line of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe|date=1999|publisher=Little, Brown & Co|location=London|isbn=1-85605-469-1|pages=29–30}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite book|first= Johannes Baptist |last= Rietstap |author-link = Johannes Rietstap |title = Armorial général, contenant la description des armoiries des familles nobles et patriciennes de l'Europe: précédé d'un dictionnaire des termes du blason |publisher = G.B. van Goor |date = 1861}}</ref>

In 1406, he simplified the French arms in imitation of [[Charles V of France|Charles V]] :

:''Écartelé, aux 1 et 4, d'azur à trois fleurs de lys d'or ''([[Royal Arms of France|France moderne]])''; aux 2 et 3, de gueules à trois léopards d'or armés et lampassés d'azur ''([[Arms of England|England]]).<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>

He utilized as his supporters the lion of England and the antelope.
|-
|align=center | [[Image:Coat of Arms of Henry IV & V of England (1413-1422).svg|200px]]
|align=center | [[Image:Royal Arms of England (1399-1603).svg|100 px]]
|'''[[Henry V of England]]''' (1387 † 1422), King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine; son of Henry IV.

:''Écartelé, aux 1 et 4, d'azur à trois fleurs de lys d'or ''([[Royal Arms of France|France moderne]])''; aux 2 et 3, de gueules à trois léopards d'or armés et lampassés d'azur ''([[Arms of England|England]]).<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>

He utilized the lion of England and the antilope badge of his father as supporters.
|-
|align=center | [[Image:Coat of Arms of Henry VI of England (1422-1471).svg|200 px]]
|align=center | [[Image:Royal Arms of England (1470-1471).svg|100 px]]
| '''[[Henry VI of England]]''' (1421 † 1471), king of England, lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine. In 1422, under the [[Treaty of Troyes]], he was crowned king of France and changed his armouries.

:''Écartelé, aux 1 et 4, d'azur à trois fleurs de lys d'or ''([[Royal Arms of France|France moderne]])''; aux 2 et 3, de gueules à trois léopards d'or armés et lampassés d'azur ''([[Arms of England|England]]).<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>

:''Per pale, I d'azur three fleurs de lys d'or ''([[Arms of France|France moderne]])''; au II Écartelé, aux 1 et 4, d'azur à trois fleurs de lys d'or ''([[Royal Arms of France|France moderne]])''; aux 2 et 3, de gueules à trois léopards d'or armés et lampassés d'azur ''([[Arms of England|England]]).<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>

He utilized the antelope badge of his grandfather as supporters.

|}

{{#section::List of coats of arms of the House of Plantagenet|Original House of Lancaster}}
{{#section::List of coats of arms of the House of Plantagenet|John of Gaunt}}
{{#section::List of coats of arms of the House of Plantagenet|House of Lancaster}}
{{#section::List of coats of arms of the House of Plantagenet|Beaufort}}

===Lancaster badges===
{{see also|Royal badges of England}}

The [[Red Rose of Lancaster]] derives from the gold rose badge of [[Edward I of England|Edward&nbsp;I of England]]. Other members of his family used variants of the royal badge, with the king's brother, the Earl of Lancaster, using a red rose.<ref>Henry Bedingfeld and Peter Gwynn-Jones, Heraldry, Chartwell Books, 1993, page 130.</ref> It is believed that the Red Rose of Lancaster was the House of Lancaster's [[Heraldic badge|badge]] during the [[Wars of the Roses]]. Evidence for this "wearing of the rose" includes land tenure records requiring service of a red rose yearly for a manor held directly from [[Henry VI of England]].<ref>Guy Cardogan Rothery, Concise Encyclopedia of Heraldry, Brackten Books, 1915, page 183</ref> There are, however, doubts as to whether the red rose was actually an emblem taken up by the Lancastrians during the Wars of the Roses. Adrian Ailes has noted that the red rose "probably owes its popular usage to [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] quickly responding to the pre-existing Yorkist white rose in an age when signs and symbols could speak louder than words."

It also allowed Henry to invent and exploit his most famous heraldic device, the [[Tudor Rose]], combining the so-called Lancastrian red rose and the [[White Rose of York]]. This floral union neatly symbolised the restoration of peace and harmony and his marriage in January 1486 to Elizabeth of York. It was a brilliant piece of simple heraldic propaganda."<ref>Adrian Ailes, "Heraldry in Medieval England: Symbols of Politics and Propaganda", in Heraldry, Pageantry, and Social Display in Medieval England, ed. Peter Cross and Maurice Keen (Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell, 2002), 83–104 (101).</ref> The [[Tudor Rose]] is used as the plant badge of England (Scotland uses the [[thistle]], Ireland uses the [[shamrock]], and [[Wales]] uses the [[leek]]).

<gallery mode="packed">
Red Rose Badge of Lancaster.svg|Red Rose Badge of Lancaster
Monogram SS Badge of Henry IV.svg|Monogram SS Badge of Henry IV
Chained Antelope Badge of Henry V & VI.svg|Chained Antelope Badge of Henry V and VI
Hereford Swan Badge of Henry V.svg|Hereford Swan Badge of Henry&nbsp;V
Fire Beacon Badge of Henry V.svg|Fire Beacon Badge of Henry&nbsp;V
Crossed Feather Badge of Henry VI.svg|Crossed Feather Badge of Henry VI
Panther Badge of Henry VI.svg|Panther Badge of Henry VI
</gallery>

==See also==
* Background information on the Act that enable the House of Lancaster to accumulate its vast holdings can be found at [[Quia Emptores]]
* Further information on the Lancastrian descent in Portugal and Spain – [[Philippa of Lancaster]], [[Jorge de Lencastre, Duke of Coimbra]], [[John of Lencastre, 1st Duke of Aveiro]]
* [[Forced marriage]]
* [[Women's history]]
* [[White Rose of York]]
* [[Alternative successions to the English and British Crown|Alternative successions to the English Crown]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist|20em}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
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* {{cite book |last=Brewer |first=DS |date=2012 |title=John Gower, Poetry and Propaganda in Fourteenth-century England|publisher=DS Brewer |isbn=978-1843843153|edition=Volume 7 of Publications of the John Gower Society}}
* {{citation |last=Brooke-Little |first=J.P., FSA |author-link=John Brooke-Little |title=Boutell's Heraldry |orig-date=1950 |edition=Revised |date=1978 |publisher=Frederick Warne |location=London |isbn= 0-7232-2096-4}}
* {{cite ODNB |last1=Brown |first1=Henry |last2=Summerson |first2=A. L |date=2010 |id=12951 |title=Henry IV (1367–1413)}}
* {{cite book |last=Castor |first=Helen |date=2000 |title=The King, the Crown, and the Duchy of Lancaster: Public Authority and Private Power, 1399–1461|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-820622-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Crofton |first=Ian |date=2007 |title=The Kings and Queens of England |publisher=Quercus |isbn=978-1-84724-065-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Davies |first=Norman |date=1997 |title=Europe&nbsp;– A History |publisher=Pimlico |isbn=0-7126-6633-8}}
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* {{cite book |last=Davies |first=R R |date=1995 |title=The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dwr |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-280209-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Fowler |first=Kenneth Alan |date=1969 |title=The King's Lieutenant: Henry of Grosmont, First Duke of Lancaster, 1310–1361 |isbn=0-236-30812-2 |publisher=Elek (Paul) (Scientific Books) Ltd}}
* {{cite book |last=Galbraith |first=Vivian Hunter|date=1982 |title=Kings and chroniclers: essays in English medieval history |url=https://archive.org/details/kingschroniclers0000galb |url-access=registration |publisher=Hambledon Press|isbn=095068824X}}
* {{cite book |last=Goodman |first=Anthony |date=1981 |title=The Wars of the Roses: Military Activity and English Society, 1452–97 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=0-415-05264-5}}
* {{cite ODNB |last= Griffiths |first= G. L.|date=2004 |id=12953 |title= Henry VI (1421–1471)}}
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* {{cite ODNB |last= Harriss |first= R. A.|date=2004a |id=27198 |title= Thomas, duke of Clarence (1387–1421)}}
* {{cite ODNB |last= Harriss |first= R. A.|date=2004b |id=14155 |title= Humphrey, duke of Gloucester (1390–1447)}}
* {{cite book |last=Hicks |first=Michael |date=2010 |title=The Wars of the Roses |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=9780300114232}}
* {{cite book |last=Jones |first=Dan |date=2012 |title=The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England |publisher=HarperPress |isbn=978-0-00-745749-6}}
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* {{cite book |last=McFarlane |first=K.B. |date=1972 |title=Lancastrian kings and Lollard knights |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0198223447}}
* {{cite book |last=McKisack |first=M. |author-link=May McKisack |date=1959 |title=The Fourteenth Century: 1307–1399 |publisher=Continuum Publishing Corporation |isbn=978-1441102690}}
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* {{cite book |last=Schama |first=Simon |date=2000 |title=A History of Britain&nbsp;– At the edge of the world |publisher=BBC |isbn=0-563-53483-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Sherborne |first=James |date=1994 |title=War, Politics and Culture in 14th Century England |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=1852850868}}
* {{cite book |last= Storey |first= Robin |date=1986 |title=The End of the House of Lancaster |publisher= Sutton Publishing |isbn=0-86299-290-7}}
* {{cite ODNB |last= Stratford |first= Jenny |date=2004 |id=14844 |title= John, duke of Bedford (1389–1435)}}
* {{cite book |last=Swanson |first=R.N. |date=1995 |title=Religion and Devotion in Europe, c. 1215–c. 1515 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0-521-37950-4}}
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* {{cite ODNB |last=Walker |first=Simon |date=2004a |id=14843 |title= John, duke of Aquitaine and duke of Lancaster, styled king of Castile and León (1340–1399)}}
* {{cite ODNB |last=Walker |first=Simon |date=2004b |id=54463 |title= Blanche of Lancaster (1346?–1368)}}
* {{cite ODNB |last=Waugh |first=Scott L. |date=2004 |id=12959 |title=Henry of Lancaster, third Earl of Lancaster and third Earl of Leicester (c.1280–1345)}}
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{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|House of Lancaster}}
* [https://www.gov.uk/government/history/lancaster-house House of Lancaster] on the official website of the British monarchy

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou | House of Lancaster| | | [[House of Plantagenet]] |name='''[[Royal house]]'''}}
{{s-bef | before=[[House of Valois]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Dynasty|Ruling house]] of the [[Early Modern France|Kingdom of France]] | dynasty=(disputed with the House of Valois) | years=1422–1453}}
{{s-aft | rows=2 | after=[[House of Valois]]}}
{{s-bef | rows=2 | before=[[House of Plantagenet]]<br>(senior line)}}
{{s-ttl | title=Ruling house of the [[Duchy of Aquitaine]] | years=1399–1422}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-ttl | title=Ruling house of the [[Kingdom of England]] | years=1399–1461}}
{{s-aft | rows=2 | after=[[House of York]]}}
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{{s-ttl | title=Ruling house of the Kingdom of England | years=1470–1471}}
{{s-end}}

{{Royal houses of Britain and Ireland}}
{{Wars of the Roses}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:House of Lancaster| ]]
[[Category:English royal houses|Lancaster]]
[[Category:Royal houses of England|Lancaster]]
[[Category:Wars of the Roses]]
[[Category:1267 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1471 disestablishments in England]]