The Wars of the Roses was fought primarily between ...

King Edward III of England did too good a job at providing England an heir. He had many children and many more grandchildren. Three of his children had families who would put a member on the English throne: first, Richard II, who was deposed and murdered. After getting rid of Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI, of the House of Lancaster ruled England for over half of the 1400's. But then Henry VI was deposed and killed by members and supporters of the House of York. The three York kings, Edward IV, Edward V, and Richard III ruled for a little over two decades. Finally, Henry VII and his supporters defeated and killed Richard III, and founded the Tudor dynasty of kings. This effectively ended the Wars of the Roses. The name "Wars of the Roses" is due to the fact that the insignia for the Lancastrian family was a red rose, while the Yorkists claimed a white rose as their insignia.