The Wars of the Roses - Part Two

Richard II 1377-1399 (deposed)

A royal prince of Lancaster
Did the first bad thing:
He deposed his cousin Richard,
And declared himself as king.

Though not the rightful next-in-line,
And never that secure,
He reigned without distinction,
As Henry number four.

His son, the fifth King Henry,
Is best known for Agincourt:
A battle waged against the French,
In which he bravely fought.

He took ill on campaign in France,
And soon this life departed.
His son was but an infant
Which is when real trouble started.

Henry IV 1399-1413

The boy was barely in his teens....
His first protector died.
A number of contenders
For the vacant role all vied.

A country needs strong leadership
And lacked this to its cost.
In France, the contest faltered:
All but Calais would be lost.

The powerful and wealthy,
Who'd sent troops to aid the cause,
Also fought against each other
In long-standing private wars.

The people were dissatisfied,
The more so over time,
With returning soldiers looting
And increasing rates of crime.


Henry V 1413-1422

The king (another Henry)
Didn't govern as he ought.
He had bouts of mental illness:
Only discord reigned at court.........



Henry VI 1422-1461 and 1470-1471