The Yorkist triumph of 1461: Mortimer's Cross to Edward IV's coronation
- When
- 1461
- Where
- Kingsland, Herefordshire; St Albans, Hertfordshire
- Episodes
- 2
In early 1461, Edward, Earl of March, secured Yorkist dominance by defeating Lancastrian forces at Mortimer's Cross and Towton. Following Warwick's loss at St Albans, Edward entered London, deposed Henry VI, and was crowned King Edward IV in June.
Episodes
- Battle of Mortimer's Cross
Edward defeats Lancastrian forces under Owen and Jasper Tudor in Herefordshire.
- Second Battle of St Albans
Warwick's army is defeated, and Margaret of Anjou recovers Henry VI.
Background and detail
Background. The Wars of the Roses were civil conflicts between Yorkist and Lancastrian factions for the English throne. After the death of Richard, Duke of York, at Wakefield in December 1460, his son Edward inherited the Yorkist claim. Edward had previously served in Calais and was given independent command to address Lancastrian insurgency in Wales.
Military Campaigns. Edward won a hard-fought victory at Mortimer's Cross on 2 February 1461, defeating Lancastrians under Owen Tudor. Warwick's army was subsequently defeated at the Second Battle of St Albans on 17 February, allowing Margaret of Anjou to recover Henry VI. Edward then defeated Margaret's army at Towton on 29 March, securing his claim.
People involved
- Edward IV · Yorkist claimant and King of England
- Henry VI · Lancastrian King of England
- Margaret of Anjou · Lancastrian Queen and Henry VI's consort
- Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick · Yorkist military leader
- Owen Tudor · Lancastrian commander in Wales
- Jasper Tudor · Lancastrian commander in Wales
Sources
- Edward IV Wikipedia
- Wars of the Roses Wikipedia
- Second Battle of St Albans Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
- Battle of Towton Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-23
- Battle of Mortimer's Cross Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-23
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.