Cersie Lannister once said, “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.” 

Well, for all Cercie’s ploys and treacherous deeds, I agree with her on this one.

So today, let’s step back into Medieval Europe—a century-long clash filled with bloody battles, family betrayals, and power plays that left thousands dead, until only one victor stood triumphant.

Today, we’ll explore how medieval politics inspired the world of Game of Thrones’ Westeros.

This is the history of the Wars of the Roses.  

The Houses: York vs. Lancaster = Stark vs. Lannister

Ironically, our story begins with the end.

When King Edward III died in 1377, everyone expected his heir, Edward “the Black Prince,” to take the throne. But here’s the twist—the Black Prince had died a year earlier. So instead, his 10-year-old son Richard II was crowned, skipping ahead of Edward III’s surviving brothers. Normally, the crown passed to the next adult male in line, but in this case, bloodline trumped seniority.

This skipping in the line of succession was bound to stir trouble, because the throne wasn’t just a family heirloom—it meant control over lands, wealth, armies, and influence. Rival claims threatened not only the crown but also the balance of power in the kingdom.

Enter the houses of Lancaster and York. The Lancasters, led by John of Gaunt (Edward III’s third son), faced off against the Yorks, led by Edmund of Langley (the fourth son).

If this rivalry rings a bell, it should—George R.R. Martin borrowed heavily from it for the Starks and Lannisters.^[1] The Lancasters had the wealth and ruthless cunning of the Lannisters, while the Yorks, though not exactly Northern, carried that same mix of pride, honor, and tragic mistakes you’ll recognize in the Starks.

(And if you’re wondering where Edward III’s second son is in all this family drama—spoiler: he’s already dead.)

Descendants of both houses insisted their claim was stronger, rallying discontented nobles to their banners. Both sides were royal, both saw themselves as rightful rulers, and both were ready to spill rivers of blood to prove it.

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The symbolism of the roses—the white of York and the red of Lancaster—gave the conflict its lasting name: the Wars of the Roses. 

Families and entire regions were drawn in, switching allegiances whenever fortunes shifted. And just like in Game of Thrones, it wasn’t always about the “rightful heir.” It came down to allies, strategy, and, of course, who had the sharpest sword.

The King’s Madness and the Power Vacuum

By the time Henry IV (John of Gaunt’s son) snatched the crown from his cousin Richard II, the House of Lancaster looked pretty secure on the throne. Things even held steady through his reign and into that of his son, Henry V. 

But, as always in this saga, peace is temporary. Henry V died young in 1422, leaving behind a baby king—Henry VI. (Seriously, how many Henrys does this story have? Far too many, it seems.)

Henry VI might have worn the crown, but he was no ruler. 

Prone to terrifying bouts of mental illness and catatonic episodes, he left the kingdom adrift. If he sounds a little like Martin’s Mad King Aerys II, you’re not wrong. Except Henry’s madness wasn’t fiery—just vacant. And that void of leadership opened the door for someone else to step in.

Fortunately for him, he married a strong-willed woman. 

Margaret of Anjou wasn’t about to let her husband’s weakness or her son’s inheritance slip away. A French noblewoman with powerful ties across the Channel, Margaret was fierce, ambitious, and downright formidable—basically the Cersei Lannister of her day. (Sure, the marriage dynamics are different, but the “I’ll burn this kingdom down before I give up my boy’s crown” energy? Spot on.)

Her political savvy and alliances made her one of the most influential figures in the Wars of the Roses.

Her biggest problem, though, was Richard, Duke of York—Henry VI’s most trusted advisor. Think of him as Ned Stark: dutiful, respected, and increasingly at odds with the ruling family. When Margaret excluded him from a Great Council in 1455, it was the spark that ignited decades of bloodshed.^[2]

Richard raised an army, clashed with the queen’s forces, and—spoiler alert—lost his head. Literally.

But the story didn’t end there. Richard’s son, Edward IV, picked up where Dad left off and actually took the throne. If you’re drawing parallels, Edward is your Robb Stark: young, charismatic, a battlefield prodigy. 

And made the same vital mistake as the Young Wolf did. 

The Kingmaker: Warwick and Littlefinger

If there was ever a poster child for the chaos of the Wars of the Roses, it was Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick—better known by his very unsubtle nickname, The Kingmaker. 

He wasn’t the kind of man who just picked a side; he made sides matter, flipping loyalties whenever it suited him. York today, Lancaster tomorrow—Warwick wasn’t here for family loyalty, he was here for power.

And when the most powerful noble in England couldn’t stay consistent, it sent shockwaves through the realm. Other nobles followed his lead, alliances crumbled overnight, and the crown itself started looking less like a birthright and more like a prize in a never-ending tug-of-war.

At first, he was Team York, helping Edward IV secure the throne after Henry VI’s disastrous reign. But here’s where it gets juicy: Edward went rogue. Instead of following Warwick’s carefully laid plan to marry a French princess (hello, powerful alliance!), Edward secretly married Elizabeth Woodville, a widowed commoner. 

To Warwick, this was basically a royal slap in the face. Imagine spending years playing political chess, only for your king to flip the board over and marry whoever he wants. (Robb Stark fans, you know the pain. The Red Wedding still haunts me to this day.)

That betrayal was Warwick’s breaking point. He switched sides—yep, straight over to the Lancasters. 

And because this saga is never straightforward, he actually managed to restore poor Henry VI to the throne for a hot minute. (Yes, Henry was still alive; just constantly captured and imprisoned amidst the ever-changing monarchical landscape of England.) 

Warwick’s ability to manipulate the game makes him the perfect real-life parallel to Littlefinger in Game of Thrones. He was rich, powerful, and always two steps ahead—until he wasn’t. Eventually, his endless betrayals caught up with him, and in 1471, he died in the Battle of Barnet.

Still, his legend endures. Without Warwick, the Wars of the Roses would’ve been a very different story. 

The Final Clash: Bosworth Field = The Battle for the Iron Throne

Despite Warwick’s meddling, Edward IV eventually wrestled back control of the throne and managed a relatively peaceful reign—at least until his death. And then? Chaos, of course. Because this is the Wars of the Roses, and peace never lasts long.

Edward’s 12-year-old son was supposed to inherit the crown, but his uncle Richard—later Richard III—had other plans. Instead of acting as the dutiful protector of his nephews, Richard basically said, “Sike, not today.” 

He declared the boys illegitimate (blaming their father’s marriage to their mother) and took the crown for himself. And so, Richard III became king. Unfortunately for him, he would also become the last Yorkist king.

Richard also took his cruelty up a notch by locking the young princes in a tower, never to be seen again. This vicious act turned most nobles against him, most of whom rallied behind a new claimant to the throne.

The Lancasters had been knocked around for decades, but they weren’t out yet. 

Henry, a descendant of John of Gaunt (yes, we’re circling all the way back to him), had a legitimate claim to the throne. Think of him as the Daenerys Targaryen of this story—coming in late, from across the sea, ready to reclaim what his family had lost.

In 1485, Henry raised an army in France, sailed across the Channel, and faced Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard was killed, Henry emerged victorious, became Henry VII, and just like that, the Lancasters were back in business. 

Well… sort of.

Because here’s the twist ending: instead of endless bloodshed, Henry married Elizabeth of York, Edward IV’s daughter. That marriage united the warring houses and kicked off the Tudor dynasty. The famous red-and-white Tudor rose symbolized this union, and after decades of carnage, England finally had something resembling stability.

Honestly, you have to wonder—why didn’t they just marry a Lancaster to a York fifty years earlier and save everyone the rivers of blood? But then again, if they had, we wouldn’t have this delightfully messy saga to compare to Game of Thrones.

Ultimately, The Tudors Won

So, were the Wars of the Roses basically the original Game of Thrones? Pretty much. It had scheming nobles, family betrayals, power-grabs, surprise deaths, and more Henrys than anyone ever asked for. 

And unlike Westeros, there were no dragons to swoop in and burn everyone to ashes—just very real people spilling very real blood over roses.

In the end, the Tudors pulled off what no one else could: they united the realm (and gave us Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, but that’s a whole other saga). 

As Tyrion Lannister once quipped, “There’s nothing in the world more powerful than a good story.” And the story of the Lancasters and Yorks is proof that history can out-drama even the best TV script.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What caused the Wars of the Roses?

A messy royal succession. When King Edward III’s direct line faltered, rival branches of his family—the Houses of York and Lancaster—fought over who had the stronger claim to the throne.

Why is it called the Wars of the Roses?

Each side used a rose as its symbol: white for York, red for Lancaster. The imagery stuck, giving the conflict its now-famous name.

Who won the Wars of the Roses?

Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. He married Elizabeth of York, uniting the two houses and founding the Tudor dynasty.

Is Game of Thrones based on the Wars of the Roses?

Partly. George R.R. Martin drew heavy inspiration from this dynastic struggle, though he blended it with other history and plenty of imagination.

Which Game of Thrones houses reflect York and Lancaster?

The Yorks are often compared to the Starks—honor-driven but unlucky—while the Lancasters resemble the ambitious, wealthy Lannisters.

References:

[1] How Game of Thrones drew on the Wars of the Roses | Fantasy books | The Guardian

[2] Margaret d’Anjou | Characters from the books – Philippa Gregory – Official Website