The War of the Roses

While researching Helen's Family Tree we discovered two parallel lines from Edward III of England to Henry Carey, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII and Mary Boleyn who was adopted by William Carey when he married Mary.

This was the line we used in our four-part video of Helen's ancestry back to Adam, and it was through Edward's son Edmund of Langley, the Duke of York and is the 'Blood-Line'.

The other line is through another of Edward's sons, John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster and is the 'Legal-Line' as Henry VIII never recognized Henry Carey or his sister, Catherine as his offspring.

The War of the Roses was a civil war between the Yorks, who wore white roses, and the Lancasters, who wore red roses, for the throne of England.

The following is a Family Tree of most of those involved and where Helen's heritage is interwoven into this history.

25 Jan 1327 21 June 1377

22 June 1377 29 Sept 1399

Deposed by Henry IV

King Richard III

No Children

  William Shakespeare

Married   1560

Continues down to Helen

Executed by order of his mother

21 Mar 1413 31 Aug 1422

26 Jun 1483 22 Aug 1483

22 Apr 1509 28 Jan 1547

4 Mar 1461 3 Oct 1470

11 Apr 1471 9 Apr 1483

William Shakespeare covered much of this history in these plays:Richard IIRichard IIIHenry IVHenry VHenry VIMacbethKing JohnEdward III

Why was Shakespeare so absorbed by this history ?

Because it was his family history !

William Shakespeare was the pen name for Francis Bacon, the unrecognized son of Queen Elizabeth I, the name at the bottom of this tree!

9 Apr 1483 25 Jun 1483

Murdered in the Tower by Richard III

Married at age 5 murdered at 10

22 Aug 1485 21 Apr 1509

Murdered in Tower

Duke of Lancaster

Duke of York

No Children

30 Sept 1399 20 Mar 1413

1 Sept 1422 4 Mar 1461

3 Oct 1470 11 Apr 1471

17 Nov 1558 24 Mar 1603

Killed in battle with Henry VII