European Connections

The battles of the Wars of the Roses all happened in England. But the wars were shaped by European connections through politics, economics and culture. Some of our most useful sources also come from outside England and Wales.

This map gives just a small number of examples of the European connections. One example is an account of Richard III’s route to the throne of England by an Italian, Domenico Mancini, for a French bishop.

Another example is a self-congratulatory account of how Edward IV gained the throne, written in French by a member of his household. The account was sent to several nobles in Burgundy who shared it with the King of Frances as a piece of aggrandisement.

The video below shows how the balance of power in Europe changed over time with different rulers. Start at 11:40 if you want to begin at 1066; or 12:21 to watch the expansions and contractions of English power in France from 1150. 1415 (the year of Agincourt) is at 14:28.

You can find out more about the England’s European connections, and beyond, at the England’s Immigrants 1330 -1550 database website created by the University of York and The National Archives.