The Wars of the Roses was a conflict.
The Wars of the Roses were a series of wars for control of the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet : the House of Lancaster ( associated with a red rose ) , and the House of York ( whose symbol was a white rose ) . The conflict lasted through many sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1487 ; however , there was fighting before and after this period between the houses . The final victory went to a claimant of the Lancastrian party , Henry Tudor , Earl of Richmond , who defeated the last Yorkist king , Richard III , at the Battle of Bosworth Field .