Henry VI’s weak rule helped trigger the Wars of the Roses.
Henry VI became king in 1422 when he was only nine months old, after the death of his father, Henry V. His early reign was managed by regents, and when he later ruled personally he struggled with factional politics, military setbacks, and financial problems.
England lost most of its territories in France during the final stages of the Hundred Years’ War. In 1453, after the English defeat at Castillon, Henry suffered a prolonged mental breakdown. His incapacity created a power vacuum that intensified the rivalry between Richard, Duke of York, the Beaufort faction, and Queen Margaret of Anjou.
The resulting political crisis became open warfare in 1455, traditionally marking the beginning of the Wars of the Roses. Henry was not the only cause: disputed succession, noble rivalries, and the legacy of earlier Plantagenet conflicts also mattered. Henry V was his formidable father, while Edward III and Richard II belonged to earlier generations. Henry VI was eventually deposed, restored briefly, and died in the Tower of London in 1471.