History glossary
Yorkist
supporting the royal claims of Richard, Duke of York, and his descendants.
- Category
- Dynasty
- Region
- England
- Date range
- 1453–1487
What it means
The Yorkist cause began with Richard, Duke of York, and brought his son Edward IV and grandson Richard III to the throne. Supporters of this cause did not always back the same king: Warwick and Clarence rebelled against Edward IV.
Stories using this term
The Tudor Dynasty
The Tudors strengthened royal power, drove religious change, and shaped early modern England.
The Wars of the Roses
From Henry VI’s failing government to Yorkist victories, the missing princes and Henry Tudor’s contested settlement, England’s crown changed hands through war and shifting loyalty.
The Plantagenets
From Henry II’s cross-Channel inheritance to Bosworth, the Plantagenets shaped England through royal justice, conquest, rebellion and a struggle over who could control the crown.
