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Did you know that Game of Thrones was based on a true story? Well, sort of.
Between the years 1455 to 1487, a civil war broke out between two rival cadet branches of the royal House of Plantagenet for the English throne. House of Lancaster and House of York, which has a striking resemblance to the House Lannister and House Stark of the fictional world A Song of Ice and Fire. (Game of Thrones)
In George R.R. Martin's story, nine noble houses fight for the Iron Throne. The author has admitted in the past that he has taken great inspiration from the War of the Roses.
The Wars of the Roses were deeply rooted in the political and economic turmoil that plagued England following the Hundred Years’ War (1337–1453) against France. The prolonged conflict had drained the kingdom’s resources, exacerbating social unrest and weakening the authority of the monarchy. Additionally, the rise of a quasi-military system known as bastard feudalism, which emerged due to the immense power held by the duchies established by King Edward III, further destabilized the realm. These tensions culminated in a dynastic struggle between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.
At the heart of the conflict was the weak and mentally unstable King Henry VI of the Lancastrian dynasty, whose inability to effectively govern reignited the ambitions of his cousin, Richard…