Henry VI of England was born on December 6, 1421, and became king at just nine months old after the death of his father, Henry V. His reign was marked by periods of mental instability, which led to a power struggle among the nobility and the eventual outbreak of the Wars of the Roses. Henry's inability to effectively govern contributed to the conflict between the Lancaster and York factions. He was captured in 1465, and his reign effectively ended when Edward IV of the York faction took the throne. Henry VI died on May 21, 1471, in the Tower of London.