The War of the Roses was a series of civil wars in England that took place from 1455 to 1487. It was fought between two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the Lancasters, represented by a red rose, and the Yorks, symbolized by a white rose. The conflict arose over the English throne and involved several key battles, shifting alliances, and political intrigue. The war ended with the rise of the Tudor dynasty after the defeat of the last Yorkist king, Richard III, at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Henry VII, a Lancaster, became king, uniting the two houses through his marriage to Elizabeth of York, thus bringing a measure of stability to England.