But his grip on power needed to be secured with a decisive military victory against the Lancastrians, and that would come at the epic Battle of Towton. Despite Yorkist setbacks like their defeat at the Second Battle of St Albans in early 1461, Edward marched into London, where there was a lot of Yorkist support, and was proclaimed king. The Yorkist cause was now led by Edward, the slain duke’s son and next in line to throne according to the Act of Accord. His head was impaled on a spike, wearing a paper crown. Just two months after securing his future kingship, the Duke of York was killed at the Battle of Wakefield. Margaret and her loyal Lancastrians weren’t about to take this lying down, and mustered her own forces, drawing support from the Scottish monarch.

This meant that Henry and Margaret’s own son, Prince Edward, was disinherited. Instead, he negotiated the Act of Accord, which stipulated that Henry would continue as king, but that he would be succeeded by York. However, York was still not in a strong enough position to seize the crown for himself. Read more about: Medieval History Glass act: The French king who thought he was made of glass

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