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The Second Battle of St Albans was a battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought on February 22, 1461 near the town of St Albans. Richard, Duke of York had been defeated and killed in December 1460 in the Battle of Wakefield, and his 18-year-old son and heir Edward, Earl of March (later Edward IV) was busy in the west, where the Battle of Mortimer's Cross had been fought a few days before. As a result, the way was clear for the Lancastrians, led by Queen Margaret, to march south towards London, pillaging and sacking as they went.
The Lancastrians were intercepted near St Albans by Yorkist forces commanded by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. Warwick had his men set up an array of defenses, including ditches and spikes, but was surprised by the direction from which the Lancastrian's arrived — from Dunstable rather than from Luton — and was defeated.
The Lancastrians captured Henry VI, who supposedly spent the battle sitting under a tree, singing. But they did not press their advantage by marching south to London. The reasons are not clear; it may be that their reputation for pillaging had preceded them as the Londoners would not open their gates.
[edit] See also
House of York
House of Lancaster
