English king Edward III had given land…

English king Edward III had given land to powerful noble families, including many people of royal lineage.

Because land is equivalent to power, these powerful men can try to claim the crown.

The autocratic and arrogant methods of Richard II had only served to alienate the nobility more, and his forceful dispossession in 1399 by Henry IV had increased the turmoil.

The turmoil is at its peak in the reign of Henry VI, which began in 1422, because of his personal weaknesses and mental instability.

When the Hundred Years' War was lost in August 1453, Henry had fallen into a period of mental breakdown that lasted until Christmas 1454.

The monarchy, unable to control the feuding nobles, had in 1455 seen the beginning of civil war.

The conflicts are known as the Wars of the Roses, which will last until 1485.

Although the fighting is to be very sporadic and small, there ensues a general breakdown in the authority and power of the Crown.