Henry VI, Pt.3 characters

Appears from the start

The Lancastrian king, gentle and devout but unable to control the civil war around him. Faced with Yorkist occupation of Parliament, he values an immediate peace even when its terms threaten his own dynasty.

Also known as Queen Margaret

Appears from the start

Henry's forceful queen and the principal defender of their son's inheritance. She rejects Henry's compromise with York and takes command of the Lancastrian cause herself.

Also known as Richard Plantagenet

Appears from the start

The head of the house of York, whose army has defeated the king's supporters and occupied Parliament. He claims the crown by hereditary right and accepts a settlement making him Henry's heir.

Also known as Edward of York, Earl of March

Appears from the start

York's eldest son and military heir. Confident and ambitious, he supports his father's claim and is ready to turn battlefield success into kingship for his house.

Also known as Richard of Gloucester

Appears from the start

York's physically disabled younger son, a fierce soldier whose intelligence and ruthlessness are already apparent. He presses his father to seize the crown outright and treats family advancement as a personal mission.

Also known as Richard Neville

Appears from the start

The powerful Yorkist commander whose victories and large following make him central to the struggle for the crown. He backs York's hereditary case and acts as military partner to York's sons.

Appears from the start

A committed Lancastrian soldier driven by his father's death at Yorkist hands. He supports Margaret's refusal to accept compromise and seeks vengeance against York and his descendants.

Also known as Prince of Wales

Appears from the start

The young son of Henry and Margaret, whose right to inherit is displaced by Henry's agreement with York. His mother organizes the Lancastrian resistance in his name.

Appears from the start

York's youngest son, a child placed under the care of a tutor during the fighting. His family identity makes him a target even though he has no command in the war.

Also known as George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence

First appears in chapter 2

Edward and Richard's brother. He receives the dukedom of Clarence after the Yorkist victory, gaining rank in a royal family whose alliances will test his loyalty.

First appears in chapter 3

A widow seeking the return of lands confiscated after her Lancastrian husband's death. Her petition brings her before Edward, where she resists his attempt to make political favor conditional on becoming his lover.

Also known as Louis XI

First appears in chapter 3

The king of France, approached by both Lancastrian and Yorkist envoys. His decision about marriage and military support becomes important to the English struggle.

First appears in chapter 3

A staunch Lancastrian noble who supports Margaret abroad and remains with her cause through military defeat. He values dynastic loyalty above the changing advantages of the war.

First appears in chapter 4

A loyal Yorkist who joins Richard in freeing Edward from Warwick's custody. He helps the deposed king escape and regroup before Edward openly renews his claim.