Siege of London (1471)

Siege of London
Part of the Wars of the Roses
Yorkist defenders sally from Aldgate (possibly Bishopsgate).
Date 12–15 May 1471 Location London, England Result Yorkist victory
Belligerents
House of York	House of Lancaster
Commanders and leaders
Earl Rivers Earl of Essex	Thomas Neville
Strength
Approx. 4,500 men	Approx. 5,000 men

Barnet

Tewkesbury

Coventry

Ravenspurn

London

Sandwich

Calais

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Locations:

– Siege of London; – other battles; – other places

The siege of London was an episode of the Wars of the Roses between 12 and 15 May 1471, in which adherents of the House of Lancaster commanded by Thomas Neville unsuccessfully attempted to storm the city and free King Henry VI, who had been imprisoned in the Tower of London by his rival Edward IV of the House of York. This confrontation, which was an epilogue to the recent battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury, completed the final restoration of Edward IV and ensured the Yorkist hold on the throne.