the House of Lancaster
/ðə ˌhaʊs əv ˈlæŋkəstə(r)/
/ðə ˌhaʊs əv ˈlæŋkæstər/
- the English royal house (= family) descended from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, which ruled England from 1399 to 1461. The three kings of the House of Lancaster were Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI. During the rule of Henry VI, the Wars of the Roses began between the Lancastrians and the Yorkist, which resulted in the creation of a new royal house, the House of York (1461-85).