Henry recovers in 1455 and once again falls under the influence of those closest to him at court.

Directed by Henry's queen, the powerful and aggressive Margaret of Anjou, who emerges as the de facto leader of the Lancastrians, Richard is forced out of court.

Margaret builds up an alliance against Richard and conspires with other nobles to reduce his influence.

An increasingly thwarted Richard (who fears arrest for treason) finally resorts in 1455 to armed hostilities.

Richard leads a small force toward London and is met  on May 22, 1455, by Henry's forces at St. Albans, north of London.

The relatively small First Battle of St. Albans is the first open conflict of the civil war.

Richard's aim is ostensibly to remove "poor advisors" from King Henry's side.

The result is a Lancastrian defeat.

Several prominent Lancastrian leaders, including Somerset and Northumberland, are killed.

The Yorkists after the battle find Henry hiding in a local tanner's shop, abandoned by his advisors and servants, apparently having suffered another bout of mental illness. (He had also been slightly wounded in the neck by an arrow.)

York and his allies regain their position of influence.

With the king indisposed, York is again appointed Protector, and Margaret is shunted aside, charged with the king's care.

For a while, both sides seem shocked that an actual battle had been fought and do their best to reconcile their differences, but the problems that caused conflict soon reemerge, particularly the issue of whether Richard the Duke of York, or Henry and Margaret's infant son Edward, will succeed to the throne.

Margaret refuses to accept any solution that will disinherit her son, and it becomes clear that she will only tolerate the situation for as long as the Duke of York and his allies retain the military ascendancy.

Later in the year, the late Somerset’s twelve-year-old niece, Margaret Beaufort, will make a second marriage to Edmund Tudor, earl of Richmond and half-brother to Henry VI.