The Battle of Bosworth (1485): The Battle that ended the War of the Roses

By Princess Charlotte (Medieval Warfare Expert)

By the summer of 1485, England had spent decades trapped in a bitter struggle between rival branches of the royal family. Kings had been deposed. Royalty had strangely disappeared. Noble families had changed sides repeatedly. Nobody seemed entirely sure who would be in charge from one year to the next.

Then came Bosworth, which saw the death of a king and beginning of a new dynasty that would effectively end the War of the Roses and see England wave good bye to the medieval period (booooo!). It was the last true medieval battle on these shores.

The Battle of Bosworth Field was fought on 22 August 1485 between King Richard III and Henry Tudor, a claimant whose connection to the throne was, if we're being honest, not particularly strong. He had been an exile in France for years, while Richard was the reigning king. He was an experienced military commander and had spent much of his life fighting. He was the odds on favourite to win, but medieval battles really did like to throw a few spanners in the works for betting shops!

The armies met in Leicestershire. Richard had the larger force, but there was a problem.

Several powerful noble families were present with armies of their own and nobody was entirely certain whose side they were actually on. Now this isn't an ideal situation at any point of a battle, I mean who do you point your sword at for starters?!

Most important were the Stanley family, who had an estimated 6,000 troops at their disposal. Thomas Stanley and Sir William Stanley commanded them and had deliberately positioned themselves where they could observe the battle without immediately committing to either side. Modern politicians would call this keeping your options open. Medieval chroniclers called it something less polite.

The battle began with Richard's forces gaining the advantage. Henry's army was under pressure, and for a time it appeared that the king was going to secure victory. Henry Tudor had moved closer to the fighting than was perhaps wise for someone of his esteemed position. Surrounded by only a small bodyguard, he was suddenly vulnerable. Richard made a decision that has echoed through history ever since. Rather than continue directing the battle, he launched a cavalry charge straight at Henry.

And it almost worked. But almost isn't good enough in a battle.

The Stanleys finally committed their forces after Richard's charge. Unfortunately for Richard, they chose Henry's side. The king and his followers found themselves surrounded, after coming so close to killing Henry.

Richard fought on foot after his horse became trapped or was killed beneath him. According to accounts, he refused opportunities to flee. Instead, he kept fighting. He was cut down within sight of the man he was trying to reach and with that, Richard III became the last English king to die in battle on the fields of Bosworth.

His crown, according to legend, was found in a hawthorn bush and placed upon Henry Tudor's head. The Wars of the Roses were not quite over, but Bosworth effectively ended Plantagenet rule and made Henry Tudor king, ushering in the age of the Tudors.

The consequences were enormous. Henry VII brought a measure of stability to a kingdom exhausted by civil war. His son would become Henry VIII. His granddaughter would become Elizabeth I.

The Tudors would oversee the English Reformation, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and the foundations of England's rise as a major European power.

The battle is often described as the end of the Middle Ages in England. Like all historical labels, that is a simplification. Medieval life did not suddenly stop on the evening of 22 August 1485.

But something undeniably changed.

The age of knights, feudal loyalties and Plantagenet kings gave way to a new world of stronger monarchies, growing bureaucracy and the first stirrings of modern England. Bosworth was not England's largest medieval battle. It wasn't even its bloodiest, there were around 1,500 deaths.

But few battles in English history have had greater consequences.

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