In August 1485, Henry
Tudor, the leader of the Lancastrians, arrived in Wales with 2,
000 of his supporters. He also brought with him over 2, 000 mercenaries
recruited from French prisons. While in Wales, Henry also persuaded
many skillful longbowmen to join him in his fight against Richard
III. By the time Henry Tudor reached England the size of his army
had grown to 5,000 men.
When Richard heard about
the arrival of Henry he marched his army to meet his rival for the
throne. On the way, Richard tried to recruit as many men as possible
to fight in his army, but by the time he reached Leicester
he only had an army of 6,000 men. The earl of Northumberland also
brought 3,000 men but his loyalty to Richard was in doubt.
Richard sent an order
to Lord Thomas Stanley and Sir William Stanley, two of the most powerful
men in England, to bring their 6,000 soldiers to fight for the king.
Richard had been informed that Lord Stanley had already promised to
help Henry Tudor. In order to persuade him to change his mind, Richard
arranged for Lord Stanley's eldest son to be kidnapped.
On 21 August 1485, King
Richard's army positioned themselves on Ambien Hill, close to the
small village of Bosworth in Leicestershire. Henry arrived the next
day and took up a position facing Richard. When the Stanley brothers
arrived they did not join either of the two armies. Instead, Lord
Stanley went to the north of the battlefield and Sir William to the
south. The four armies now made up the four sides of a square.
Without the support of
the Stanley brothers, Richard looked certain to be defeated. Richard
therefore gave orders for Lord Stanley's son to be brought to the
top of the hill. The king then sent a message to Lord Stanley threatening
to execute his son unless he immediately sent his troops to join the
king on Ambien Hill. Lord Stanley's reply was short: "Sire, I
have other sons."
Henry Tudor's forces now
charged King Richard's army. Although out-numbered, Richard's superior
position at the top of the hill enabled him to stop the rival forces
breaking through at first. When the situation began to deteriorate,
Richard called up his reserve forces led by the earl of Northumberland.
However, Northumberland, convinced that Richard was going to lose,
ignored the order.
Richard's advisers told
him that he must try to get away. Richard refused, claiming that he
could still obtain victory by killing Henry Tudor. He argued that
once the pretender to the throne was dead, his army would have no
reason to go on fighting.
A few of his close friends
agreed to accompany him on his mission. So that everyone knew who
he was, Richard put on his crown. After choosing an axe as his weapon,
Richard and a small group of men charged down the hill.
Henry's guards quickly
surrounded their leader. Before Richard could get to Henry, he was
knocked off his horse. Surrounded by the enemy, Richard continued
to fight until he was killed.
Tradition has it that
Richard's crown was found under a gorse bush. Lord Stanley, whose
intervention had proved so important, was given the honour of crowning
Henry VII the new king of England and
Wales.
(1)
Polydore Vergil, English History (c.1530)
Richard,
because he expected victory, received Henry with great courage...
Henry's army... were now almost out of hope of victory, when William
Stanley with three thousand men came to the rescue... Richard's army
fled, and King Richard alone was killed fighting manfully in the thickest
press of his enemies.
(2)
The Croyland Chronicle (1485)
King Richard received many
mortal wounds and like a spirited and most courageous prince, fell
in battle on the field and not in flight.
(3)
John Rous, History of England (c. 1490)
King Richard, after receiving
many mortal wounds, died a fearless and most courageous death, fighting
on the battlefield, not in flight. His body was found among the other
dead... and after suffering many humiliations, it was taken to Leicester
in an inhuman manner, with a rope around its neck.
Available
from Amazon Books (order below)
