Bosworth, Battle of

Battle fought on 22 August 1485, during the English Wars of the Roses (see Roses, Wars of the). Richard III, the Yorkist king, was defeated and killed by Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII. The battlefield is near the village of Market Bosworth, 19 km/12 mi west of Leicester, England.

Henry Tudor inherited the Lancastrian claim and invaded England through Wales, landing at Milford Haven on 7 August. Richard had 11,000–12,000 men and a strong position on Ambion Hill. Henry had 5,000–7,000 troops, but Lord Stanley and his brother commanded 5,000 and 3,000 men to the north and south of the royalists, respectively. Accounts of the battle are unclear, but it is possible that the Lancastrian Earl of Oxford was able to swing around the right flank of the royal army. This enabled a better concentration of force, left Northumberland unengaged on the royalist left, and brought Henry closer to Lord Stanley. After some fierce fighting, Richard saw Henry's banner moving northwards. Richard charged with his cavalry and almost cut his way through to Henry before he was killed as the Stanley troops joined the fray.