England: 1400’s – for almost 30 years a vicious civil war raged across England. Many thousands of people laid down their lives as two families, the House of York and the House of Lancaster fought for the throne of England. Each believed they had the better claim to the throne.
On 22 August 1485, in the heart of rural Leicestershire, two armies faced each other; neither side could have known how important this fight would be. This decisive battle would witness the death of the King and the birth of a dynasty that would last for 122 years. It was the last time that an English King was killed in battle.
King Richard III had ruled the land for only two years and one month when he found his claim to the throne challenged by Henry. Henry started the day as the Earl of Richmond and ended the day being crowned nearby, becoming Henry VII.
Henry had been living in exile in France since the age of 14, but at 28 was encouraged by his Lancastrian family and friends to fight for the chance to become England’s King. He sailed to Milford Haven in Wales with a small army of English exiles and French mercenaries. He was born in Wales, and used this connection to gain more support for his cause. His army finally numbered around 5000 men.
Henry requested help from Lord Thomas Stanley and his brother Sir William Stanley, based in the North West of England. Lord Thomas was married to Henry’s mother (Henry’s father had died previously), but more importantly, was a wealthy man. He could command a great private army. Henry and Lord Thomas may have communicated on the march down the country, as they would have followed a similar route. However it is not known if Henry was successful in gaining Lord Thomas’s support prior to the Battle.
Meanwhile Richard III, on hearing of Henry’s landing, sent out a summons to his supporters, requesting them to meet the King equipped for war. He also wanted Lord Thomas’s support and took his eldest son hostage in an attempt to guarantee it.
