Thread by @nonregemesse

Today in AD 1485:

Richard III made his last charge against the Tudor forces at the Battle of Bosworth, where he died fighting alone among his enemies!

This is the story of the end of the Plantagenet Dynasty at the dawn of the modern world 🧵

Richard ruled as king for two years after usurping and disposing of the sons of his older brother, Edward IV.

But the bitterness created among elite English society by the Wars of the Roses ran too deep & many still sought after a Lancastrian king.

That Lancastrian was now Henry Tudor, thrice great-grandson of Edward III and distant cousin of Richard.

He was in hiding in France, fearful of his safety if he returned to England.

Upon realising the troubles & instability of Richard’s reign, he invaded.

Landing in Wales, the half-Welsh Henry marched towards London picking up support along the way, eventually amassing a force of around 5,000 men including 2000 Breton allies

Richard gathered his forces as quickly as possible and rushed from London to battle against Henry, taking around 8,000 men with him.

Upon reaching Bosworth, Richard divided his forces into three battalions led by the Duke of Norfolk, Earl of Northumberland, and himself

Nofolk led the vanguard of Richard’s army against the Earl of Oxford who was commanding Henry’s army.

The fighting was hard and some of Norfolk’s men fled the field of battle.

The treacherous Earl of Northumberland did nothing when signalled by Richard to lead his men into battle.

Richard, realising now that he was in danger of losing, saw Henry and led a hazardous charge in attempt to end the battle with one fell swoop.

Richard’s thunderous charge killed Henry’s standard-bearer Sir William Brandon immediately and unhorsed the enormous Sir John Cheyne,

However he couldn’t reach Henry, who dismounted and went to hide among his men.

Richard & his companions were surrounded among Henry’s men, fighting bravely but increasingly taking casualties, Richard eventually found himself in grave danger.

He was heard to shout "God forbid that I retreat one step. I will either win the battle as a king, or die as one."

And then, as Polydore Vergil recounts:

‘King Richard, alone, was killed fighting manfully in the thickest press of his enemies’

It is believed that a Welshman struck Richard from behind with a halberd. Analysis of his newly discovered remains show eleven wounds, nine of which were to his head.

The last king of the Plantagenet line of English monarchs died 334 years the first Plantagenet king was crowned

Richard’s circlet crown was found on the field not too far from his corpse and Henry was crowned on the spot

Of Richard’s commanders, the loyal Duke of Norfolk was thought to be slain in single combat by Sir John Savage.

The Earl of Northumberland, whose inactivity doomed Richard, was imprisoned after the battle but was later released on favourable terms.

Henry VII ruled for 24 years and married Richard’s niece and daughter of Edward IV, Elizabeth of York.

His reign plagued by intrigues launched by Richard’s sister Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy.

@villagrippa nice collection of Graham Turners