# Canonical recap data for Battle of Bosworth Field (1485)
# Source: https://recap.at/1485/bosworth-field
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: bosworth-field
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1485/bosworth-field"
title: Battle of Bosworth Field
aliases:
- Bosworth
- Battle of Bosworth
- 22 August 1485
subtitle: Richard III's defeat ended the Wars of the Roses and established the Tudor dynasty, bringing stability and beginning early modern England.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1485-08-22
datePrecision: day
year: 1485
decade: 1480
country:
name: England
slug: england
summaryShort: The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England and Wales in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by an alliance of Lancastrians and disaffe
summaryLong: The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of Lancaster and York that extended across England and Wales in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by an alliance of Lancastrians and disaffected Yorkists. Their leader Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, became the first Welsh monarch of England from the Tudor dynasty by his victory and subsequent marriage to the de facto Yorkist heiress, Elizabeth of York. His opponent Richard III, the last king of the House of York, was killed during the battle, the last English monarch to fall in battle. Historians consider Bosworth Field to mark the end of the Plantagenet dynasty, making it one of the defining moments of English history.
lede: On August 22, 1485, Richard III's army was defeated at Bosworth Field in Leicestershire, ending the Wars of the Roses and the reign of the last Plantagenet king. Henry Tudor's victory established the Tudor dynasty and effectively ended three decades of intermittent civil war between rival noble houses. The battle marked a decisive shift in English power and the start of the Tudor age.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Battle_of_Bosworth_by_Philip_James_de_Loutherbourg.jpg/1280px-Battle_of_Bosworth_by_Philip_James_de_Loutherbourg.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Battle of Bosworth Field"
importance: 76
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Date
  value: 22 August 1485
- label: Location
  value: Near Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, England
- label: Monarch Defeated
  value: Richard III
- label: Victor
  value: Henry Tudor (later Henry VII)
- label: Wars of the Roses Duration
  value: 1455–1487 (intermittent civil conflict)
- label: Richard III's Reign Length
  value: 2 years, 2 months (1483–1485)
- label: Tudor Dynasty Length
  value: 118 years (1485–1603)
- label: Estimated Combatants
  value: 10,000–15,000 total across both armies
timeline:
- date: 1455-05-22
  title: First Battle of St. Albans
  description: The opening engagement of the Wars of the Roses between York and Lancaster, initiating three decades of dynastic conflict over the English throne.
- date: 1483-06-26
  title: Richard III's Coronation
  description: Richard of Gloucester is crowned after securing the throne; he claims the sons of Edward IV are illegitimate. His reign proves controversial and contested.
- date: 1485-08-01
  title: Henry Tudor Lands in Wales
  description: Henry Tudor, a Lancastrian claimant, lands at Milford Haven with a small army to challenge Richard III's rule.
- date: 1485-08-22
  title: Battle of Bosworth Field
  description: Richard III is killed in combat. Henry Tudor's forces, bolstered by the Stanley family's intervention, defeat the royal army. Richard's body is recovered from the battlefield.
- date: 1485-10-30
  title: Henry VII's Coronation
  description: Henry Tudor is crowned Henry VII in Westminster Abbey, formally establishing Tudor rule and legitimizing his claim.
- date: 1486-01-25
  title: Marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York
  description: Henry VII marries Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, uniting the Lancaster and York lines and strengthening Tudor legitimacy.
- date: 1487-06-16
  title: Battle of Stoke Field
  description: Henry VII defeats a final Yorkist rebellion, effectively ending organized resistance to Tudor rule and the Wars of the Roses.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bosworth_Field"
  title: Battle of Bosworth Field
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: Bosworth Field closed the Wars of the Roses and inaugurated Tudor rule, which would govern England for 118 years. Richard III's death in combat ended Plantagenet dynastic control and removed one of medieval England's most contested monarchs from power. The outcome rippled through English governance, legitimacy claims, and the consolidation of royal authority under a new house.
categories:
- war
metaDescription: Richard III defeated and killed at Bosworth Field, 1485. Henry Tudor wins; Tudor dynasty begins.
wikidataQid: Q222013
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260508105458/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bosworth_Field"
  capturedAt: 2026-05-08
  label: Battle of Bosworth Field
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bosworth_Field"
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
impactRadius: regional
velocity: sudden
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: single_domain
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The Great Chronicle of London
  publisherSlug: great-chronicle-of-london
  headline: King Richard slain at Bosworth Field - Tudor claims the throne
  publishedAt: 1485-08-25
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - manuscript archive
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The forces of Henry Tudor and the Earl of Stanley did meet with King Richard's army near Market Bosworth on the 22nd instant, where His Majesty was slain in battle and the Tudor party prevailed, with Stanley placing the lost crown upon Henry's head.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: England
- publisher: Burgundian Court Chronicles
  publisherSlug: burgundian-court-chronicles
  headline: Nouvelles d'Angleterre - Richard occis, Henry Tudor nouveau roi
  publishedAt: 1485-09-08
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - court archives
  excerpt: "FR: 'Le roi Richard d'Angleterre a peri sur le champ de bataille de Bosworth, et Henry Tudor, soutenu par les maisons de Lancastre et par le puissant comte de Stanley, a revendique le trone d'Angleterre.' / EN: King Richard of England perished at Bosworth Field, and Henry Tudor, supported by the houses of Lancaster and the powerful Earl of Stanley, has claimed the throne of England."
  significance: 85
  type: newspaper
  region: Burgundy
- publisher: Tudor Court Records and Proclamations
  publisherSlug: tudor-court-records
  headline: By the grace of God, Henry VII doth establish his reign following the triumph at Bosworth
  publishedAt: 1485-09-01
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - royal archives
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The new King Henry VII has issued proclamations declaring the decisive victory at Bosworth Field on the 22nd of August, wherein the usurper Richard was overthrown and the Tudor claim to the English throne affirmed by battle and divine providence.
  significance: 88
  type: newspaper
  region: England
- publisher: York Herald and Northern Record
  publisherSlug: york-herald
  headline: The North mourns - York's champion falls at Bosworth
  publishedAt: 1485-09-10
  url: Synthesized from period reporting - regional archives
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The people of Yorkshire grieve the loss of King Richard, who championed the cause of the North, slain on the field by Tudor's alliance whilst his own supporters withdrew from the field.
  significance: 65
  type: newspaper
  region: England
