This battle is very interesting, because it can all be linked to family ambitions and the desire to wear a crown. The Yorkists were the "white roses," and the Lancastrians were "red roses" - ever wonder where the Tudor rose came from? I hadn't, until I read about this, and now I think it's all very clever!
The Lancastrian side of the battle was led by Henry Tudor, the Earl of Richmond, a Lancastrian - soon to be known as King Henry VII. His mother was the ambitious Margaret Beaufort, and his father, Edmund Tudor had died before he was born.
The Yorkist side was led by King Richard III, and his army outnumbered Henry's. He split his army into three groups, or "battes," led by different Yorkist men. As his strategy didn't work, Richard charged across the battlefield with the intention of killing Henry, but Henry's army banded together, defended their heir, and killed Richard on the spot. Henry was then crowned King on Crown Hill after the battle.
This was an incredible turning point in English history. The Plantagenet dynasty, which had lasted for 331 years, came to a screeching halt, making way for a new family to rule. The Lancastrians had won, and they placed their heir on the throne - a Tudor.
Upon Henry's coronation, he married the Yorkist princess, Elizabeth, daughter of the former King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.Henry saw this marriage as a necessity to stabilize his rule and weaken the rest of the Yorkists and whatever claims they may have. As we already know, these are the parents of our notorious (and perhaps favorite) Tudor ruler, King Henry VIII, as well as several more children.
Just thought you might be interested in reading about the first day the Tudors came into power! How different would history have been if the Yorkists and King Richard III had won the Battle of Bosworth? I hate to think that the Tudors may have never existed!
Happy Birthday, Tudor dynasty!