How did the Battle of Bosworth Field start?

Answer 1

The Battle of Bosworth (originally called "Redemore") was fought on 22nd August 1485 between the forces of King Richard III and those of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, a Lancastrian claimant to the throne who had also attracted support from the rival Yorkist faction by his pledge to marry Elizabeth of York, daughter of Richard's elder brother Edward IV. In addition to their respective forces, there were three smaller armies not reliably committed to either side, commanded respectively by Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, Thomas, Lord Stanley, and the latter's brother Sir William Stanley. The Stanley's were handicapped by the presence of Thomas' son, Lord Strang, as a hostage in Richard's camp. Under questioning, he made a confession implicating his uncle (but not his father) in a plot against Richard. The latter proclaimed Sir William Stanley a traitor. It appears that he also orderd Strang's execution, but either changed his mind or was disobeyed. Strang survived. The battle opened with an encounter between the two vanguards, under Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk (Richard) and John De Vere, Earl of Oxford (Henry). Though outnumbered, Oxford's men performed better than expected, and Norfolk was killed. However, it still seemed that Richard's superior numbers must prevail, and Henry took the risk of riding across to Sir William Stanley's forces, hoping to persuade them to intervene on his side. Richard saw this as an opportunity to "decapitate" the other side, and led his household troops in a charge aimed at intercepting Henry before the latter could reach Sir William. He fought his way into Henry's force, killing the latter's standard bearer, and may have exchanged blows with Henry Tudor himself. However, at this point Sir William finally moved, striking at Richard with a much superior force. Richard went down fighting, and either Sir William or his brother placed the crown on Henry Tudor's head, as King Henry VII. Northumberland had remained inactive throughout, but was nonetheless arrested by Henry and held in the Tower of London for a short time. Lord Stanley took no part in the battle proper, but apparently joined in pursuing of the remnant of Richard's army. With Richard dead, however, most of this soon surrendered. Bosworth's exact location is a matter of some dispute, but was somewhere a few miles west of Leicester. It is generally regarded as having ended the series of civil wars later called "The Wars of the Roses", though despite Henry's marriage one final Yorkist rising had to be defeated at the battle of East Stoke in 1487.

Answer 2

It was the decisive battle in The War Of The Roses, in that The House of Lancaster (lead by Henry Tudor) defeated The House Of York (lead by King Richard III). The result was the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty (also called The House Of Tudor) which ruled England for 118 years (Ending with the death of Queen Elizabeth I).