Bosworth Field, Battle

Bosworth Field, Battle of

(Aug. 22, 1485) Final battle in the English Wars of the Roses. It was fought between the forces of King Richard III of York and the contender for the crown, Henry Tudor (later Henry VII) of Lancaster. The battle occurred when Henry returned from exile, landing with an army at Milford Haven and meeting Richard's forces 12 mi (19 km) west of Leicester. The king's men were defeated and put to flight, and Richard was unhorsed and killed in a bog (a scene depicted in William Shakespeare's Richard III). The battle established the Tudor dynasty on the English throne.