The War of the Roses and the Battle of Bosworth

The Battle of Bosworth 1485

The battle of Bosworth is one of the most important battles in English history. It led to the War of the Roses, and planted the Tudor house on the throne of England.

What happened the battle of Bosworth?

Henry Tudor, (Henry VII), earl of Richmond and a Lancastrian, defeated King Richard III, a Yorkist, at the battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August 1485.

Battle of Bosworth saw the death of Richard III

Richard III was the last English monarch to have been killed in battle.

Henry was born in 1491. In English history, the time when he and his family lived is known as the Tudor age. Tudor was Henry's family name. Henry lived at a time of changes. People had new ideas in art, science and religion. They sailed off to explore new lands. Henry died in 1547. Three of his children ruled England after him.

Why do people remember Henry?

Paintings of Henry VIII show a big, fierce-looking man in fine clothes. He looks scary, and many people were scared of him. If the King did not get his way, he got cross. People who made him cross risked having their heads chopped off! As a young man, Henry was handsome and clever. He was good at sport, music and dancing. He wanted to be a soldier and a famous king.

Growing up

Henry was born in 1491 in Greenwich Palace near London. His father was King Henry VII. His mother was Elizabeth of York. Henry's father had been king for only six years when Henry was born. He had won a battle to make himself king.

Schooling

Henry did not go to school. Teachers called tutors taught him and his older brother Arthur. Henry was very clever. He learned French, Latin and Greek. He was good at maths, poetry and music. He also loved to play games.

Playtime

Henry had a fool to amuse him when he was bored with his books. The fool told jokes and did funny things, like a clown. Henry also had a whipping boy. The whipping boy was a servant. If Henry was naughty, the tutor hit the whipping boy. No one dared hit the prince!

War training

Henry liked horse riding, jousting and archery. Rich and poor men in Tudor times trained to be soldiers, to fight for their king. Henry wore armour. Henry loved tournaments. He liked to show off in his armour.

Henry becomes king

Henry's older brother Arthur died in 1502. So Henry was next in line to be king. Henry's mother died in 1503. When Henry's father died in 1509, Henry became king. He was crowned King Henry VIII (the 8th English king named Henry)

Henry's divorce

Henry's first wife was Catherine of Aragon. She was a Spanish princess. In 1511, Catherine had a son, but the baby died. Catherine and Henry had a daughter, Mary. But no son. So in 1533, Henry decided to divorce Catherine, so he could marry someone else.

Henry and the Church

Divorce was against the rules of the Roman Catholic Church. Most people in England were Christians, and members of this Church. Henry was too. But he broke the rules. He got his divorce. He made himself head of the Church in England.

Wives 2 and 3

Henry's second wife was Anne Boleyn. She had a daughter, Elizabeth. Henry turned against Anne, and she was beheaded in 1536. Next Henry married Jane Seymour. In 1537, she had a son, Edward, but she died two weeks later. Henry was very sad.

Wives 4-5-6

Henry's fourth wife (1540) was Anne of Cleves, from Belgium. Henry had never seen her until she came to England for the wedding. He divorced her after six months. He soon married again. His fifth wife was Catherine Howard. She was only 19. She was beheaded in 1542. Henry's sixth wife was Catherine Parr, a widow. She looked after his children.

Who was Elizabeth I?

Elizabeth was Queen of England, Ireland and Wales from 1558 to 1603. She gave her name to the 'Elizabethan Age'. It was an exciting time in English history. This was the age of William Shakespeare's plays, Francis Drake's voyages, and the sea battles against the Spanish Armada.

When did she live?

Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII. She was born in 1533. Her grandfather Henry VII was the first Tudor king of England. Elizabeth became Queen of England in 1558. She died in 1603.

Why is Elizabeth famous?

Elizabeth I ruled England alone. She did not marry. So although she was queen, England had no king. This was unusual at the time. The Elizabethan Age was an exciting part of English history. There were new ideas, and arguments about religion. There were wars with Spain. English explorers sailed to new lands.