Bosworth: The Birth of the Tudors (75 page)

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Authors: Chris Skidmore

Tags: #England/Great Britain, #Nonfiction, #Tudors, #History, #Military & Fighting, #History, #15th Century

BOOK: Bosworth: The Birth of the Tudors
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The tomb of Duke Francis II of Brittany in Nantes Cathedral.

Louis XI (left), whose son Charles VIII (right) inherited the French throne aged thirteen. His regency council, led by his sister Anne of Beaujeu (below), gave support to Henry Tudor after his flight to France.

The chateau at Suscinio, in Morbihan, Brittany, where Henry and Jasper Tudor were sent by Duke Francis in 1472.

The fortress of Largoët, situated near the town of Elven north-east of Vannes. At fifty-seven metres high its great keep, known as the Tower of Elven, is the tallest in France. Henry spent eighteen months imprisoned on the sixth floor.

The Lancastrian, John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, whose arrival at Henry Tudor’s exiled court in 1484 proved a turning point for Henry. Oxford successfully led the vanguard at Bosworth, with Henry’s forces reliant on his military expertise.

The former Lancastrian Reginald Bray, one of Margaret Beaufort’s household servants, played a critical role in Buckingham’s rebellion, recruiting supporters among the gentry.

Christopher Urswick, Margaret Beaufort’s confessor. His decisive action in travelling to Brittany in 1484 to warn Henry Tudor of the danger in remaining at Duke Francis’ court prompted Henry’s flight to France.

Mill Bay, near Dale on the Milford Peninsula: the scene of Henry Tudor’s landing on the evening of 7 August 1485.

Rhys ap Thomas, whose eventual support for Henry Tudor in his march through Wales gave a welcome boost to the campaign.

Merevale Church, Atherstone, originally the Gate Chapel of the Cistercian Merevale Abbey, where Henry Tudor met with the Stanleys shortly before engaging battle at Bosworth.

The Welsh Gate, Shrewsbury, where Thomas Mytton initially refused Henry Tudor entry into the town.

The Blue Boar Inn, Leicester. Tradition records that Richard lodged in the town before travelling to Ambion Hill ready for battle. Originally named the White Boar, its name was altered on Henry’s accession.

Sir Gervase Clifton, a former Esquire of the Body to Edward IV, who fought on Richard’s side at Bosworth, yet survived and was later pardoned by Henry VII.

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