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On the 22nd of August 1485, Henry Tudor beat King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, Richard had been king for only two years. This was the last battle of the War of the Roses, and brought to an end Plantagenet rule of England. Henry Tudor became Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch.

Richard III's body was recently found in a car park in Leicester, where he had been buried after the battle. Analysis of his body showed that he did have a curvature of the spine (scoliosis) which would have meant that his right shoulder was higher than the left, though with a good tailor and custom armour this would not have been obvious.

His body also revealed 11 injuries occurring around time of death including two injuries at the base of his skull that are likely to have been fatal. His remains also show a penetrating injury to his pelvis where a weapon must have been thrust from behind, entering the right buttock and penetrating right through the body. This type of injury would be hard to do to an armoured body, so was likely to have occurred after death as a humiliation.

References:

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Images:

1. Earliest surviving portrait of Richard III C. 1520, owned by the Society of Apothecaries (Public Domain)

2. Portrait of the young Henry VII, Musee Calvert, Avignon (Public Domain)

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1452

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Richard of Gloucester, later Richard III of England was born at Fotheringhay Castle. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. He was the supposed killer of 'The Princes in the Tower', his nephews Edward and Richard, the sons of his brother King Edward IV, and was portrayed as a villain in William Shakespeare's play 'Richard III'.

He died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 beaten by Henry Tudor, Henry VII, the first of the Tudor dynasty, so ending the War of the Roses.

In 2012 Richard III's body was found buried under a car park in Leicester and was re-interred in Leicester Cathedral. Analysis of his body showed that, as legend reported, he did have a curvature of the spine (scoliosis) which would have meant that his right shoulder was higher than the left, though with a good tailor and custom armour this would not have been obvious.

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War of the Roses , Fotheringhay Castle , Richard III , Henry VII

1461

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The abbey and town were sacked by a Lancastrian army led by Queen Margaret of Anjou during the Wars of the Roses. The abbey was in the orbit of Fotheringhay Castle, the main seat of the House of York. Both the future Edward IV and Richard III would have visited the monastery as children. Royal visitors to Peterborough Abbey were very common – as well as those mentioned above they have included: Henry III in 1268, Edward I in 1302, Edward II in 1314 (twice), Edward III in 1326, then annually 1332-6, Henry IV in 1392 & 1394, Henry VI in 1452 and Henry VII in 1486.

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Peterborough Abbey , Margaret of Anjou , War of the Roses , Lancastrian Army , Edward II , edward the Confessor , Fotheringhay Castle , Richard III , Henry VII , Henry VI

Robert Fayrfax the Tudor Composer

1464

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Robert Fayrfax or Fairfax was one of the best Tudor composers and memorable for his many achievements. He was born in Deeping Gate on 23rd April 1464, a member of the Fairfax/Fayrfax family of whom Fairfax House is named after, but nothing is known of his life in Deeping Gate.

Fayrfax was an exceptionally gifted musician and after studying at Cambridge University and gaining a doctorate, Fayrfax then moved to Oxford where he gained another doctorate in Music from Oxford in 1511, which is the first one ever recorded.

The Fairfax family were friends of Margaret Beaufort, so it is little surprise that Robert had found his way to the royal court. By the time he had completed his doctorates he had already sung at several state celebrations for Henry VII and his family. He appears to have been friends with Henry VIII and was well-paid for his work at court.

Some of Fayrfaxe's works were recorded in the Eton Choirbook, which is a book containing written music dated 1500-1504, of such significance it has been incorporated into the UK UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Other standalone pieces of his music are still played and also receive great praise for their composition. It is quite remarkable that the music we associate with the enigmatic Tudor period can be traced to a baby born in Deeping Gate.

Robert Fayrfax died in 1521 in St. Albans, where he had spent much of his adult life.

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Henry VIII , Henry VII , Composer

Death of Richard III and th…

On the 22nd of August 1485, Henry Tudor beat King Richard III at the Bat…

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Richard of Gloucester, later Richard III of England was born at Fotherin…

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Death of Richard III and the Start of the Tudor Age

1485

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Richard III Born at Fotheringhay

1452

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Royal Visitors to Peterborough

1461

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Robert Fayrfax the Tudor Composer

1464

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Resources

Death of Richard III and th…

Richard III Born at Fotheri…

Royal Visitors to Peterborough