1485

1485 was a pivotal year in English and European history, marking the end of the Wars of the Roses and the birth of the Tudor dynasty in England. The decisive turning point occurred on 22 August at the Battle of Bosworth Field near Leicester, where Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III. Richard III was killed in the field, and his death effectively ended the Plantagenet and Yorkist claim to the English throne. Henry Tudor then ascended as King Henry VII, inaugurating the Tudor era.

On 30 October 1485, Henry VII was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey. His accession brought a formal end to decades of civil conflict and established the legitimacy of a new ruling house. The early Tudor years focused on stabilizing royal authority, rebuilding finances, and forging strategic alliances to secure the realm.

A key element of the new regime was the dynastic marriage between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, which took place in January 1486. The union symbolically united the Lancastrian and Yorkist factions and helped to reconcile competing noble factions, consolidating Henry’s grip on the throne and laying the groundwork for a relatively stable period in English governance.

The events of 1485 had a lasting impact on the political landscape of England and contributed to the broader transition from medieval to early modern governance. In a wider European context, the year persisted within the era of dynastic disputes and consolidation common to late medieval Europe.