Thomas Stanley and Richard III
Thomas Stanley, First Earl of Derby (1435 – 1504) was an English magnate with extensive landholdings in northwest England, which he dominated almost as an independent ruler. As such, his support was sought after by both the Lancastrian and Yorkist branches of the Plantagenet dynasty during the Wars of Roses (1455 – 1487), which he effectively brought to an end with a timely double-cross.
Richard III of York was the reigning king, having been crowned in 1483, following the death of his brother, Edward IV, who named Richard guardian and regent during the minority of Edward’s son and successor, 12-year-old Edward V. Richard, however, declared Edward’s sons illegitimate, and imprisoned his nephews in the Tower of London, where they disappeared and were likely murdered, and crowned himself king.
Richard was challenged for the throne by Henry Tudor, the last viable male descendant of the competing Lancastrian line, who landed in England in 1485, after years of exile. Richard gathered his forces, which included a big contingent commanded by Thomas Stanley, a major Yorkist loyalist, and supporter, and marched out to meet his challenger.
Stanley was conflicted, however: his family had been Lancastrians, but he had defected to the Yorkists. He was handsomely rewarded for that betrayal with lands and estates, and appointed to powerful positions in the royal government, and was thus indebted to the Yorkists. However, he also happened to be married to Henry Tudor’s mother, so he was the challenger’s stepfather.
Stuck between the rock of loyalty and the hard place of peace and tranquility in his own house, Stanley decided to play both sides and secretly contacted his stepson to explore defection. King Richard, however, found out, and seized Stanley’s son as a hostage for the Earls good behavior and insurance against treachery, then ordered him to join the Yorkist army with his contingent, which Stanley reluctantly did.
The antagonists met at the Battle of Bosworth on August 22nd, 1485, but Stanley was still undecided, and kept his contingent to one side of the field while waiting to see which side looked like a winner. A livid Richard III sent Stanley a message, threatening to execute his son unless he immediately attacked the Lancastrians, only for the Earl to reply: “Sire, I have other sons“.
Richard ordered Stanley’s son executed, but the order was not immediately carried out, and before long it was too late, when at made up his mind that King Richard was losing the battle, and ordered an attack – against Richard and the Yorkist forces. That double cross decisively tipped the scales in favor of Henry Tudor, and against Richard III, who launched a final desperate attack seeking to reach and cut down his challenger, only to get cut down himself.
Following Richard’s death, Stanley found his fallen crown in some shrubs, and personally placed it on the head of Henry Tudor. Henceforth Henry VII, Stanley’s stepson and the new king of England, who brought the Plantagenet dynasty to an end after centuries of rule and replaced it with his own Tudor dynasty, generously rewarded the treacherous earl for his double cross.