Richard Ratcliffe of the two councilors (the other was William Catesby) who are reputed to have told the king that marrying Elizabeth of York would cause rebellions in the north. Ratcliffe was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field, on 22 August 1485. Ratcliffe appears in Shakespeare's play "Richard III" as a minor character who executes Rivers, Grey and Vaughn. In the Andrew Wise 1597 (first) edition, Sir Richard's character appears first as "Sir Richard Ratliffe" (without the 'c') then as plain "Ratcliffe" (with the 'c', but no 'Sir' nor 'Richard') and finally as plain "Ratliffe". Richard Ratcliffe Sir Richard Ratcliffe, KG
Battle of Bosworth Field 2nd Baron Stanley, was not as steadfast. By 1485, he had served three kings, namely Henry VI, Edward IV, and Richard III. Lord Stanley's skilled political manoeuvrings—vacillating between opposing sides until it was clear who would be the winner—gained him high positions; he was Henry's chamberlain and Edward's steward. His non-committal stance, until the crucial point of a battle, earned him the loyalty of his men, who felt he would not needlessly send them to their deaths. Lord Stanley's relations with the king's brother, the eventual Richard III, were not cordial. The two had conflicts that erupted into violence around