War of the Roses question: A Duke of Norfolk WI

Currently, I am working on a fantasy-alternate history story set in 1485, at the time of the War of the Roses. Although I won't go into detail about the story itself, what I want to do is get John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, into a more 'prominent' position.

Firstly, for the sake of the story, does anyone know what these knights and earls would do 'between' battles (apart from getting battered at the local tavern)? I am planning on starting the story/TL from just before the Battle of Bosworth Field, preferably with the Duke of Norfolk resident in his castle at Framlington. Is this a plausible approach? I can't see any reason why he would not want to go home to chill out for a while before the onset of battle.

Do you know how long it takes for the Dukes to 'answer' the call to battle and assemble a decent army? I can find a lot of material on the battles themselves, but nothing on the run-up to the battles, and how sites were chosen, etc. Was Bosworth Field chosen out of convenience due to Henry Tudor marching out of Wales (and therefore a good collision point for advancing armies) or was there more to it? I am aware Richard III had a thing for Leicester, and supposedly visited the town frequently in the days before the battle itself.

My second question relates to the Howards themselves: How feasible is it for John Howard to challenge Henry Tudor for the throne in the event of surviving Bosworth Field? John Howard and Richard of Gloucester seemed pretty close, and John's death in battle appears to have been quite an emotional blow to Richard.
I have plans for the story series to later focus on Katherine Howard (OTL fifth wife of Henry VIII)... Where she leads an entirely different life.

Many thanks,

Twi
 
If I recall correctly, the Howards descended from Edward I, not even Edward III. Such unimportant traces of Plantagenet blood wouldn't be enough to challenge the union of Lancaster (Henry Tudor) and York (Elizabeth Plantagenet).

If a Howard married Margaret Plantagenet (daughter of the Duke of Clarence), then you might be able to have him claim the throne in her name...even then, the Staffords and de la Poles have better claim and a lot more support.
 

amphibulous

Banned
Firstly, for the sake of the story, does anyone know what these knights and earls would do 'between' battles (apart from getting battered at the local tavern)? I am planning on starting the story/TL from just before the Battle of Bosworth Field, preferably with the Duke of Norfolk resident in his castle at Framlington. Is this a plausible approach? I can't see any reason why he would not want to go home to chill out for a while before the onset of battle.

Getting home wouldn't be just to rest - he has lands to administer. Think of him as being more like a CEO getting back from Guard duty in Iraq. The other place that will exert a pull on him is being wherever the king is to play politics.
 
Two very helpful, and informative replies. Thanks.:)

Didn't the union between Henry Tudor and Elizabeth Plantagenet occur after the Battle? I thought they married in early 1486 (Arthur Tudor was born in September 1486 if I remember correctly). Could Howard go out after Tudor well before Bosworth Field and nip his support in the bud, so to speak? This though would likely lead to the WI Richard III wins at Bosworth (or wherever this new conflict takes place), which has been done to death I'm sure.

I like the idea of a Howard marrying a Plantagenet. Perhaps Richard III offers John Howard (or his son, Thomas) the chance to marry Elizabeth of York instead? Is there an equivalent of Elizabeth in the Lancaster Houses? In the event of a Yorkist Victory, would they still try to unite the two factions in a similar manner? I need to be careful I don't butterfly away Katherine Howard's birth though.
Perhaps Richard III, in this case, is betrothed to Anne of Brittany to bring that province into a union with England and Wales, instead of France. Although I think I'm going off the rails with this one.

The Staffords and the de la Poles, interesting point. I read somewhere they were trying to stir trouble well into the 1500's, so I guess in this hypothetical timeline, they'd be more so.
 
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