King Thomas Stanley II (1435 - 1504), 1st Earl of Derby, 2nd Baron Stanley, Knight of the Garter and stepfather to King Henry VII of England.
Thomas II was a central figure in the War of the Roses. Initially, a key supporter of Richard III of England, it was through Thomas' marriage to Margaret Beaufort, great granddaughter of King Edward III, that he would play a significant role in his stepson's seizure of the throne of England.
It was at the Battle of Bosworth that Thomas' action in holding the forces under his command back from assisting Richard III that led to Henry VII victory. A turning point in the battle came when Henry moved towards Thomas for support. At that point, Richard III and his men attacked Henry's small group of protector knights. At which point, Thomas' brother, William and his army came to Henry's aid and surrounded Richard and his men, striking them down, bringing the battle of Bosworth to a close and leading to the eventual end of the War of the Roses.
The Print Collector/Heritage-Images
For his services to his stepson, Thomas II was made the Earl of Derby and would remain in the good favour of Henry VII until the end of his life. Thomas' son, George (heir-apparent), died just a few years before him and the Kingdom of the Isle of Man passed to his grandson Thomas III. For reasons unknown, Thomas III abdicated his title as King, instead adopting the use of the style of "Lord of Mann" which has remained the style to date and is the address for HM Queen Elizabeth II in her role as the de facto head of state in the Isle of Man.
Interestingly enough, there are no records indicating Thomas II ever visited the Isle of Man. It is perhaps his hands off approach in governing style that the future Lords would model providing for an environment for the Island to remain economically independent and successful.
