Howard went to
Ipswich School in his youth. As the
Earl of Surrey, Howard fought for
King Richard III at the
Battle of Bosworth Field in
1485, following which he was imprisoned for several years before having his titles and estates restored. He continued in the service of the
Tudor dynasty. Beginning in 1497, Howard and the English repelled
Scottish assaults at
Norham Castle, a stronghold of the Bishopric of
Durham, among others. In 1502, a
treaty was signed between Scotland and England ending hostilities for a time, and Howard was able to rest from his military career for a while. He was appointed Lieutenant General of the North.
In 1511, Lord Surrey was appointed Warden-General of the Northern Marches. In 1513, the Scots invaded England to meet their treaty obligations to France under the
Auld Alliance. At the
Battle of Flodden Field, the English, under Howard's command, crushed the Scots. With victory, Lord Surrey was restored as
Duke of Norfolk in
1514, which title had been forfeit since
1485 because of his father's support of Richard.