History UsefulNotes / RichardIII

The fate of the Princes was never certainly established. The last sighting of the boys alive seems to have been around July 1483, shortly before Richard's coronation. Stories of their death varied wildly: some said they had been poisoned, others drowned, others stabbed -- but the most accepted version was that attested by Thomas More, that the princes had been smothered and buried secretly under a staircase in the Tower. Bones found there in 1674 under a staircase (as More had said, though he also said he had heard that Richard had had them disinterred and buried elsewhere) were declared to be theirs by the then king, UsefulNotes/CharlesII. The identification is by no means certain; the bones were last examined in 1934, and it was determined at that time that not all of them were even human. Their age, sex, and date of burial have been disputed (though most experts agree they are pre-pubertal); there has even been some [[WildMassGuessing speculation]] that they're the remains of ceremonial sacrifices from Roman times. The dean and chapter of Westminster Abbey, where the bones are interred, have refused to allow further testing, as did Queen Elizabeth II, who would not allow DNA analysis of the remains ''or'' of available remains of any known relatives of the Princes.

* ''Literature/RichardIIIInThe21stCentury'', a sci-fi duology in which a research team rescues Richard at his moment of death and brings him to the year 2004, where he must learn to adapt to a very different world than the one he left behind.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. The fact that she was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped him gain popular support in that region. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's decadent court, despite his own premarital illegitimate children, and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses. One rumor that did circulate during Richard's lifetime that is that he poisoned Anne in order to marry his niece Elizabeth of York. There is an eyewitness account of him angrily denying this and declaring his love for the recently deceased Anne[[note]]The fact that popular novelist Phillippa Gregory's work portrays Richard and Elizabeth as in love infuriates Ricardians, who object to the slander of Richard and Tudor partisans, who see this as insulting to Elizabeth who went on to marry Henry Tudor [[/note]]. He was, in fact, negotiating political matches for himself and Elizabeth with a Portuguese princess and prince.

Remarkably, [[RealityIsUnrealistic the remains showed signs of severe adolescent-onset scoliosis]] (a spinal column with a C-curve) -- which likely gave him uneven shoulders and ribs but certainly didn't make him a hunchback -- but there were no signs of the other deformities claimed by Tudor propagandists. (In 15th-century England, though, Richard's back alone would have been seen as a divine punishment. Even though he [[HidingTheHandicap may have kept it hidden]] until [[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-32291624 his death]], gossip about it would have added to a poor reputation, and obviously time didn't help.) Further studies on his body and [[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-41174229 contextual reconstruction with scoliosis patient Dominic Smee]] demonstrated that medieval armour and cavalry weaponry does not hinder a scoliosis sufferer from being an effective cavalry fighter -- although it would definitely tire them out in on-foot combat. The entire sequence of Richard's actions in Bosworth suggest that this is what happened; he led a cavalry charge that was repulsed before being unhorsed, rendering him vulnerable. It was also found that despite his increased vulnerability after being unhorsed, he ''really did'' go down fighting -- his skeleton showed that he suffered over a dozen injuries, three of which would have been fatal fairly quickly. Of those three injuries, one could have only been inflicted after death. This was the blow to his pelvis, which would have been armoured at the time of his death. The other two, a blow from a sword and another from a halberd-type weapon, both to the skull, were more likely the fatal wounds. In brief, whatever your opinion on the man might be, he was most definitely a RealLife HandicappedBadass.

* The noted American playwright Maxwell Anderson wrote a little-known play called ''Richard and Anne.'' In it, the ghost of [[UsefulNotes/RichardIII Richard III]] interrupts a production of ''Theatre/RichardIII'' in order to [[{{Angst}} angst]] about his [[TheMourningAfter everlasting love]] for his wife Anne. And [[RonTheDeathEater Henry of Richmond]] shows up as a vulgar [[IncrediblyLamePun music tutor]].

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother, was named Lord Protector of Edward's son, Edward V, upon the older Edward's death. In the political chaos that followed, Richard struck against Edward V's maternal relatives (who were almost certainly moving to strike against Richard) and produced a document and a witness (in the form of an elderly priest) that indicated Edward IV's marriage to the boy's mother had been invalid due to it being bigamous. This made Edward V and his younger brother ineligible for the throne and Richard the rightful king. The truth of this convenient claim has been much discussed, disputed and speculated upon. Edward IV ''was'' a womanizer and his secret marriage to the commoner Elizabeth Woodville had caused great scandal. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior, if only as a way to get into bed with an attractive widow. Did Richard or one of his supporters invent this story so they could seize power? Did Richard, who knew his brother well, know the story was true or at least believe it could be true? Did Richard, understandably, fear the Woodville faction would eliminate him and take control of the boy? Was Richard acting out of ambition or out of a desire to avoid the political instability that came from having a boy on the throne? Was it, as is most likely, a combination of these factors? Whatever the case, Richard [[TheUsurper seized the throne]] and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother, was named Lord Protector of Edward's son, Edward V, upon the older Edward's death. In the political chaos that followed, Richard struck against Edward V's maternal relatives (who were almost certainly moving to strike against Richard) and produced a document and a witness (in the form of an elderly priest) that indicated Edward IV's marriage to the boy's mother had been invalid due to it being bigamous. This made Edward V and his younger brother ineligible for the throne and Richard the rightful king. The truth of this convenient claim has been much discussed, disputed and speculated upon. Edward IV ''was'' a womanizer and his secret marriage to the commoner Elizabeth Woodville had caused great scandal. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior, if only as a way to get into bed with an attractive widow. Did Richard or one of his supporters invent this story so they could seize power? Did Richard, who knew his brother well, know the story was true or at least believe it could be true? Did Richard, understandably, fear the Woodville faction would eliminate him and take control of the boy? Was Richard acting out of ambition or out of a desire to avoid the political instability that came from having a boy on the throne? Was it a combination of both? Whatever the case, Richard [[TheUsurper seized the throne]] and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother, was named Lord Protector of Edward's son, Edward V, upon the older Edward's death. In the political chaos that followed, Richard struck against Edward V's maternal relatives (who were almost certainly moving to strike against Richard) and produced a document and a witness (in the form of an elderly priest) that indicated Edward IV's marriage to the boy's mother had been invalid due to it being bigamous. This made Edward V and his younger brother ineligible for the throne and Richard the rightful king. The truth of this convenient claim has been much discussed, disputed and speculated upon. Edward IV ''was'' a womanizer and his secret marriage to the commoner Elizabeth Woodville had caused great scandal. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior, if only as a way to get into bed with an attractive widow. Did Richard or one of his supporters invent this story so they could seize power? Did Richard, who knew his brother well, know the story was true or at least believe it could be true? Was Richard acting out of ambition or out of a desire to avoid the political instability that came from having a boy on the throne? Was it a combination of both? Whatever the case, Richard [[TheUsurper seized the throne]] and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.

Contemporary portrayals, such as ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'' and ''Literature/TheKingmakersDaughter'' (and its TV adaptation ''Series/TheWhiteQueen'') have continued to rehabilitate Richard's reputation, in part, by focusing on Richard's life before he seized the crown, portraying him accurately as a devoted supporter of Edward IV and their brother George, Duke of Clarence, as the one who made several attempts to usurp Edward. Richard, on the other hand, fled into exile with Edward when he was briefly deposed by the Lancastrian faction and Richard's military prowess at the Battles of Barnet and Teweksbury helped Edward retake his throne. Additionally, Richard's tenure as Constable of England helped him develop a reputation as a fair arbiter of justice and, as mentioned above, planted the seeds for the legal reforms he later made as king. Richard spent most of his adult life ruling his northern territories on behalf of his brother, where he developed a strong power base and was well liked by the local population.

Contemporary portrayals, such as ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'' and ''Literature/TheKingmakersDaughter'' (and its TV adaptation ''Series/TheWhiteQueen'') have continued to rehabilitate Richard's reputation, in part, by focusing on Richard's life before he seized the crown, portraying him accurately as a devoted supporter of Edward IV and their brother George, Duke of Clarence, as the one who made several attempts to usurp Edward. Richard, on the other hand, fled into exile with Edward when he was briefly deposed by the Lancastrian faction and Richard's military prowess at the Battles of Barnet and Teweksbury helped Edward retake his throne. Additionally, Richard's tenure as Constable of England helped him develop a reputation as a fair arbiter of justice and, as mentioned above, planted the seeds for the legal reforms he later made as king.

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother, was named Lord Protector of Edward's son, Edward V, upon the older Edward's death. In the political chaos that followed, Richard struck against Edward V's maternal relatives and produced a document and a witness (in the form of an elderly priest) that indicated Edward IV's marriage to the boy's mother had been invalid due to it being bigamous. This made Edward V and his younger brother ineligible for the throne and Richard the rightful king. The truth of this convenient claim has been much discussed, disputed and speculated upon. Edward IV ''was'' a womanizer and his secret marriage to the commoner Elizabeth Woodville had caused great scandal. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior, if only as a way to get into bed with an attractive widow. Did Richard or one of his supporters invent this story so they could seize power? Did Richard, who knew his brother well, know the story was true or at least believe it could be true? Was Richard acting out of ambition or out of a desire to avoid the political instability that came from having a boy on the throne? Was it a combination of both? Whatever the case, Richard [[TheUsurper seized the throne]] and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother, was named Lord Protector of Edward's son, Edward V, upon the older Edward's death. In the political chaos that followed, Richard struck against Edward V's maternal relatives and produced a document and a witness (in the form of an elderly priest) that indicated Edward IV's marriage to the boy's mother had been invalid due to it being bigamous. This made Edward V and his younger brother ineligible for the throne and Richard the rightful king. The truth of this convenient claim has been much discussed, disputed and speculated upon. Edward IV ''was'' a womanizer and his secret marriage to the commoner Elizabeth Woodville had caused great scandal. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior, if only as a way to get into bed with an attractive widow. Did Richard or one of his supporters invent this story so they could seize power? Did Richard, who knew his brother well, know the story was true or at least believe it could be true? Was Richard acting out of ambition or out of a desire to avoid the political instability that came from having a boy on the throne? Was it a combination of both? Whatever the case, Richard seized the throne and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. The fact that she was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped him gain popular support in that region. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's decadent court and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses. One rumor that did circulate during Richard's lifetime that is that he poisoned Anne in order to marry his niece Elizabeth of York. There is an eyewitness account of him angrily denying this and declaring his love for the recently deceased Anne[[note]]The fact that popular novelist Phillippa Gregory's work portrays Richard and Elizabeth as in love infuriates Ricardians, who object to the slander of Richard and Tudor partisans, who see this as insulting to Elizabeth who went on to marry Henry Tudor [[/note]]. He was, in fact, negotiating political matches for himself and Elizabeth with a Portuguese princess and prince.

* Sharon Kay Penman's ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'' is a DoorStopper epic detailing the UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses, which focuses on a very sympathetic Richard.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. The fact that she was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped him gain popular support in that region. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's decadent court and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses. One rumor that did circulate during Richard's lifetime that is that he poisoned Anne in order to marry his niece Elizabeth of York. There is an eyewitness account of him angrily denying this and declaring his love for the recently deceased Anne[[note]]The fact that popular novelist Phillippa Gregory's work portrays Richard and Elizabeth as in love infuriates Ricardians, who object to the slander of Richard and Tudor partisans, who see this as insulting to Elizabeth who went on to marry Henry Tudor. [[/note]]. He was, in fact, negotiating political matches for himself and Elizabeth with a Portuguese princess and prince.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. The fact that she was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped him gain popular support in that region. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's decadent court and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses. One rumor that did circulate during Richard's lifetime that is that he poisoned Anne in order to marry his niece Elizabeth of York. There is an eyewitness account of him angrily denying this and declaring his love for the recently deceased Anne[[note]]the fact that popular novelist Phillippa Gregory's work portrays Richard and Elizabeth as in love infuriates Ricardians[[/note]]. He was, in fact, negotiating political matches for himself and Elizabeth with a Portuguese princess and prince.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. The fact that she was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped him gain popular support in that region. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's decadent court and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses. One rumor that did circulate during Richard's lifetime that is that he poisoned Anne in order to marry his niece Elizabeth of York. There is an eyewitness account of him angrily denying this and declaring his love for the recently deceased Anne. He was, in fact, negotiating political matches for himself and Elizabeth with a Portuguese princess and prince.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. The fact that she was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped him gain popular support in that region. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's decadent court and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses. One rumor that did circulate during Richard's lifetime that is that he poisoned Anne in order to marry his niece Elizabeth of York. There is an eyewitness account of him angrily denying this and declaring his love for the recently deceased Anne. He was, in fact, negotiating political matches for himself and Elizabeth with a Portuguese princesses and prince.

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother, was named Lord Protector of Edward's son, Edward V, upon the older Edward's death. In the political chaos that followed, Richard struck against Edward V's maternal relatives and produced a document and a witness (in the form of an elderly priest) that indicated Edward IV's marriage to the boy's mother had been invalid due to it being bigamous. This made Edward V and his younger brother ineligible for the throne and Richard the rightful king. The truth of this convenient claim has been much discussed, disputed and speculated upon. Edward IV ''was'' a womanizer and his secret marriage to the commoner Elizabeth Woodville had caused great scandal. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior, if only as a way to get into bed with an attractive widow. Did Richard or one of his supporters invent this story so they could seize power? Did Richard, who knew his brother well, know the story was true or at least believe could be true? Was Richard acting out of ambition or out of a desire to avoid the political instability that came from having a boy on the throne? Was it a combination of both? Whatever the case, Richard seized the throne and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were happily married. The fact that she was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped him gain popular support in that region. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's decadent court and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses.

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother, was named Lord Protector of Edward's son, Edward V, upon the older Edward's death. In the political chaos that followed, Richard struck against Edward V's maternal relatives and produced a document that indicated Edward IV's marriage to the boy's mother had been invalid due to it being bigamous. This made Edward V and his younger brother ineligible for the throne and Richard the rightful king. The truth of this convenient claim has been much discussed, disputed and speculated upon. Edward IV ''was'' a womanizer and his secret marriage to the commoner Elizabeth Woodville had caused great scandal. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior, if only as a way to get into bed with an attractive widow. Did Richard or one of his supporters invent this story so they could seize power? Did Richard, who knew his brother well, know the story was true or at least believe could be true? Was Richard acting out of ambition or out of a desire to avoid the political instability that came from having a boy on the throne? Was it a combination of both? Whatever the case, Richard seized the throne and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother, was named Lord Protector of Edward's son, Edward V, upon the older Edward's death. In the political chaos that followed, Richard struck against Edward V's maternal relatives and produced a document that indicated Edward IV's marriage to the boy's mother had been invalid due to it being bigamous. This made Edward V and his younger brother ineligible for the throne and Richard the rightful king. The truth of this convenient claim has been much disputed. Edward IV was a womanizer and his secret marriage to the commoner Elizabeth Woodville had caused great scandal. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior, if only as a way to get into bed with an attractive widow. Did Richard or one of his supporters devise this story so they could seize power? Did Richard, who knew his brother well, know the story was true or at least could be true? Was Richard acting out of ambition or out of a desire to avoid the political instability that came from having a boy on the throne? Was it a combination of both? Whatever the case, Richard seized the throne and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.

Defenders of Richard have pointed out that murdering his nephews would have done him little good without proof of their deaths, as he would have faced pretenders claiming to be them much like Henry Tudor did. It also makes little sense that Richard would not attempt to explain their absence, which he did not. If he had murdered them, he could have also blamed the Duke of Buckingham, who was executed for treason and would have made a convenient scapegoat. Traditionally, Ricardian historians have pointed the finger at Buckingham while more mainstream ones have still argued that it was Richard who had motive, means and opportunity. In recent years, however, some historians have been exploring the possibility that Richard sent the boys away and that they were [[https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Princes-Tower-Murder-Mystery/dp/0750989149/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=KLuTl&content-id=amzn1.sym.dba1a2d0-88dc-4504-a5d7-10259373e587&pf_rd_p=dba1a2d0-88dc-4504-a5d7-10259373e587&pf_rd_r=23GM78YY41BGHP0HACQR&pd_rd_wg=ZU7t2&pd_rd_r=1d20b07a-6b25-4945-be65-899caca94548&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m alive at the time of Richard's defeat]]. These historians point out that Richard cared well for his nephew by his brother George (another Edward) and that boy also had a claim to the throne that was [[RulesLawyer nullified through legal means]]. Whatever the case, the fate of the princes remains one of history's most compelling unsolved mysteries.

Popular depictions of Richard since Shakespeare's plays have generally veered back and forth from outright evil (Richard may be considered the patron saint of the HistoricalVillainUpgrade) to a revisionist version in which Richard, though appearing a somewhat cynical DeadpanSnarker, is nevertheless a fundamentally decent human being -- often the only decent human being in what is otherwise a DecadentCourt. He is often portrayed as a creepy old man even though he died aged only 32. He was also a WarriorPrince and the best warrior in England, second only to his brother Edward - indeed, quite unlike the picture of him as a weakened Machiavellian, he died leading a daring cavalry charge in an attempt to [[StraightForTheCommander kill Henry Tudor]] (who was ironically said to have just hid among his men during the attack and made no attempt to fight) that was repulsed and ended with Richard fighting to the death while surrounded after falling from his horse.

Contemporary portrayals, such as ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'' and ''Literature/TheKingmakersDaughter'' (and its TV adaptation ''Series/TheWhiteQueen'') have continued to rehabilitate Richard's reputation, in part, by focusing on Richard's life before he seized the crown, portraying him accurately as a loyal supporter of Edward IV and their brother George, Duke of Clarence, as the one who made several attempts to usurp Edward. Richard, on the other hand, fled into exile with Edward when he was briefly deposed by the Lancastrian faction and Richard's military prowess at the Battles of Barnet and Teweksbury helped Edward retake his throne. Additionally, Richard's tenure as Constable of England helped him develop a reputation as a fair arbiter of justice and, as mentioned above, planted the seeds for the legal reforms he later made as king.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485), crowned '''King Richard III''' in 1483, was the sixth son of Richard, 3rd Duke of York, and brother of King [[UsefulNotes/EdwardIV King Edward IV]] of England, who had seized the throne from the reigning Lancastrian king, Henry VI. (The complicated relationships of the various branches of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfPlantagenet were the principal cause of the "UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses", in which Richard distinguished himself.) On Edward's death, he seized the throne from Edward's son (called Edward V, though he was never actually crowned), declaring him and his younger brother Richard of York bastards. (Traditionally, Richard had his nephews murdered in the Tower of London; this has been much disputed since at least late Tudor times.) A rebellion led by Henry [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor Tudor]], Earl of Richmond, arose, and Richard was killed fighting for his kingdom at Bosworth Field, the last English king to die in battle.[[note]]But not the last ''British'' king: two consecutive Scottish kings (James III in 1488 at Sauchieburn, and James IV in 1513 at Flodden) would follow.[[/note]]

Richard, Duke of Gloucester (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485), crowned '''King Richard III''' in 1483, was the sixth son of Richard, 3rd Duke of York, and brother of King UsefulNotes/EdwardIV of England, who had seized the throne from the reigning Lancastrian king, Henry VI. (The complicated relationships of the various branches of UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfPlantagenet were the principal cause of the "UsefulNotes/WarsOfTheRoses", in which Richard distinguished himself.) On Edward's death, he seized the throne from Edward's son (called Edward V, though he was never actually crowned), declaring him and his younger brother Richard of York bastards. (Traditionally, Richard had his nephews murdered in the Tower of London; this has been much disputed since at least late Tudor times.) A rebellion led by Henry [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor Tudor]], Earl of Richmond, arose, and Richard was killed fighting for his kingdom at Bosworth Field, the last English king to die in battle.[[note]]But not the last ''British'' king: two consecutive Scottish kings (James III in 1488 at Sauchieburn, and James IV in 1513 at Flodden) would follow.[[/note]]

Defenders of Richard have pointed out that murdering his nephews would have done him little good without proof of their deaths, as he would have faced pretenders claiming to be them much like Henry Tudor did. It also makes little sense that Richard would not attempt to explain their absence, which he did not. If he had murdered them, he could have also blamed the Duke of Buckingham, who was executed for treason and would have made a convenient scapegoat. Traditionally, Ricardian historians have pointed the finger at Buckingham while more mainstream ones have still argued that it was Richard who had motive, means and opportunity. In recent years, however, some historians have been exploring the possibility that Richard sent the boys away and that they were [[https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Princes-Tower-Murder-Mystery/dp/0750989149/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=KLuTl&content-id=amzn1.sym.dba1a2d0-88dc-4504-a5d7-10259373e587&pf_rd_p=dba1a2d0-88dc-4504-a5d7-10259373e587&pf_rd_r=23GM78YY41BGHP0HACQR&pd_rd_wg=ZU7t2&pd_rd_r=1d20b07a-6b25-4945-be65-899caca94548&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m alive at the time of Richard's defeat]]. These historians point out that Richard cared well for his nephew by his brother George (another Edward) and that boy also had a claim to the throne that was nullified through legal means. Whatever the case, the fate of the princes remains one of history's most compelling unsolved mysteries.

Defenders of Richard have pointed out that murdering his nephews would have done him little good without proof of their deaths, as he would have faced pretenders claiming to be them much like Henry Tudor did. It also makes little sense that Richard would not attempt to explain their absence, which he did not. If he had murdered them, he could have also blamed the Duke of Buckingham, who was executed for treason and would have made a convenient scapegoat. Traditionally, Ricardian historians have pointed the finger at Buckingham while more mainstream ones have still argued that it was Richard who had motive, means and opportunity. In recent years, however, some historians have been exploring the possibility that Richard sent the boys away and that they were [[https://www.amazon.com/Survival-Princes-Tower-Murder-Mystery/dp/0750989149/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=KLuTl&content-id=amzn1.sym.dba1a2d0-88dc-4504-a5d7-10259373e587&pf_rd_p=dba1a2d0-88dc-4504-a5d7-10259373e587&pf_rd_r=23GM78YY41BGHP0HACQR&pd_rd_wg=ZU7t2&pd_rd_r=1d20b07a-6b25-4945-be65-899caca94548&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m alive at the time of Richard's defeat]]. Whatever the case, the fate of the princes remains one of history's most compelling unsolved mysteries.

As a King, Richard III reigned for a mere two years. Among the legal reforms consolidated in his time was the Court of Requests, a court for poor people to present their grievances if they could not afford the legal fees, he also made it easier to provide bail for lower orders and protected their property seizures. Such reforms had its roots in Richard III's time at the Council of the North. Under his reign, all the laws and statutes were ordered by decree to be translated from Old French into English, and he also banned the restriction on the printing and selling of books. The efforts of greater centralization that would characterize the reign of Henry Tudor more properly began in Richard III's reign.

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother and was named Lord Protector of Edward's son, Edward V upon the older Edward's death. In the political chaos that followed, Richard struck against Edward V's maternal relatives and produced a document that indicated Edward IV's marriage had been invalid due to it being bigamous. This would have made Edward V and his younger brother ineligible for the throne and Richard the rightful king. The truth of this convenient claim has been much disputed. Edward IV was a womanizer and his secret marriage to the commoner Elizabeth Woodville had caused great scandal. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior. Was Richard the source of this story? Did Richard, who knew his brother well, know the story was true or at least could be true?

His advocacy for the printed word seems rooted in his own intellectualism as he owned a library of printed books on topics like history, philosophy and theology and personally made notes in the margins. He even owned a copy of the Bible in English. His book collection also indicates a strong interest in the history and culture of the north of England, which does lend credence to the stories of him favoring the North and eventually alienating the southern factions.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were happily married. The fact that she was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped him gain popular support in that region. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's DecadentCourt and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses.

Contemporary portrayals, such as ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'' and ''Literature/TheKingmakersDaughter'' (and its TV adaptation ''Series/TheWhiteQueen'') have continued to rehabilitate Richard's reputation, in part, by focusing on Richard's life before he seized the crown, portraying him accurately as a loyal supporter of Edward IV and their brother George, Duke of Clarence, as the one who made several attempts to usurp Edward. Richard, on the other hand, fled into exile with Edward when he was briefly deposed by the Lancastrian faction and Richard's military prowess at the Battles of Barnet and Teweksbury helped Edward retake his throne. Additionally, Richard's tenure as Constable of England helped him develop a reputation as a fair arbiter of justice and, as mentioned above, planted the seeds for the legal reforms he later made as king. He was an intellectual, owning a library of printed books on topics of history, philosophy and theology and personally made notes in the margins. He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were happily married. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's DecadentCourt and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses.

Contemporary portrayals, such as ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'' and ''Literature/TheKingmakersDaughter'' (and its TV adaptation ''Series/TheWhiteQueen'') have continued to rehabilitate Richard's reputation, in part, by focusing on Richard's life before he seized the crown, portraying him accurately as a loyal supporter of Edward IV and their brother George, Duke of Clarence, as the one who made several attempts to usurp Edward. Richard, on the other hand, fled into exile with Edward when he was briefly deposed by the Lancastrian faction and Richard's military prowess at the Battles of Barnet and Teweksbury helped Edward retake his throne. Additionally, Richard's tenure as Constable of England helped him develop a reputation as a fair arbiter of justice and, as mentioned above, planted the seeds for the legal reforms he later made as king. He was somewhat of an intellectual, owning a personal library of printed books on topics of history, philosophy and theology and personally made notes in the margins. He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a love match or a practical arrangement between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were happily married. Richard did gain a bit of a reputation as an [[OnlySaneMan uptight family man]] in his brother's DecadentCourt and is thought to have been frustrated by Edward's excesses and his enablers. Anne and Richard had only had one child, Edward of Middleham, who died about half-way into Richard's reign. The boy's mother followed him to the grave soon after, and Richard was reportedly devastated by these losses.