History UsefulNotes / RichardIII

After their remarkable success in finding Richard's remains, Phillippa Langely and The Richard III Society launched a project seeking evidence that Richard sent the boys into exile. In November 2023, Langley released a book and an accompanying ITV documentary which revealed their evidence for the claim that both boys survived to launch failed attempts to overthrow Henry Tudor.

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 later 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 for the boys' deaths 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 superior 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.

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 later 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 for the boys' deaths 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.

The basic facts are that Richard, who had been a loyal supporter of his older brother all their lives, 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 undoubtedly 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 immense scandal and a great deal of conflict and spilled blood. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior to that, 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,[[note]]Most historians agree the Woodville faction convinced Edward IV to execute his brother, George, Duke of Clarence[[/note]] fear the Woodville faction would eliminate him and take control of the boy? Was Richard acting out of ambition, or from the desire to avoid putting a ''third'' boy king on the English throne in just over a century, after the civil wars caused by the reigns/usurpations of Richard II and Henry VI? Was it, as is most likely, a combination of 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 all their lives, 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 undoubtedly 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 immense scandal and a great deal of conflict and spilled blood. It was not out of the question to think Edward had entered into another secret marriage prior to that, 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,[[note]]Most historians agree the Woodville faction convinced Edward IV to execute his brother, George, Duke of Clarence[[/note]] fear the Woodville faction would eliminate him and take control of the boy? Was Richard acting out of ambition, or from the desire to avoid putting a ''third'' boy king on the English throne in less than a century, after the civil wars caused by the fallout of the reigns/usurpations of Richard II and Henry VI? Was it, as is most likely, a combination of 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 undoubtedly 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 to that, 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,[[note]]Most historians agree the Woodville faction convinced Edward IV to execute his brother, George, Duke of Clarence[[/note]] 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, having fought to depose Henry VI and with Richard II's usurpation (while no longer within living memory) being the cause for the recent civil war? Was it, as is most likely, a combination of 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 undoubtedly 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,[[note]]Most historians agree the Woodville faction convinced Edward IV to execute his brother, George, Duke of Clarence[[/note]] 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, having fought to depose Henry VI and with Richard II within living memory? Was it, as is most likely, a combination of 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 undoubtedly 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,[[note]]Most historians agree the Woodville faction convinced Edward IV to execute his brother, George, Duke of Clarence[[/note]] 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 factors? Whatever the case, Richard [[TheUsurper seized the throne]] and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.

His advocacy for the printed word seems rooted in his [[BadassBookworm own intellectualism]] as he owned a library of books, including both printed and handwritten manuscripts, on topics like history, philosophy and theology and he personally made notes in the margins. He owned a copy of the Bible in English, and his BestFriend Francis Lovell mostly gifted him a lavish Book of Hours upon his coronation. 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, as king, alienating various southern factions.

His advocacy for the printed word seems rooted in his [[BadassBookworm own intellectualism]] as he owned a library of books, including both printed and handwritten manuscripts, on topics like history, philosophy and theology and he personally made notes in the margins. He owned a copy of the Bible in English, and his BestFriend Francis Lovell gifted him a Book of Hours upon his coronation. 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, as king, alienating various southern factions.

As a King, Richard III reigned for a mere two years, but during that time he oversaw several progressive social reforms. Among the legal reforms made in his time was the creation of the Court of Requests, a court for poor people to present their grievances if they could not afford the legal fees. Richard 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 removed the restrictions 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.

His advocacy for the printed word seems rooted in his [[BadassBookworm own intellectualism]] as he owned a library of books, including both printed and handwritten manuscripts, 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, as king, alienating various southern factions.

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, as king, alienating various southern factions.

As a King, Richard III reigned for a mere two years, but during that time he oversaw several progressive social reforms. Among the legal reforms made in his time was the creation of the Court of Requests, a court for poor people to present their grievances if they could not afford the legal fees. Richard 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.

* Sandra Worth's the ''RoseOfYorkSeries'' contains three novels about Richard and his wife Anne, with them being the clear protagonists and a villainous take on Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.

* Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/HenryVI'' (Parts II and III) and ''Theatre/RichardIII''. That last one is ''such'' a negative portrayal of the King that his name has basically became synonymous with villainy for a few centuries. On the other hand, the play's deliciously villainous DeadpanSnarker Richard is by far the richest and most interesting character in the play and early on started to be subjected to the DracoInLeatherPants syndrome. He's like the Darth Vader of Elizabethan drama, you're supposed to hate him but things are so much more interesting when he's on stage.

* Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/HenryVI'' (Parts II and III) and ''Theatre/RichardIII''. That last one is ''such'' a negative portrayal of the King that his name has basically became synonymous with villainy for a few centuries. On the other hand, the play's deliciously villainous DeadpanSnarker Richard is by far the richest and most interesting character in the play and early on started to be subjected to the DracoInLeatherPants syndrome. He's like the Darth Vader of Elizabethan Theatre, you're supposed to hate him but things are so much more interesting when he's on stage.

* Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/HenryVI'' (Parts II and III) and ''Theatre/RichardIII''. That last one is ''such'' a negative portrayal of the King that his name has basically become synonymous with villainy.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a [[MarryForLove love match]] or a [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage practical arrangement]] between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. It may have even counted as a RescueRomance, since a popular legend states that Richard's brother George, who was married to Anne's sister and wanted their entire fortune for himself, dressed Anne as a servant and forced her to work as a kitchen maid in an attempt to prevent Richard from seeing her. What is certain is that Richard took the widowed and vulnerable Anne[[note]]Her father had switched sides and married her to the Lancastrian prince, and both were killed a mere weeks after the marriage, leaving the teenage Anne with no protector.[[/note]] to sanctuary, and the brothers fought bitterly over their wives' fortune before Richard and Anne could finally marry. The fact that Anne was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped Richard gain popular support in that region, and evidence suggests she sometimes stood in for him in matters of local government while he was away.

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.

* The ''Literature/IRichardPlantagenetSeries'' consists of five novels chronicling Richard's life from early childhood to his death from a first person perspective. Strongly Ricardian, the novels portray Richard as a brave soldier and honorable man but whose poor judge of character, impulsiveness and habit of making dangerous enemies leads to disaster.

* ''Literature/TheVirginWidow'' is a novel by Anne O'Brien from the perspective of Richard's wife, Anne Neville, and portrays Richard as a powerful, sometimes ruthless, but decent man who loves Anne.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a [[MarryForLove love match]] or a [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage practical arrangement]] between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. It may have even counted as a RescueRomance, since a popular legend states that Richard's brother George, who was married to Anne's sister and wanted their entire fortune for himself, dressed Anne as a servant and forced her to work as a kitchen maid in an attempt prevent Richard from seeing her. What is certain is that Richard took the widowed and vulnerable Anne[[note]]Her father had switched sides and married her to the Lancastrian prince, and both were killed a mere weeks after the marriage, leaving the teenage Anne with no protector.[[/note]] to sanctuary, and the brothers fought bitterly over their wives' fortune before Richard and Anne could finally marry. The fact that Anne was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped Richard gain popular support in that region, and evidence suggests she sometimes stood in for him in matters of local government while he was away.

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,[[note]]Most historians agree the Woodville faction convinced Edward IV to execute his brother, George, Duke of Clarence[[/note]] 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 factors? Whatever the case, Richard [[TheUsurper 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 [[MarryForLove love match]] or a [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage practical arrangement]] between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. It may have even counted as a RescueRomance, since a popular legend states that Richard's brother George, who was married to Anne's sister and wanted their entire fortune for himself, dressed Anne as a servant and forced her to work as a kitchen maid in an attempt prevent Richard from seeing her. What is certain is that Richard took the widowed and vulnerable Anne[[note]]Her father had switched sides and married her to the Lancastrian prince, who was killed a few months after the marriage.[[/note]] to sanctuary, and the brothers fought bitterly over their wives' fortune before Richard and Anne could finally marry. The fact that Anne was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped Richard gain popular support in that region, and evidence suggests she sometimes stood in for him in matters of local government while he was away.

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.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a [[MarryForLove love match]] or a [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage practical arrangement]] between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. It may have even counted as a RescueRomance, since a popular legend states that Richard's brother George, who was married to Anne's sister and wanted their entire fortune for himself, dressed Anne as a servant and forced her to work as a kitchen maid in an attempt prevent Richard from seeing her. What is certain is that Richard took the widowed and vulnerable Anne[[note]]Her father had switched sides and married her to the Lancastrian heir, who was killed a few months after the marriage.[[/note]] to sanctuary, and the brothers fought bitterly over their wives' fortune before Richard and Anne could finally marry. The fact that Anne was the daughter of the powerful northern baron Richard Neville, [[TheKingmaker The Earl of Warwick]] helped him gain popular support in that region, and evidence suggests she sometimes stood in for Richard in matters of local government while he was away.

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.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a [[MarryForLove love match]] or a [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage practical arrangement]] between two people who needed one another, contemporary sources indicate they were HappilyMarried. It may have even counted as a RescueRomance, since a popular legend states that Richard's brother George, who was married to Anne's sister and wanted their entire fortune for himself, dressed Anne as a servant and forced her to work as a kitchen maid in an attempt prevent Richard from seeing her. What is certain is that Richard took Anne to sanctuary, and the brothers fought bitterly over their wives' fortune before Richard and Anne could finally marry. The fact that Anne 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.

He married his childhood companion Anne Neville, and whether this was a [[MarryForLove love match]] or a [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage 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.

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[[note]]Most historians agree the Woodville faction convinced Edward IV to execute his brother, George, Duke of Clarence[[/note]], 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 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, as is most likely, a combination of factors? Whatever the case, Richard [[TheUsurper seized the throne]] and his two nephews later disappeared from the Tower of London.