Reconstructed image of Richard III
Richard (1452-1485), the fourth surviving son of Richard (1411-1460), Duke of York, and Cecily Neville (1415-1495), was born on 2 October 1452. He reigned as King for two years, from 26 June 1483 until his death on 22 August 1485. Richard, the last English monarch to die in battle, died during the Battle of Bosworth Field at the hands of Henry Tudor's army. Henry Tudor (1457-1509) became Henry VII on 30 October 1485, claiming his right of inheritance and victory on the battlefield. True to his promise, Henry VII married Elizabeth of York (1466-1503) on 18 January 1486; thus began the House of Tudor and the Tudor Dynasty.
Richard III is one of the most discussed English monarchs, despite having ruled for two short years. Shakespeare lionized him; "A Horse! My kingdom for a horse!" He made Richard a villain by holding him accountable for murdering the Princes in the Tower. Over the past five hundred plus years, various supporters have attempted to cast the shadow of guilt away from Richard III. They point out at least two of Richard's enemies possessed the motive, if not the means and opportunity, to authorize the heinous act.
Was this obfuscation to draw focus away from the most obvious suspect? Was this an attempt to sanitize a tarnished reputation?
According to the website www.biography.com/royalty/richard-iii, during a March 2015 reinternment of Richard's remains, Queen Elizabeth II was quoted as saying, "Today, we recognize a king who lived during turbulent times and whose Christian faith sustained him in life and death."
Contemplate the facts.
The interconnected twenty-first-century world provides a mass of information, misinformation, and firmly held opinions about Richard III’s brief reign.
The Plantagenet dynasty, which ruled England for nearly four hundred years, ended with Richard III's death on 22 August 1485. England crowned Henry Tudor as Henry VII on 30 October 1485. Henry VII is considered the first Tudor monarch.
Those are facts.
The author/historian formed an opinion about Richard III after examining the Plantagenet dynasty's final decades, from Richard II's ascension in 1377 to Richard III's demise in 1485.
The monarch’s road to power is the lens through which the author views English royal history.
How did Richard III ascend? Is it reasonable to hold him accountable for the Princes in the Tower murder mystery?
Consider Richard’s motive, means, and opportunity in reverse order.
Opportunity:
Upon Edward IV's death, Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, accepted responsibility for Edward V as Edward's Lord Protector.
Richard maintained physical control of Edward and his younger brother Richard.
He placed the boys in the Tower of London, where they resided until they were no longer seen.
English Parliament, in 1484, decreed (Titulus Regius) Edward VI's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was not legitimate, thereby nullifying young Edward's and Richard's claim to the throne.
Richard held the boys secure and under his control. With the boys' potential claim to the throne nullified, Richard became next in line as Edward IV's brother.
Means:
While not yet England's monarch, Richard benefited from the Plantagenet House's wealth and power at his disposal.
He held a position of leadership by which he authorized others to do his bidding.
Richard possessed sufficient influence with Parliament to reinterpret the legitimacy of Edward IV's marriage.
Motive: With the pre-teenage boys permanently out of the way, thirty-one-year-old Richard, Duke of Gloucester, became the only mature male of the Plantagenet dynasty with a clear path to the throne.
Before forming an opinion about Richard III, take into account noteworthy facts after Richard's death.
Henry Tudor became Henry VII on 30 October 1485.
Henry VII married Elizabeth of York on 18 January 1486.
As its first act under Henry VII, Parliament repealed the 1484 Titulus Regius, which reestablished Elizabeth of York's legitimacy and the legitimacy of her unfortunate younger brothers, Edward V and Richard.
Conclusions:
As did his successor Henry VII, Richard III wielded sufficient influence with Parliament to bend the law to his will and advantage. Therefore:
Richard III ordered the assassination of Edward V and his brother Richard.
To argue for another culprit requires the historian to deny the obvious and set out on a wild goose chase.
In Plantagenet and Tudor England, the law protected and validated those in power
Do Richard III's actions matter today, five hundred-thirty-plus-years later? The short answer is yes.
A corollary opinion evolved. Since Richard's time, much in the world changed, but the essential nature of power, and those who pursue power, remains unchanged.
Next Up: The End of an Era.
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