Richard III

Richard III is undoubtedly the most controversial monarch England has ever produced. Some people are convinced he was a cruel tyrant others that he has been entirely misrepresented for hundreds of years. The myth and mystery surrounding this final member of the Plantagenet monarchy only makes his character all the more intriguing.

He was born during a time of unrest in England and particularly for his father, the Duke of York. He was the Duke's youngest child and when he was born he was very small and sickly. Superstitious whispers suggested that the small and unhealthy boy reflected the shifting of the Duke's fortunes. Especially since his oldest son was a strapping big lad who grew to be 6'4, born during the height of his father's success (Richard was 5'8 as an adult).

Richard's father died, attempting to claim the English throne, and his brother who was ten years older, took up the fight and was crowned king at 18 years of age.

Richard, still a small boy at this time, was sent to live with the Earl of Warwick, who oversaw his education. It was probably during his stay with Warwick that Richard began to develop scoliosis.

Today scoliosis can be cured with braces and in some cases surgery, but in medieval England there was nothing he could do. When he became a teenager and started growing, his spine started twisting and he was helpless to stop it. It must have been frightening and upsetting to the self-conscious teenager who was already painfully aware how much smaller and weaker than his brothers, he was.

He was not, of course, the hunchbacked monster that Shakespeare's play has made familiar to people everywhere. His right shoulder would have been slightly higher than the other. Even so, it was still quite a lot to live with in the Middle Ages. They believed that people who were disfigured or abnormal in any way were marked because of their evil or corrupt nature, as a warning to everyone that they should be avoided.

But Richard was determined to not let his physique hold him back. He trained hard and when it came to warfare he fought hard.

He also had strong ties to family and was extremely loyal to his brother, the king. When Richard was planning on marrying Warwick's daughter, Edward disapproved of the match because he didn't want his brother closely associated with the Earl. Richard dutifully backed off. It turned out Edward had been right to be concerned. Warwick later betrayed him and the king was forced to flee the country.

Richard followed his brother into exile and, ignoring the danger, continued to follow him faithfully when he returned to England with only a handful of men. They daringly marched on London, gathering supporters as they went, only to find the city had opened it's gates eagerly to welcome home the sons of York.

Edward didn't fail to recognize Richard's unwavering support and must have marvelled at the pluck and resolve of his under-sized sibling. The more Richard proved himself, the more richly Edward rewarded him. It wasn't long before Richard was one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the country.

The queen, Elizabeth Woodville, also didn't fail to notice the favour that Edward showed to his brother. She was always eager to promote members of her own extensive family and undoubtably saw Richard as the number one rival to her sons and brothers.

Edward had certainly showered the
Woodville's with positions and wealth as well. In fact his court had practically become nothing but Woodvilles. As Edward sat back on his laurels, carousing and feasting and enjoying the fruits of his labours, and as the court became more lavish and extravagant, Richard began spending more and more time at his estates in the north. His quiet, serious-minded nature preferred the comforts of his own home and family. He was also well aware of how he was seen by the Woodvilles.

When Edward died, he stipulated that Richard should be Lord Protector of the realm during the minority of his son, Edward V. The Woodvilles didn't like the idea of Richard having that much power at all. They hurriedly attempted to have the boy crowned without telling Richard that his brother was dead or that he had been made Lord Protector.

When Richard was informed, he rushed to seize the boy while he journeyed to his coronation in London and stowed the king and his younger brother in the Tower of London.

Not long after the boys were taken into Richard's custody, he began to put himself forward as king. He no doubt felt that the country would be entirely in the hands of the Woodvilles once the 12 year old king was crowned.

Of course the story of the Princes in the Tower is hugely famous and the number one blot on Richard's reputation. No one knows what became of the princes after Richard was crowned, though it is certain that they were murdered.

Richard is usually blamed for the crime, and while he may have been guilty, (certainly he had motive and opportunity) there is no actual proof that he did it. Several other suspects include the Duke of Buckingham, Margaret Beaufort, and Henry Tudor.

Contrary to popular belief, Richard was not a tyrannical king. In fact he was actually a pretty good king. He only ruled for two years during which time he was fair and well liked by the people.

He was kind to Elizabeth Woodville and her other children. In fact Elizabeth wrote to her son the Marquis of Dorset (who was with Henry Tudor) and asked him to abandon the Tudor cause and return to Richard's protection. Elizabeth herself, enjoyed a greater allowance under Richard then she later did as Queen Dowager under Henry Tudor.

Henry Tudor did eventually invade, as the new head of the Lancastrian faction, and Richard met him at Bosworth Field. Even Richard's staunchest critics admit that he fought with courage and chivalry to the end. He was the last English king to die in battle, aged only 32.

With his death came the end of the Plantagenets, a dynasty which had existed for more than three hundred years.