Richard III
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Learn about the life and reign of Richard III, the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and the House of York. Find out how he became king, how he died, and where he was buried.
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- Formative years
Richard III (born October 2, 1452, Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, England—died August 22, 1485, near Market Bosworth, Leicestershire) the last Plantagenet and Yorkist king of England. He usurped the throne of his nephew Edward V in 1483 and perished in defeat to Henry Tudor (thereafter Henry VII) at the Battle of Bosworth Field. For almost ...
The future Richard III was the fourth son of Richard, 3rd duke of York (died 1460), and his duchess, Cecily Neville, to survive to adulthood. York was the most prominent duke in England, of royal descent, and the most powerful nobleman of his day. Neville came from the most prolific, most politically prominent, and best married of contemporary noble houses. Young Richard was, therefore, supremely wellborn and well-connected; but, as the youngest son, he was of so little account that a verse genealogy of the family merely recorded that he “liveth yet.” Three brothers—Edward, 3rd earl of March; Edmund, earl of Rutland (died 1460); and George, 1st duke of Clarence (after 1461)—reached maturity. Consequently, Richard’s future at first was decidedly unpromising.
During Richard’s youth, York initiated the opening stages of the Wars of the Roses. Three times York was appointed lord protector for his feeble cousin, the Lancastrian king Henry VI (reigned 1422–61 and 1470–71). In 1460 the Yorkist claim—York’s descent through the senior female line from Edward III (reigned 1327–77)—was recognized to be superior to the Lancastrian title through the junior male line of Henry VI. York himself was designated heir to the throne when Henry V died. However, this settlement, the Act of Accord, was resisted, and York was killed attempting to enforce it at Wakefield (now West Yorkshire) on December 30, 1460. This setback was reversed by York’s eldest son, Edward, who decisively defeated the Lancastrians in February 1461; he assumed the title King Edward IV on March 4, 1461, and his coronation took place on June 28. Although merely a child, Richard was directly affected by these upheavals and briefly took refuge in the Low Countries before his brother restored the family fortunes.
The succession of Edward IV made Richard a royal prince. He was quickly created duke of Gloucester and a knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. He and his other brother, George, now duke of Clarence and also a child, resided together in a tower at Greenwich Palace in Kent. About 1465 Richard was placed in the household of his cousin Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, better known as “the Kingmaker.” He was recorded with him at Warwick and York. It was probably late in 1468, when he was 16 years old, that Richard was declared of age, took possession of estates conferred by his brother, and commenced public life, attending court and judicial commissions.
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The Wars of the Roses resumed in 1469, when Richard’s brother George and Warwick temporarily seized control of Edward IV and his government. Richard remained loyal and was appointed by Edward as his figurehead in Wales, the real ruling being undertaken by others. When Warwick and George succeeded in reinstating Henry VI as king briefly in 1470, Richard joined Edward IV in exile in The Hague, later accompanying Edward on his victorious campaign in 1471. Richard was prominent at the Battles of Barnet (Hertfordshire), where he was slightly wounded, and Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire), where as constable he summarily condemned the Lancastrian leaders to death. With royal approval and definitely not on his own initiative, he may also have helped kill both Prince Edward of Lancaster and Henry VI.
Aug 25, 2022 · How the king's remains were found in a car park and identified by DNA, and what has changed for those involved in the search. A film about the project, The Lost King, is due for release soon.
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Apr 2, 2014 · Who Was Richard III? Richard III served as king of England for only two years, but his reign was one of the most historic and turbulent.
Jul 28, 1999 · Learn about Richard III, the last king of the Yorkist dynasty, who seized the throne from his nephew Edward V and was defeated and killed by Henry Tudor at Bosworth Field. Explore his character, reign, and legacy, as well as the discovery of his remains in 2013.
Learn about the life and reign of Richard III, the last Yorkist king of England who was defeated and killed by Henry Tudor in 1485. Find out how he became king, what he did to the princes in the Tower, and how he was portrayed by Shakespeare and Tudor histories.
King Richard III was born on 2nd October 1452 at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire, the seat of the House of York. He was the seventh surviving child and fourth surviving son of Richard, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York.
