King Richard III of England,
2nd October, 1452
When Richard III died at the Battle of Bosworth on the 22nd of August, 1485, minus his helmet, hacked to the floor and then with his head smashed in with the end of a halberd, stabbed in the skull with a sword and with the very back of his sliced off, so ended the reign of Plantagenet Kings of England, the House of York and the Middle Ages. In breezed the Welshman, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, and so began the House of Tudor, the English Renaissance, killing all your wives because you've got gout, dissolving the monasteries because Fuck the Pope and then I dunno, setting fire to witches or some shit. I'm a Roman historian; this is all new to me.
Richard was the last King to die in battle, and after they'd thrown his corpse over a horse and stabbed him in the arse a few times (no, really, ask me how we know!), they whisked him off to nearby Leicester where they displayed it in the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke, before hastily burying him in in the choir of Greyfriars Church (go on! Ask me how we know!)
And that was pretty much it for about 400 years. Greyfriars got knocked down, and the rumours about what happened to the body went around - he was thrown into a nearby river, for example - until the 1960s when people started to realise that Richard was one of the few members of the British Royal Family who had no known resting place. Even back as far as Æthelwulf, who died in 855, people knew where the Kings and Queens were buried (Steyning Church, then the Old Minster, Winchester and now in Winchester Cathedral, if you're asking.) Even Richard the Lionheart, died in 1199 (Fontevraud Abbey, Anjou, France, if you're asking.) But not Richard III.
But then, in 1986, historian David Baldwin suggested that the remains were still in the Greyfriars area and remarked, "It is possible (though now perhaps unlikely) that at some time in the twenty-first century, an excavator may yet reveal the slight remains of this famous monarch."
And he was right (ask me how we know!)
In 2004 and 2005, Philippa Langley, secretary of the Scottish Branch of the Richard III Society, became convinced that Richard was still under where Greyfriars had once stood. She and another historian, John Ashdown-Hill, tried to persuade the TV show Time Team to conduct a dig on the site to find out, but the show has a strict three day time limit and it wasn't thought possible to complete an excavation in that time.
Three years later, writer Annette Carson, in her book Richard III: The Maligned King, came to the same conclusion that Ashdown-Hill had, namely that the site of Greyfriars was now a council office car park in the middle of Leicester. They convinced Leicester City Council, Leicester Promotions (the local tourist board), the University of Leicester, The Richard III Society, a TV production company, and Leicester Cathedral, and on the 24th of August 2012, the excavation began.
Anyone who has ever been on an archaeological excavation will tell you that digging with the expectation of finding the grave of a particular person who was buried 400 years earlier is a fool's game. The University of Leicester's Archeological Services rated the chances of even finding the church at 50-50, let alone finding the bones of anyone inside it, particularly a former King.
But, in what is probably one of the most astonishing archaeological moments of the past 50 years, on the very next day of the dig, the 25th of August, they found the remains of Richard III, King of England, right where they said he would be; in the middle of the choir of Greyfriars Priory Church.
Richard III remains one of the most complex and controversial figures in English history. Born on the 2nd of October, 1452, Richard was the eleventh child of Richard, Duke of York, and Cecily Neville. His family's prominence in the War of the Roses—a series of civil wars between the Yorkist and Lancastrian factions over the English throne—meant that from an early age, Richard was intimately involved in the political turmoil of his time. When his brother Edward IV seized the throne in 1461, Richard was just a child, but he quickly gained experience as a military leader and administrator, eventually becoming one of Edward's most trusted allies.
As a young man, Richard distinguished himself in battle, notably during the Battle of Barnet in 1471, where the Yorkists triumphed over the Lancastrians. He was later appointed as the governor of the north, where he gained a reputation for being a capable and just leader. His marriage to Anne Neville in 1472 solidified his influence, as Anne was the daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, known as the "Kingmaker." The union brought Richard considerable land and wealth, further establishing his position within the Yorkist faction.
Richard's path to the throne, however, was fraught with controversy. When Edward IV died in 1483, his eldest son, Edward V, was still a child. Richard was appointed as Lord Protector for the young king, but within months, he had deposed his nephew, claiming that Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville had been illegitimate and that their children, including Edward V, were thus illegitimate as well. Edward V and his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York, were placed in the Tower of London, where they were last seen in the summer of 1483. The fate of these two boys—known as the Princes in the Tower—remains one of the most enduring mysteries in English history. Many believe that Richard ordered their deaths to secure his claim to the throne, though no definitive evidence has ever emerged.
Richard was crowned king in July 1483, but his reign was short and turbulent. Almost immediately, he faced rebellion from supporters of the young princes and those loyal to the Lancastrian cause. Richard's rule was marked by efforts to stabilise the kingdom and assert his legitimacy. He enacted several legal reforms, many of which were aimed at improving access to justice for the poor. One of his most significant achievements was the establishment of the Court of Requests, which allowed individuals who could not afford expensive legal representation to present their cases directly to the crown. These reforms suggest that Richard was not simply a power-hungry usurper but a ruler genuinely concerned with justice and governance.
Despite these efforts, Richard's reign was overshadowed by the disappearance of the princes and the suspicion that he had orchestrated their deaths. His enemies used this event to paint him as a tyrant and child murderer. One of the most vocal opponents of Richard's rule was Henry Tudor, a distant relative of the Lancastrian line who had been living in exile in France. Henry, with the support of the French and many disaffected English nobles, launched an invasion in 1485. The two forces met at the Battle of Bosworth Field on the 22nd of August, 1485, where Richard was killed in combat. His death marked the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the beginning of the Tudor era, with Henry Tudor becoming Henry VII.
In the centuries following his death, Richard III's reputation was shaped by Tudor propaganda, which sought to justify Henry VII's claim to the throne by demonising Richard. The most famous portrayal of Richard as a villain comes from William Shakespeare, whose play Richard III presents him as a deformed, malevolent figure willing to commit any atrocity to seize and maintain power. Shakespeare's depiction, while brilliant as a piece of drama, is largely based on the accounts of Tudor historians such as Sir Thomas More, who portrayed Richard as a ruthless tyrant.
However, modern historians have begun to reassess Richard's legacy, arguing that the traditional narrative of his reign has been heavily influenced by political bias. While there is no doubt that Richard's path to the throne was marked by questionable decisions—such as the imprisonment of his nephews—there is also evidence to suggest that he was an effective ruler who introduced meaningful reforms. His actions in the north of England, where he governed before becoming king, earned him a reputation for fairness and justice. Even after his death, Richard retained a loyal following in the north, which suggests that his rule was not universally despised.
The rediscovery of Richard III's remains in 2012 beneath a car park in Leicester reignited interest in his life and reign. Archaeologists confirmed that the skeleton, which had significant spinal curvature, belonged to Richard, thereby corroborating contemporary accounts of his physical appearance. However, the discovery also disproved some of the more exaggerated claims about his deformity, such as the notion that he was a hunchback. The reburial of Richard's remains in 2015 in Leicester Cathedral was attended by members of the royal family and was seen as a symbolic rehabilitation of his reputation.
The mystery surrounding the Princes in the Tower remains one of the most hotly debated aspects of Richard's legacy. While many historians continue to believe that Richard was responsible for their deaths, others argue that there is no definitive proof of his guilt. Some suggest that Henry VII, who had a clear motive to eliminate rival claimants to the throne, may have been responsible for their disappearance. The lack of concrete evidence means that the question of Richard's involvement in their deaths is likely to remain unresolved.
Shakespeare's portrayal of Richard as a villain has had a lasting impact on popular perceptions of him. The play Richard III is one of Shakespeare's most performed works, and its depiction of Richard as a manipulative, power-hungry tyrant has shaped how generations of audiences have viewed the historical figure. However, recent scholarship has sought to challenge this one-dimensional portrayal by emphasising the complexities of Richard's character and reign. Rather than being a mere villain, Richard is now seen as a more multifaceted figure—capable of both cruelty and compassion, pragmatism and ambition.
In addition to his legal reforms, Richard made significant contributions to the administration of the kingdom. He sought to strengthen royal authority and reduce the influence of powerful nobles, many of whom had become accustomed to acting with impunity during the chaotic years of the Wars of the Roses. Richard's attempts to restore order and justice were part of a broader effort to consolidate his power and secure the loyalty of his subjects. While his methods were often ruthless, they were not entirely without merit.
One of the key issues that Richard faced during his reign was the question of succession. After the death of his son, Edward of Middleham, in 1484, Richard was left without a legitimate heir. His wife, Anne Neville, also died shortly after, leaving Richard in a vulnerable position. Without an heir to secure his dynasty, Richard's hold on the throne became increasingly tenuous. This situation undoubtedly contributed to the support that Henry Tudor was able to garner for his invasion. The lack of a clear successor made Richard's position as king less stable and more susceptible to challenge.
Despite his defeat and death at Bosworth, Richard's legacy has endured. In recent years, efforts to reevaluate his reign have gained traction, leading to a more balanced view of his rule. While he remains a controversial figure, there is growing recognition that Richard was not the monstrous figure of Tudor propaganda but rather a complex and capable ruler whose reign was cut short by the circumstances of his time.
In conclusion, Richard III's life and legacy continue to fascinate historians and the public alike. His reign, though brief, was marked by significant legal reforms and a determined effort to consolidate royal authority. While his role in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower remains a subject of intense debate, his achievements as a ruler are increasingly recognised. The discovery of his remains and the subsequent reburial in Leicester have provided an opportunity to reassess Richard's place in history, moving beyond the Shakespearean villain to a more nuanced understanding of the last Plantagenet king.
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"Now is the winter of our discontent/Made glorious by this son of York..."
I saw the late great William Hurt play the part here in Winnipeg several years ago.