Richard III, the last of the Plantagenets, ruled for just two short years, but he has been controversial since his death in a Leicestershire field.
Son of Richard of York, born after brothers Edward and George, he was only eight years old when his father was killed in 1460. A year later, Edward defeated the Lancastrian Henry VI and became king of England as Edward IV. The young monarch, just 18 years old himself, named his brother George duke of Clarence and Richard became duke of Gloucester.
Richard – who, contrary to legend, was probably not deformed in any way – was educated by his cousin, the earl of Warwick. It was primarily because the 'Kingmaker' (as Warwick was known) and the king could not get along that civil war broke out again. The earl and the duke of Clarence (who hoped to grab the throne for himself) invaded from France in 1470 and reinstated Henry.
Edward and Richard fled. But only six months later, Edward – with Richard by his side – defeated and killed Warwick at the Battle of Barnet and the rest of the Lancastrian forces at Tewkesbury and had Henry murdered in the Tower – he probably died from a heavy blow to his head. Only one man was named as being present at the time: Richard.
Clarence was found guilty of treason and executed in January 1476 for having dared to say that Edward's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville wasn't valid and that his two sons were illegitimate. Unlike Clarence, Richard had shown rock-solid loyalty to Edward, and the king had rewarded him. He was appointed admiral of England in 1461, and after Tewkesbury, Edward made him constable and then warden of the West Marches of Scotland. He was also granted many of Warwick's forfeited estates and, in 1472, married Warwick's younger daughter Anne Neville, the widow of Henry VI's only son Edward who had been killed at Tewkesbury. In the north of England where he, Anne and their son – Edward of Middleham, born in 1476 – lived, Richard won a reputation as a fine soldier and fair judge.
When Edward IV died suddenly in April 1483, Richard became protector of his brother's son and successor, the 12-year-old Edward V. However, on 2 May, Richard and his troops intercepted the young Prince Edward on his way to London and he was taken to the Tower, where he was soon joined by his younger brother Richard. The two were never seen again.
In the meantime, their uncle Richard had made Clarence's gossip law: Parliament decreed that Edward's marriage had been invalid and thus the two boys were illegitimate and neither could accede to the throne. Nothing now barred the duke of Gloucester from the crown, and on 6 July 1483, he was crowned Richard III.
By the late summer, everybody, including their mother, took for granted that the two princes were dead. Many also took it as read that Richard was responsible, for only he had had the power, opportunity and, above all, motive. To this day, their exact fate remains a mystery. But it must be said that there is a growing faction who believe that Richard has been blamed for a crime he did not commit.
In the spring of 1484, Richard's seven-year-old son Edward died, and the duke and his wife shut themselves in their apartments at Nottingham to mourn. It was not the last time that Richard would suffer such a loss: the following March, Anne died, too.
Meanwhile, Henry Tudor, earl of Richmond, had become a serious rival for the throne and, although exiled in France, was rapidly gathering support. On 7 August 1485, he and his followers landed in Wales. Two weeks later, the two sides joined in battle on Bosworth Field in Leicestershire
Richard, still only 32 years old, was killed and his body disappeared. He was the last English king to die on the battlefield.
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 The Richard III Society
www.richardiii.net/begin.htm
The organisation bent on reassessing Richard III. The website has a brief history, plus information on all things Ricardian.
Richard III: Villain or hero?
http://www.sandraworth.com/hero.htm
Author Sandra Worth argues that Richard III was no villain but gave us a body of laws that form the foundation of modern Western society.
Princes in the Tower
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Princes_in_the_Tower
A fairly detailed Wikipedia account of the disappearance of the two royals, plus a discussion on who could have done them in.
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Richard III: The great debate by Paul Murray Kendall (W W Norton, 2002)
First published in the 1950s, this account of Richard's life remains one of the most respected biographies, exploring not only the man himself, but also the ways that he has influenced our culture.
Get this book
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Richard III by Michael Hicks (Tempus, 2003)
This study strips away the propaganda of the centuries to rescue Richard from his critics and supporters alike. Analysing contemporary evidence and recreating the course of Richard's life in its 15th-century context, Hicks reveals a complex and powerful figure.
Get this book
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Royal Blood: Richard III and the mystery of the princes by Bertram Fields (ReganBooks, 2000)
A pro-Richard account of what might have happened to his nephews.
Get this book
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 Richard III Museum
Monk Bar
York YO1 7LQ
Tel: 01904 634 191
Website: www.richard3museum.co.uk/main.html
Here you can experience a mock trial in which Richard III is placed in the dock and charged with the murder of his nephews. Visitors to the museum, as the jury, give their own verdict.
Middleham Castle
Located at Middleham, 2 miles south of Leyburn in North Yorkshire on the A6108
OS reference SE 128875
Tel: 01969 623899
Website: www.english-heritage.org.uk/server
/show/conProperty.371
The castle where Richard spent his childhood and which remained his favourite home.
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