Monday, May 16, 2022

All my notes on Richard III together. Material for talk on 16/5/22

The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir  1999 242pg 

Usurpation by Richard III   18/12/21

The narrative under the Tudor was written by southerners who did not like those in the north.
1 The sorces on this subject come from the Paston , the Cely and the Stonor letters. 
2 Dominic Mancine was an Italian monk  living in France, He came to England in 1482 as the French Ambassidor. He wrote a book on the Usurpation by Richand III published in 1484 (only discovered in Lille in 1934 and he died in France in 1494
3 The Croyland chronicles, this was suppressed by Henry VII but survived.
1507 Henry VII commissioned Polydore Vergil to write an official history of England. He was given unrestricted access to archives and Henry VII told him the story of his exile. In 1574 many manuscript were destroyed so that flaws in his history could not be detected. What survived were either hidden or abroad.
Thomas More was Henrys Chancellor and wrote on Richard III but he was beheaded 1535 he wrote an objective view that was not completed .
1619 Buck's History of King Richard III researched manuscript and proclaimed Richards innocence of many of the crimes.
1622 Francis Bacon  History of th Reign of Henry VII

The Wars of the Roses weakened the position of the crown, created a situation where treachery flourished adn 7 of thenoble families became extinct. London had a population of 75000  and had very wealthy merchant through importing luxury good and exporting wool cloth trades to Flanders. The English hated foreigners and were replacing Norman French with English.  Jefery Chaucer's Cantabury Tales written before 1400
In 1464  Edward IV secretdly married Elizabeth Wydville.  The marriage proved unpopular and it offended Warwich who was trying the make an allience by marriage to France. It also indicated to Warwick  that he was losing influence. This later resulted in his conspiring with Clarance against the king.
1869 Clarance openly diefied the king by marrying  Isabella of Burgandy.
1469 disturbance on the Scottish border engaged the king Warwick. When the king regained control he denounce Warwick and his brother Clarance and they fled abroad.
1469 Battle of Barnet which Edward won and Warwick died. Margret of Anjou was taken prisoner and ransomed to Louis XI
1471 Richard III was the Royal Constable and at the Tower of London when Henry VI died and his body showed he had been killed.

1452 Richard Plantaganet  born at Fatheringhay  Castle
1460 At the age of 8 his father and  brother Edmond died in battle of Northhampton. These were violent times and Richard was familiar was intrigue and fighting.
1461 when Edward IV asceded to the throne he was made Duke of Gloucester where his mother brought him up with his brother George the Duke of Clarence in Middleham Castle in Yorkshire. He was brought up with the children of the Duke of Warwick, including Isabelle and Anne and Francis Lowell.
In 1471 he returned with EdwardIV from elile and was given Warwicks titles. He quitted himself well in the Battles of Barnet and Tewsbury. He had no quams about executing the Lancastrians like Beauford Duke of Somerset.
The Warwick estate was divided up and Clarence got half on his wifes name.
Richard had a son and a daughter out of wedlock then married Anne Neville as he had been brought up with her and they were lifelong friends and cousins and the marriage resulted in him getting half of the Warwick estate. He brother George was against this marriage.
Richard was not reported to have had a deformity at the time but had a scoliosis.  Xrays show that the portraits of him were changed to give him the deformity and narrow eyes, making look evil.
1473 the Prince of Wales household was established in Ludlow castle on the Welsh marches.  The princes maternal uncle Antony Wydville- Earl Rivers was apointed  the governor or ruler of Wales.
The Dutchess of Clarence bore 3 children Margaret, Edward and Richard and died soon after that. Clarence was very wealthy but politically  isolated as the king no longer trusted him.Clarences wife died creating more problems for him. Edward IV thawted Clarences attempt to marry Mary of Burgandy whose husband had died leaving her the sole ruler there.  Edwards objection was that she had some claim to the English throne through her grandmother Isabella of Portugal. Clarence then wanted to marry a Scottish princess that Edward the IV also objected to.
 Clarance denounced the king as a bastard and that his marrying Elizabeth Wydville was null and void as an English king could not marry a widow. He also attacked the Queen accusing her of murdering his Dutchess with poison. The king eventually had to punish Clarence.
Richard was given Clarences office of Great Chanberlain of England. Richard was opposed to his brother being executed but not displeased by his fall. Clarences execution indicated how ruthless a king had to be to hold his throne. 
The Queen had stolen the Kings signet ring and ordered the execution of Earl of Desmond in Ireland as he had said dispariging remarks about the Kings wife. Glouster was aware of the Wadeville's removing people by foul means and kept away from court.
Elizebeth Shore was a mistress of the King making the Queen could not have felt warmly to the woman.
1482 Richard beat the Scots in Battle of Berwich. In Norhtern England he ruled on behalf of the king and he had absolute power. He brought peace to the region that had once been under Lancaster control.  His seats was in Middleham and York.  In is mentioned that somebody called him Richard Crowchback
The Wydvilles dominated the South.
Edward IV died leaving a kingdom esteemed as a powerful leader throughout Christendom, his kingdom was rich, but he had created to powerfull factions the Wydvilles and the Duke of Glouster.
1475 Edward IV only surviving will left the kingdom only to his son with his loving wife as the executor. On dying he knew that the Wydvilles were very unpopular and so to mitigate the situation he made his close brother Richard the Protector while his son had not yet reached his majority.  Legally it is for parlament to decide on these things not the dying king.
The Queen wanted the Coronation as soon as possible so that her Wydvilles  could get controle. In Northanpton Richard figured out that he would need a coup.  They met up with Rivers here but he had been lulled into a false sence of security.
The Welsh might rise  up against Richard when they hear that their prince has been carried off. 
The Queen now realised that after 20 years the here families power might be lost and was worried abour Richard reacting to their part in the fall of Clarence. She and her party took Santuary in the Westminister Abbey.
The Council of Lords accepted Richard as the Kings Protector as they felt England needed a strong leader.
Rotherham had already been neutralised, now Richard had to get the fleet out of the control of  Sir Edward Wydville so he offered a prize on Wydvilles he and all but 2 ships which were used by Wydville to escape to Briton returned to English ports.
Hastings made it clear that he was faithfully to EdwardV and therefore Buckingham received greater prizes. He regretted having supported Richard from the day that Richard demanded the death penalty for Rivers. Richard decided to elimate Hastings as he objected to all his schemes. He accused Elizebeth Wydville of socery in conjunction with Hasting mistress Elizabeth  Shore,who had been Hastings  go between to Elizabeth Wydville.
By the concocted Wydville conspiracy Ricahrd was managed to raise an army in the North.
Most people could see the Prince of Wales in the Tower garden till this time. A rumour wa sprea dthat Hasting had a plot agianst the Protector, stopped in time.
In the Tower, Richard discovered later on the the Royal treasure had been apropriated by the Wyvilles.
Richard had an army around the Westminister Abby and mananaged to get the younger brother to be with Edward V as the young prince would have been next in line to the throne.
Despite embarrising he mother Richard claimed his brother Edward IV who was born in France was not Henry Vs son, Edward had contracted to another women Lady Eleonor Butler before the quiet marriage to   Elizabeth Wydville thus his offspring were illigitimate. It was claimed that Clarence knew this and had to be silanced.
Rivers, Grey Vaughen and Haute were beheaded.
There was an attainder against Clarences offspring so they were not in line to kingship.
Buckingham Howard, and Northumberland were the magnates supporting Richard plus the army from the north which the south hated as they had seen the appalling rampaging of these troops under Margaret of Onjou. These 3 were given lavish rewards by Richard to keep their support. Elizabeth Wydville was involved in an attempt to smuggle her daughter out of the country.
The day after the Coronation the northern troops were sent back home and there were well planned public relations for the king to charm his subjects. After this time the princes were never seen again.
The conspiracies againt Richard must have encouraged him to kill the princes. Power hungry nobles could always espouse the caused of the deposed king to get rewards and the Act of their bastardization could be reversed.
After Richard death people felt freer to talk about his crimes.
Richard III was unpopular with the French as he advocated the English dynasttic claims to the French throne.
To hold power Richard enacted a number of responsible laws including bail for offenders, reform of the oppressive land - tenusre laws , qualification for jury service. He did away with "benevolances" where the wealthy were forced to make financial gifts to the crown.
Most of these new laws benefited the poor majority but it was the magnates that Richard needed support from.
He came to an understanding with Elizabeth Wyville (Edward IVs wife) and gave her daugher a role in the royal court and she could now come out of santuary so Richard's public image was improved.
1483 Richard's only son and heir died, this was taken as evidance of the evil that Richard had done by killing the princes. Queen Anne was ailing and ther was rumours that Richard wanted his marriage to her annulled so that he could marry and have more children also he could strengthen his claim to the throne by marrying princess Elizabeth Wydville, this would enlist the Wydvilles to his side. Queen Anne died of tuberculosis or cancer, but it was romoured that Richard had poisoned her.
1483 Buckingham Rebellion while 7 ships carrying 500 Breton soldiers with a coordinated uprising in England led by Henry Tudor, the ships ran into a storm and had to return to Brettony while Henry reach Plymoth where he heard of Buckinham failure and so fled back to France.
Now princess Elizabeth Wydville placed her hopes on Henry Tudor. Henry sailed from Harfleur and sailed for Wales and entered England 6 days later via Shrewsbury where he joined up with Buckingham.
The night the battle Richard had bad dreams in Shakespeare he is protrays as feeling guilty for the princes and the others he had killed to usurp power but it was more because he did not feel secure about how faithfull  his allies would be.
Both the Stanley s and Northumberland watched and didn't come into battle so Richard's only solution was to attack Henry and almost succeeded but then fought till he died while Stanley came to save his stepson Henry . The Stanley brothers found the crown and placed it on Henry head.
Because Henry was marrying the princes sister he did not want to claim that they were illigitimate, so never directly accused Richard of their deaths
Some thought that Henry VII was responsible for the princes death.
Thomas More at the Minories a Cloister met many of the retired widows and cousins  of those involved in the Tower of London, he heard a lot of talk and it is possible that that inspired him to write the book on Richard III and the death of the princes. Infanticide even in those violent days was considered an extremely evil crime. 
1485 When Henry VII took the crown till the death of Elizabeth 1 in 1603 the Tudors ruled England.
1674 under construction of the Tower the bones of the princes were found and Charles II built a memorial in their honour. Blood stains on the face bones indicated death by suffication as More had
 written.




 
 Time line for Richard III 

#842  French started being written   English royals kept on speaking French.
#1154  The Plantaganets ruled England with the symbol of the plant-genet till 1485 
 
#1215 The Magna Charter was written in Latin

1399 Early origen of  The War of the Roses started from the deposition of RichardII followed by the Lancastrian usurpation of Henry V   
#1400 Chaucer died  Beginging of  written English language.

 1415 Battle of Agincourt   under Henry V England held Normandy, Glascony and Gascon 
1422 Harry V died 
 Henry VI    1422 - 1461 Lancaster
1443 king Henry went mad, but Margaret gave birth in the palace of Westminister to a son when she could no longer conceal his madness a great Council was summoned   
1448 Suffolk and Somerset surrendered Maine  
1449 Duke of York went into exile in Ireland, he made friends with the Irish chieftains.
1449 The English lost their French terretory resulting in refugees fleeing back to England
1451 England has surrendered all terretories save Callais. End of 100 years war?
1452Fotheringham Castle born Richard  Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester and then Richard lll
   
  
1455 Battle of Saint Albans start of  actual war of the Roses. till battle of Stoke 1487

 1460. Battle of Wakefield.
1461Richard's elder brother Edward IV assumed the crown by usurpation
1461: Battle of Mortimer Cross. Richard of York’s son Edward, Earl of March was victorious.
Edward IV 1461 1470 York
In 1464  Edward IV secretdly married Elizabeth Wydville
1869 Clarance openly diefied the king by marrying  Isabella of Burgandy.
1469 disturbance on the Scottish border engaged the king  and Warwick
Henry VI  1470- 1471 Lancaster 
Edward IV  1471-1483 York
#1476 William Caxton  started printing in England, near Westminster Abbey.
1482 Richard III beat the Scots in Battle of Berwich
Edward V 1483 York never crowned

Richard III 1483- 1485 York( Glouster)
1483 Buckingham Rebellion
1483 Richard's only son and heir died, this was taken as evidance of his evil 
1485  March Queen Anne Neville, Richard III consort died of tuberculosis
1485 Battle of Bosworth
 Henry VII 1485 -1509   Tudor

1487, Battle of Stoke John Pole,Earl of Lincoln died fighting against  Henry VII .
1539 Clarence's daughter of Margaret Pole and her son were executed by Henry VIII
  
1592 cerca Shakespears Richard 3rd  Written 
 1603 till the death of Elizabeth 1  the Tudors ruled England.
1762 David Hume or 1829 Walter Scott  coined the term War of the Roses.
 
1924 Start the RichardIII society.The curent Duke of Glousceter is the patron.
  2013, the bones of Richard III excavated
2015 Richard III’s reburial and funeral  take places in Leicester Cathedral 

The War of the Roses by Desmond Seward  2011    323 pg
This was considered a punishment for the English atrocities in Europe in the Hundred Years War. Europe had been destroyed, pilliaged, while England had been spared from being a fighting venue.
In England the rank and file on the losing side pressed into fighting had little to loose while their commanders were systematically killed. Loosing Cammanders also lost their property, by Atainder their families were left destitute also but had to fight as staying neutral was disloyal to the winner. Choosing whom to support was a gamble.
All the actual fighting took about 12 month and besides the ghastly battle of Tawton where 50 thousand fought each other, most of the battles were small scale.
1762 David Hume of 1829 Walter Scott  coined the term War of the Roses.
1154  The Plantaganets ruled England with the symbol of the plant-genet till 1485
1337 till 1453 The full length of the Hundred Years War.
1455 Battle of Saint Albans start of  war of the Roses. till battle of Stoke 1487, Henry VI failed to inspire respect after his father HenryV.
As a result of the Battle of Agincourt 1415 under Henry V England held Normandy, Glascony and Gascon by 1451 England had lost these and  the 100 years war.
"Nowadays people put on armour instead of going to courts"  This  was a period of starvation caused by very wet summers, regular outbreaks of bubonic and pneumonic plague that wiped out thousands, swarms of beggers swollen by the refugees returning from France when England lost it. The population of England was 3 million. The greater London merchants were close to the crown and supported both sides. Banditary housebreaking and murder wee commonplace and old age began at 50
1450Jane Shore was born, her father was John Lambert a wealthy merchant       Chapter 7
________
Ch 34  page 233
Richard The Duke of Glouster was the only surviving brother of EdwardIV who he had been impecably loyal to him.  He lived in Yorkshire. He was a of  many talents charismatic and knew how to win support. Some understood his ambition and deceit but Hastings was a true old friend. At 12 EdwardV was devoted to his mothers family and his uncle Lord Rivers had been entrusted with his education.
Edwards funeral cost more than what was left in the treasury so jewels had to be sold to pay for it. The treasure had not been raided. Richard ceased power for his own safety the was not a deep laid plan.
The wealthy magnat Henry of Buckingham one of the wealthiest magnates was a  a close reliable  friend of Richard.
Lord Rivers Richard Grey and Sir Thaomas Vaughan were all arrested, sent to Pontfract where thay would be beheaded. 
At the meeting in the tower of London Richard banged on the table and guards came in took Hasting and executed him outside.  As king however he brought Lady Hastings under his protection her properties were not attainted, he had destroyed Hasting with reluctance.
Mrs Shaore, Hastings mistress was arrested.  
______________________________________________________________________
1483 Margaret Beaufort attended Richard III coronation and carried Queen Annes train. Despite his arrest Lord Stanley had made peace with RichardIII and agreed to support him. He and Duke Beauford, Duke Buckingham, Duke Norfolk and Earl Northumberland were the 4 magnates who Richard depended on as props for his regime.
The declaring of the marriages invalid and the sons bartardy were not matter for Parlament but the Church which had never been consulted. Stealing the crown was not just robbery but blasphamy and his pretext was unconvinving.
Once the public knew that the 2 boys were dead, rumours started of  general support fot Henry Tudor in exile. He had been left out of Richards calculation. Buckingham realizing the hostility to Richards regime that it could not survive. Richards entire 26 months in power wer riddled in paranoia and it cost a fortune to keep guard against invasion.
Buckinghams rebellion had been put down, but the effect was that many importand rebels  escaped into exile to Henry Tudor. Richard only trusted northerners and so atainted estates were given to them, but the southerners objected to being colonized by squires.

To appease the public good administration and legislation preventing the forfeiture of accused goods before they were convicted.
Margaret Beaufort was mother to the great rebel and traitor , she understood realpolitics and made alliences with the Woodvilles.
Richard wanted Henry Tudor handed over to him and was prepared to lend a thousand English archers to help defend Britany against France. The French though the 100 years war was not yet over and wlcomed Henry who had been tipped off to escape Bretany.  The earl of Oxford  arrived and he basically became the rebel Chief of Staff.
Richard began offering pardons to gain support but in 1484 April his only legitimate son died, and his wife died in 1485. So he now looked for a suitable marriage of allience.
1485 Margaret Beaufort watched her son Henry VII at his coronation. Henry then wanted  strengethen  his position by marrying Elizabeth of York in 1486 the daughter of EdwardIV
1487 Battle of Stoke. This was the final battle where Jasper Tudor , and Earl of Northumberland lead against the pretender to the throne Simmel Lincoln. The Duke of Warwich was found guilty of treason and beheaded. Henry pardoned the rebels to bring peace. This ended the Plantaganets.

A royal tragedy  The Brothers York by Thomas Penn 2019 572pg
This is the story of the conflict of the 3 Brother Kind Edward IV, (died at 40) George Duke of Clarence(died at 28) and Glouster who became Richard III (died at 32)  The whole story is 24 years when you compair to Henry VII Tudor  whose reign.
1449 The English lost their French terretory resulting in refugees fleeing back to England. Henry V had gained this 30 years before and died of dysantry.
Pg 404 Clarance had spread rumours that EdwardIV was illigitimate.  Then organized an armed uprising and at the same time prepared to send his son out of England but the people enlisted to smuggle the boy betrayed Clarence. No witness was brave enough to defend Clarence and he even suggested a trial by combat with Edward  IV which was rejected. The Woodvilles had a grudge againt him for killing Earl Rivers, Elizabeths brother John. Clarence was executed by drowning in wine as his liked to drink and was given an honorble burial.  There had been a conflict with Richard over the Warwick inheritance. Richards son and heir were given Clarences title to the Earl of Salisbury. The fiefdom of Richmond in Yorkshire was no awarded to Richard and he went up north to visit his estates.
---------------------------------------
 
 

 
___________________________-__________
Richard III Brother Protector King  by Chris Skidmore 2017 372pg  19/3/ 22
1471 Battle of Tewsbury  Richard Neville and son were slain. Margaret of Anjou was captured.

The brother of the Mayor of  London gave a sermon at St Pauls that Edward IV was a bastard son and that Richard is the only legitimate one in the family as he looked like his father. Richard was thus accusing his mother of adultary.

Richard and Anne were to be a joint coronation as King and Queen. Richard was the first monach to give his coronation speech in English.  Almost all English nobility was present haveing backed him as protector they now pledged their loyalty to him as king.  Many supported Richard against the Woodvilles.  Hasting had been executed but his wife Katherine and family were not attainted and were pardoned by Richard.
Louis XI of France informed him he was keen to keep the peace treaties established by Edward VI
In York the formal investiture of Ricahrds son Edward as Prince of Wales.
1484 There were rumours abouding that Richard had executed Edward IVs sons and now there was no male heir left and Richard had beleived now the populace would bare good will to him but this backfired.
A rebellion had started andonce it got underway and was later joined by Buckimham was  known as the Buckingham rebellion and was a serious challange to Richard. The leaders were former servants of Edward IV who had been happy to work under Richard while he was the protector. Many rebels were worried they would loose influence under Richard who had however gone out of his way to win the support of the Woodvilles associates.
October Henry and Jasper Tudor set sail from Brittany   but they hit a gale that dispersed their ships and retirned to Britany.  Once the conspiracy was revealed Buckingham was captured and executed in Salisbury.
   James III of Scotland agreed to a truce which was signed and now Richard could deal with Henry Tudor and his 400 expat supporters.
Richard was prepared to send archers to Britany against France to try get Henry Tudor.
`
After Queen Anns death Richard was planning to marry his niece Elizabeth. This worried Henry Tudor as he wanted to marrry her to be supported by late King Edward IVs family. This hurried matter along.
A message came from Wales that he had supporters there and financial support while at the same time France was watching the English ships in the channel and now wanted Henry Tudors exiles to attack England. He was able to hire French mercenaries. Richard saw this as a French deckaration of war.
The Buckingham rebellion had cost Richard a fortune and the need to prepare for war against Henry Tudor at a time when the treasury was empty meant extra taxes. Allowences meant to repair castles and manor had been misspent and many of the people Richard had apointed as lords were unlettered and pocketed money meant for the crown. Men were sent out to extort money for taxes or loans which Richard had objected to before his reign. the wool trade had slumped also. Richard confiscated Margaret Beauforts land but gave them to her husband Stanley. Who was the wealthiest man in the realm.
Once Henry Tudor was going to marry Elizabeth of York then the Woodville put in their lot with Henry Tudor but had to work fast as Richard III had planned to marry her, his niece. 
Henry Tudor set sail and landed in Wales via the Milford Estary and very quickly advanced through Harverfordwest Cardigan and Machynileth.
Many lords were sent letters compelling them to come and fight for Richard "apaon pain of forfiture of life and land. The big armies like that of William  Stanley and Thomas Stanley were slow in coming. Then Richard kept Stanleys son hostage to be sure Stanley would support him. Others were arrested for fear of conspiracy against Richard.
Shrewsbury opened it gates to Henry Tudor because of William Stanleys urging.
For kings to survive in those days they had to show the ruthlessness they did.


Clarences wife  Isabel's death was a result of either consumption or childbed fever. Clarence was convinced tha she had been poisoned by  her lady in waiting who was tried and hanged. n 1477 Clarence was again a suitor for the hand of Mary, who had just become dut.chess of Burandy Edward objected to the match, and Clarence left the court.  He now became friendly with supporters of the ex Lancastrians. A reason for Edward to have his brother executed may have been that George had "threatened to question the legality of the royal marriage



Richard the Third by Payl Murray Kendall (1911-1973)

Is he a villain of not? Did he murder the Princes ? Is the Tudor history accurate of base slander?
1422 Harry V died leaving the French provinces north of the Loire and Guienne in the hands of the English or their Burgundian allies.  He had taught his lords that war was a way to wealth. 
He left a 9 month old infant. Humphrey of Glouster and Henry Beaufort split into quarreling factions.  Magnates could help themselves to the royal revenues and manipulate justice for their own ends.
When Margaret of Anjo was 15 she married Henry VI who became her humble vassel.
1443 king Henry went mad, but Margaret gave birth in the palace of Westminister to a son when she could no longer conceal his madness a great Council was summoned which in 

1448 Suffolk and Somerset surrendered Maine  
1449 Duke of York went into exile in Ireland, he made friend with the Irish chieftains.
1451 England has surrendered all terretories save Callais.
1452 born Richard  Plantagenet, Duke of Glouceste and then Richard lll
#1453 Turks take Constantinople killing the last Roman(Byzantine) emperor.  Constantine XI.
1454 appointed York Protector and Defender of the Realm. Then Henry regained his sanity and Yorks regancy ended.  In the clash that followed at St. Albans York won. York was supported by Salisbury , Warwich and the Duke of Norfolk all kinsmen by marriage and men of the Welsh Marches.Piers de Bree a French General and friend of Margaret landed and burned Sandwich. After Somersets death Warwich was apointed Captain of Calais for 3 years.Richard met with his elder brothers Edward of March and Edmund of Rutland. Warwich arrived with a garrison from Callais Bore HeathLudlow was pilliaged and the Duchess and her boys were taken to Coventry and given 1000 marks a year.. York, Salsbury  and Warwich 's estates were forfeited to the Crown , so they took a ship to Callais. They then attacked Sanwich and captured Royal ships that they took to Callais.Henry VI was allowed to remain king but but was supposed to be succeeded by the duke of York. Queen Margaret's son Edward V was to be disinherited.
When the Lancastrians started pilliaging the suburbs of London the Dutchess of York decided to send to the low countries to get them away from margaret of Anjou.
---------------------------------------
The last days of RichardIII and the fate of his DNA by John Ashdown Hill. 2013 (sample) 28/10/21
The book that inspired the dig.
This book is on the last 150 days of his life from March 1485 till August 1485. In this time he was not only waiting for the clash with his cousin Henry Tudor but very much involved in running the country.  We have the death of his only legitimate son and heir Edward of Middleham creating a problem of his succesor. 

March 1485 Queen Anne Neville his consort died of tuberculosis and even though this was a political marriage he truly loved her as they were childhood friends .
The DNA was carried down by the royal female line of descent.
1399 The War of the Roses started from the deposition of RichardII follwed by the Lancastrian usurpation of Henry VI
1483 Richard III had a sound claim to the throne he looked like his father..
1461Richard's elder brother Edward IV assumed the crown by usurpation, he had a second and bigamous marriage to Elizabethe Woodville thus Edward V was illigitimate  and Richard III was the nearest ligitimate heir. 
Richard III neaded an heir and looked to marry either the Portugues of Spanish infantas who were of legitimate Lancastrian  female lines. King John II of Portugal eldest sister infanta Joanna , she was a few months older than Richard.

----------------------
Besides the obvious death and destruction that many of the battles visited upon soldiers and civilians alike, the war made England virtually bankrupt and left the victorious French Crown in total control of all of France except Calais. England was left to develop parliamentary democracy and an empire as an offshore island, separate from the rest of Europe, though the English kings still officially claimed to be kings of France all the way down to George III

Henry VI    1422 - 1461 Lancaster
Edward IV 1461 1470 York
Henry VI  1470- 1471 Lancaster 
Edward IV  1471-1483 York
Edward V 1483 York never crowned
Richard III 1483- 1485 York( Glouster)
Henry VII  1485 -1509   Tudor

York is the White Rose, Lancaster red rose

The Cause -continued over four decades, the main causes for the initial outbreak were the incompetent rule of Henry VI of England (r. 1422-61 & 1470-71 CE) and the ambition of Richard, Duke, of York (b. 1411 CE) and then his son Edward (b. 1442 CE)
The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487) were a series of civil wars fought over the throne of England between supporters of the House of Lancaster, the Lancastrians, and supporters of the House of York, the Yorkists.
  • Henry VI (Lancaster) (reigns twice)
  • Edward IV (York) (reigns twice)
  • Edward V (York)
  • Richard III (Gloucester – Kind of odd one out - Gloucester)
  • Henry VII (Tudor)
  • The various consequences of the Wars of the Roses may be summarised as: an increase in the power of nobles compared to the Crown during the wars. an increase in the use of violence and assassination as political tools. the destruction of half the nobility of England.19 Feb 2020
  • The Plantaganets started in 1154 with Henry II and ended with Richard III death in 1485
  • A Chronology of the Wars of the Roses  

    22 May 1455: First Battle of St Albans. A Yorkist victory during which the Duke of Somerset (one of the Lancastrian leaders) was killed. The Duke of York was re-appointed Protector, then dismissed again in 1456. Queen Margaret fuelled anti-Yorkist sentiment at court. Richard, Duke of York’s influence was undermined and he was excluded from the royal council.

    23 September 1459: Battle of Blore Heath. A Yorkist victory.

    12 October 1459: Battle of Ludford Bridge. This time, a Lancastrian victory. The Queen declared Yorkist property and lives forfeit. Richard of York fled to Ireland.

    10 July 1460: Battle of Northampton. A Yorkist victory; King Henry VI captured. Massacre of prisoners ordered by the Earl of Warwick. The Queen fled to Wales.

    10 October 1460. The return of Richard of York who was declared heir to the throne. In response, the Queen raised a new army.

    30 December 1460. Battle of Wakefield. The Yorkists were defeated and Richard, Duke of York, was killed. He was succeeded by his son Edward.

    2 February 1461: Battle of Mortimer Cross. Richard of York’s son Edward, Earl of March was victorious.

    17 February 1461: Second Battle of St Albans. A victory for the House of Lancaster. Henry VI rescued.

    What happened the battle of Bosworth? Henry Tudor, (Henry VII), earl of Richmond and a Lancastrian, defeated King Richard III, a Yorkist, at the battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August 1485. Richard III was the last English monarch to have been killed in battle.

    The Battle of Bosworth saw the sun set on the Plantagenet dynasty that had ruled England for 331 years and ushered in the dawn of the Tudor era. Richard III led a glorious, thunderous charge of his household cavalry and is the last King of England to die on a battlefield.7 Sep 2021
  •  Richard had worn the crown  into the fray, was picked out of a bush and placed on Henry's head.
  • 1487 Battle of Stoke Field an attempt by Yorkist to dethone Henry VII failed by was a very bloody battle.


1. On October 2, 1452, Richard III was born at Fotheringhay Castle, which was also where the trial and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, took place in 1587.

557px-Boar_Badge_of_Richard_III_from_Bosworth_Field2. Richard III assumed the throne in 1483. He was the last Yorkist king of England.

3. The White Boar was the symbol of Richard III. Boars are associated with courage and ferociousness. White symbolizes loyalty. Watch this video by Yorkshire Museum and learn more about The York Boar Badge, worm by the supporters of Richard III.



4. His personal motto is ‘loyalté me lie‘ which means loyalty binds me.

5. Richard III enjoyed a high status diet full of protein and essential minerals but he also had roundworms.

6. Richard III consumed a bottle of wine per day, every day, on top of all the British ale he also drank.

7. Many historians believe that his nephews Edward V and Richard of York, who disappeared in 1483, were murdered on Richard III’s orders.

SEDE1306 PACKAGED38. In August 1485, at the age of 32, Richard III was brutally slain in battle on Bosworth Field. He was the last King of England to die in battle. His death marks the end of the medieval period in England.

9. In 2013, the bones of Richard III were found in a parking lot in Leicester, central England. His skeleton is missing its feet.

10. Richard III’s reburial and funeral will take place in Leicester Cathedral in early 2015. It will be televised. The Archbishop of Canterbury will likely to take a service.
Historic doubts on the Life and reign of Richard the Third by Horace Walpole. 1776  81 pages. All ancient history except of the illuminated Jews is perfect fable to raise lofty ideas of the origin of each nation.  At some periods the suffering crimal captivates all hearts : at other the triumphant tyrants.  This was a time when Europe was in a continual state of warfare.  Monks undertook to write history under these circumstances but wre cut off from envents by distance. Little is recorded besides battles, plagues and religious faoundations. Only the king or the archbishop of Canterbury are the persons with whom we are aquainted. The civil war between the houses of York and Lancaster obscured parts of the annals.
Richard never had descendants. The killing of his younger  Edward offered him no gain and should be aquitted of it. King and Queens Collages in Cambridge were endowed by Richard III Queen Anne.
------
Shakespears Richard 3rd  Written cerca 1592
The nobles, all Yorkist unite against this last Lancastrian  and ignore the warnings of Henry IVs widow.  Richard claims that the twin princes are illigitimate. Because Buckingham hesitates to kill the princes he is not given a land grant and defects to Henry of Richmond.
Aged 6 Richard is brought out of a secluded childhood at Fotheringhay and the family moved to Ludlow Castle on the Welsh border where it was much safer. His brother Edward was above average height. Kings were. Kings were considered to be apointed by god


           

 

 I noticed how many of the noble women married men who were nominally their enemies, perhaps even involved in the death of their family members or earlier husbands:

o   Anne Neville married Richard the III who fought against her husband, father and uncle in the battle where they were killed.

o   Catherine Woodville married the Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, even though he hated her.  After his execution she switched sides to marry Jasper Tudor, uncle of Henry VII

o   Elizabeth of York may have had a romance with Richard III even though he may have killed her brothers the princes.  Ultimately she married Henry VII, also a suspect.

o   Margaret Beaufort had 4 husbands from all over the political spectrum….with one (Edmund Tudor) she gave birth to Henry VII.

o   Isabelle Neville was forced to marry George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence by her father to seal an alliance against Edward IV, but Clarence switched sides (several times).  She died before him, so did not remarry.  

 


God and your arms be prais'd, victorious friends;
The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead.

We will unite the white rose and the red: —
Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction,
That long have frown'd upon their emnity!
  • Henry, Earl of Richmond, scene v


 Some touch of pity by Rhoda Edwards 1976 350pg  20/11/21
This is a novel on RichardIII
Richard was the King's Lieutenant General in the north and was honored in Parliament for his success against the Scots. He had captured Edinburgh and burned Dumfries.  Of Richards 3 children only Edward was Richards legitimate son the 2 older ones were born out of wedlock before he married Ann. Both He and Ann were brought up together and the nursery in Middleham was always full.
George of Clarence was accused of treason and executed in the tower.
1860 Richard Duke of York his father   was killed in the battle of Wakefield after he had gained the Act of Accord in Parliament   Thus Henry IV would be king for life but York's descendants would take over , thus Edward IV .  
Hastings was plotting to deprive Richard of his power as  Protector.
Lord Stanley's allegiances would go to the strongest; he keeps a foot in both camps. He turned his coat 6 times in 20 years but as he was a powerful lord and leader this was tolerated. Richard knew Margaret, Tudor's mother was a rebel but tolerated her as Stanley's wife and "did not make war on women"
Gloucester has the King Edward V, Rivers was arrested.the Queen is in flight. Edward V as a boy was taught to mistrust Richard by his mother Margaret of Anjou.
1476# William Caxton at the time started printing in England, near Westminster Abbey.
Richard of Gloucester had been brought up in the house of the Neville family. John Neville Marquess of Montegu.
Sir Edward Woodville took the fleet to sea against the French pirates. When Richard was made protector his name and reputation were a byword for justice and good dealing, when he marched into a town in Scotland he gave the population fair warning to clear out and never allowed looting by soldiers.
The queen moved with her 5 daughters and younger son into sanctuary, Gloucester arrested Anthony Woodville, Lord Rivers, the Queen's brother, he was the educator the Crown prince wanted to be his Protector as his mother mistrusted Richard.
Even Edward IV was conceived in France while Henry V was fighting there during the war and they claimed that he was not a legitimate son of the Queen by her adultery.
Buckingham raised an army from the Marches of Wales, but the army was bogged down on the floods of the Severn. The king had put 1000 pounds on his head and he was sold out by one of his lieutenants. The first Tudor invasion encouraged by Buchinghams letters was beaten back by the storm.
#The King of Hungary had beaten back the Turkish invasion.
If England tried getting foreign allies she found that Burgundy and Brittany were weakened by civil strife, Spain and Portugal were friendly but distant and Scotland was still hostile, but at sea the Scots were beaten and sued for peace.
Richard made a truce with Brittany agreeing to provide 1000 archers  in return for closer surveillance of Tudor. Now Tudor was welcomed to Paris by the King Charles VII court as France was being threatened by England via Brittany and thus the 100 year war was continuing.
Richard made his sister's Suffolk's son the Earl of Suffolk into Lieutenant of Ireland.
The earl of Oxford escaped with his goaler and joined Henry Tudor in France.
#John Wycliff's New Testament was available in English and Richard would read it to his wife.
Richard knew of the threat of a Tudor invasion and postponed all other decisions and he also had a lack of ready money to keep paying an army.
Henry Tudor had forces to attack Richard as his claim to the throne was weak and unconvincing and most nobles thought it contrived and treason. In the battles vendettas were pursued and old scores settled for example at St Albans the the fighting ceased when 1455Richards father was killed  .  When faced with a dynastic challange no mercy would be shown to any future opponent. RichardIII kept to the chivalric code of honour
This was a period where royal bastards were more likely to grow to old age than those born of wedlock.
When Henry of Lancaster was executed it was followed by a public burial whereas the two boys had just vanished without proclamation
 1485 August Henry Tudor embarked and landed at Milford Haven Wales with 2000 troops. These were predominanttly mercenaries from France, Brittany and Scotland. The Earl of Oxford was the Chief of Staff. It is in Nottingham that Richard gets a message that rebel Tudor has arrived in Wales and 4 fifths of the Pembroke garrison laid down their arms. They entered England via Shrewsbury; the town surrendered without resistance on instruction of William Stanley The king of France had opened his prison and 3000 criminals were recruited for them. Richard was pleased that they had not invaded Southampton to march on London.
Richard had a bad night not because of the dreams of the evil things he did as in Shakespeare but he understood he had been betrayed.
Richard was made king by the consent of the house of lords and commons and anointed by the archbishop.  His murderer will also be recognised by them.
At Bosworth Norfolk was killed by a lucky archer arrow and this upset Richard, and where was Northumberland. He could see Henry hiding at the back of the battle. With speed and surprise Richard charged against the wall of battle and kept killing till his horse got stuck in the bog.  When Stanley saw the charge he charged with his men and attacked the King's army. Richard had already decided that he would rather die in battle thatn escape and go into exile.
 


Margaret Beaufort  and Henry VII
1455 start of War of the Roses
1456  Margaret Beaufort married Edmond Tudor 24 earl of Richmond the half brother of the Henry VI but her husband died of plague in prison. He was of the house of Lancaster.
1457 She was only 13 years old and gave birth to HenryVII in Pembroke Castle, Wales.
1458 marries Henry Stafford heir to the Beauford fortune.
1461 After the Battle of Mortimor Cross Jasper Stanley went into exile
Baby left with Jasper Tudor earl of Penbroke, acted a a father for HenryVII where he was looked after by nurses and tutors.
Now he was raised in Raglan Castle where Herbers children live. Herbert  hoped to get hold of Lancaster asset by him marryWilliam Herberts daughter.  Henry became attached to AnneDevereux Herberts wife 
1464 Edward secretly married Elizabeth Woodward, despite Richard Neville's objection.
1467 George Duke of Clarence attempted to oust he brother from the throne.
Edgecote Moor Herbert faced down the with the Warwick Rebels defeated and executed by the Lancastrians.
1471 Edward returned to England and deposed Henry VI who was locked and executed in the Tower of London.

Battle of Teuton, Stafford he is  supporting Henry VI, he died of his wounds and so at 28 Margaret is again a widow.

1470 Henry VI is murdered by Edward IV
1474 Henry Tudor was the only Lancastrian heir to the throne.
14 years old Henry Tudor leaves England for Britany with Jasper Stanley who escaped Edwards IV. Britany was at war with France
 She now marries Thomas Stanley as rich steward of Edward IV and secures her sons birthright of the earldom of Richmond.
1483 Edward IV died and Margaret now starts plotting with Edwards IV widow to overthrow Richard.
1483 Henry pledged to marry Elizabeth of York in a effort to rally support from the Yorkists.
 Margaret sends money to Henry Tudor to invade England and 7 ships suffer disaster. 
1885She becomes the leader of the conspiracy and tell her son Henry to land in Wales and get all the rebels to support him and crosses at Shrewsbury. The experienced soldier earl of Oxford is his commander in chief.
Troops at the Battle of Bosworth Richard III 5000 Henry 15000 Stanley 3000 Henry becomes Henry VII
Margaret was alive to be at the coronation of her grandson Henry VIII
1885 becomes the first Tudor is the last English king to win the crown on the battlefield. England now started seeing the monarchy as the seat of authority again, and ruled for 23 years
After the Battle of Bosworth the royal emblem was a red rose and a white rose combined to become the Tudor rose.
Stoke Field is considered the last battle of the War of the Roses.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
  The Sunne in Splendour : A novel of Richardlll by Sharon Kay Penman 1982
He did not have the deformities claimed by the Tudor historians. History is written by the victors.
Born 1452 Fatheringham Castle, married Anne Neville, Killed at Bosworth Field 1485 aged 32
1459 Ludlow  Ned the Earl of March , Lord of Wigmore and Clare the eldest of the 4 sons of the Duke of York. Near the swift running water of the Teme which divides England from Wales.
Their Uncle reached Ludlow that week leading an armed force from the north and soldiers soon to come from Calais commanded by his cousin Salisbury's son The Earl of Warwich. Ambushed at Blore Heath and Thomas and John were taken captive Ned escaped to Ludlow. Richard just turned 7

The Yorkist abandoned Ludlow quickly but left his wife and sons George and Richard  who they felt were not in danger. They escaped to Ireland The King Henry Beaufort Duke of Somerset was only 23 and entrusted the command of the Kings army to Marquerite d'Anjou was Lacasters French born wife.
At this time Cecily Neville was 44
________________________

The Kings Grave by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones 2013 320Pg.
The discovery of RichardIII's lost burial place and the clues it holds. 
With the end of the Tudors attempts were made to redeem RichardIII reputation.
Game of Thrones was based on the War or the Roses. Richard was an enigma. 10 years after RichardIII was buried in Greyfriars Leicester Henry VII paid for a tomb for him.
1446-1503 Margaret of Burgandy Richards elder sister.  Her descendants have a DNA of the haplotype J for Jasmine and only 17% of the populationhave this  with a particular haplotype Jic2c only 1.5% of them have this.
The RichardIII society 's patron is the Duke of Gloucester, once the body was found they would honour it with a tomb. The archeaogist were prepared to search for the Greyfriars Church while the author would search for the body. The project would also pay for  Richard III tomb.
1924 Start the RichardIII society.The curent Duke of Glousceter is the patron.  Burials in this churched stopped in 1538 with the Dissolution of Monestaries. The body of Richard showed a marine based and healthy diet as apposed to ordinary individuals of the pariod who ate vegetable based soup. To take the throne Henry Tudor need Richard to be seen to be dead. SThe body had death injuries but also insult injuries. and was buried in a grave not to be a York shrine.
Battle of Bosworth the crown was welded to Richard helmit. Henry Tudors victory would be a judgement of God upon his crimes.
Edwards Heraldic badge is a sun in splendour. The Shakespearian RichardIII is a hunchback , limping gait and withered arm and incentive to prove this wrong. Thomas  More portrays a perpetual winter with trust, faith and love replaced by ruthless ambition an cruelty. They portray that his mind was as deformed as his body.
Richard was accused of 1disposing of his brother, 2 poisoning his wife. The Tudors exagerated his scoliosis in a sinister fashion.
1603 From James1 a number of attemps were made to present an alternative narrative.  Richard was an enigma.
1464 Edward IV had a deeply controversial marriage to Elizabeth Woodville that took place in secret and not even in a church and revealed only 4 months later.  Warwich had been the pillar of the Yorkist cause, but this soured as he objected to this relationship. Warwich was in open revolt against the king now.
Titulus  Regnus 1484 was formally set out by parlament but HenryIV ordered all copies destroyed. It declared the Woodville children illegitimate.
RichardIII did many good works to gain support, both private and public. He was essentually a well meaning man living in difficult times. His concern for justice and law-giving was a notable feature of his brief reign.
1640 Salisbury Warwich and March returned from Calais  and captured HenryIV   at the Battle of Northhampton.his wife Margaret of Anjou fled with her son Edward via Harlech, Wales and took a ship to Scotland.
1471 Battle of Barnet, the King with Warwick fought and Warwick died in battle.
        Tewkesbury Richard commanded the vanguard Henry VI  son and heir killed in battle  and he was executed on Edward IVs orders as wellas the Duke of Somerset. The Wrwick estate - Clarence had Married the daughter of the Warwich estate inheritor.
1472 Richard Married Anne Neville her sister.
Richard was able to build up a following in the north where he had great skill dealing with the fueds and disorder, his sense of fairness won him great respect. Richard and Anne became patrons to Queens College Cambridge and set up religious institutions in Middleham.
1480/81Scotish raids  that had to be dealt with
1482 Richard led an army into Edinburgh and restored the town of Berwich to English rule.
1483 Edward IV died leaving a very fractured realm.  Edward V was escorted from Ludlow to London but at Northampton. Richard met up with them and the unsuspecting Rivers was arrested by Richard.Later Richard Grey and Thomas Vaugham were arrested for treason, orders were later sent north for their execution at Pontefract.
The Woodville navy took off with the Royal treasury so Richard set up a navy to deal with this fleet at Downs. Richard they appealed for help from the north and an army formed there and came to help him.
1843 George Neville the young Duke of Warwick died without heirs or children.
The Wydville plan was to rush the young king to London at the head of a large army have his coronation as fast as possible and then rule with the king as a figurehead.
Richard accused the queen and the kings Mistress Elizabeth Shore of witchcraft because of the curious circumstances of Edward IV marriage to the queen. 
Hasting was executed, he had been loyal to Edward IV and his son's. A friend of Richards but would not support him in usurpation, his death was sorely regretted as he was a popular figure. Richard by surrounding Westminister managed to get the younger prince away from the queen and into the Tower. 
Richard own mother Cecily gave evidance that Edward IVwas conceived in an adulterous marriage. also Edward had been precontracted to marry lady Eleonor Talbot. This made Richard the only legitimate heir and he looked exactly like his father giving him legitimacy.
Richard introduced to his first parlament big changes inthe legal system bring justice to societies  weaker. Laws allowing bail and forbidding the seizing of property of those held on suspicion. He contributed toward churches and monestries in Middleham.  He got hold of musicians both religious and secular for celebrations. He build extensively in Middleham , Barnard Castle , Warwick and Nottingham, Queens Collage cambridge an a chantry for hundreds of priests in York. This good development ws meant to gain support of the lords and people.
1843 The Buckingham Rebellion -we don't know his motives for rebellion but Margaret Beaufort decided to put in her support to the Woodvilles. This was put down in Kent and by the time Richard arrrived in Exeter was over and in Wales it ran out of steam for lack of support. Henry Tudor comeing from Brittany promtly returned.
1484 Elizabeth Woolville after receiving a  solumn arrangement came out of sanctuary and her daughter were taken into the royal court.
RichardIII only son died, so he signed the succession to his sisters son of the Duke of Suffolk.
RichardIII offered Britiany support against France so Henry Tudor Fled to France where Charles VIII  recognised his claim to the English crown. The French gave funds supporting him also building an invasion army at Hafleur.
1485 Richards wife died pf tuberculosis.
It was vital for Sir William Stanley and Tudor to combine forces but the Richard would surely execute Stanleys son.
The king of France had given Henry pikesmen trained to cope with a cavalry charge.The formed a phalynx A row on their knees, a row standing with their pikes andgled up and a third row with pikes at waiste level around Henry.
1461 The Battle of Towton put Edward IV on the throne.  Here RichardIII made sure that the dead on both sides received proper burials.1477 in Queens collage Cambridge the names of humble soldiers who died fighting at Barnet and  Tewkesbury were remembered by name.
After executing Hasting gave him a Royal mausoleum at St. Georges Chapel. Winsor next to Edward IV as he had requested.
Both RichardIII and his father took took mounted cavaly charges to their enemy, at Wakefield and Bosworth.
 
-------
HenryVII declared that his reign started from the day before Bosworth thus all who fought along side Richard was forced to take an oath that they had been pressed into fighting. The Tudor regime needed a bogeyman and claimed that Richard ws cruel and vindictive.
  Richard was a far more legitimate than Henry to be King if anything Henry was a total usurper till he married Elizabeth York, but he was a bastard on both his paternal and maternal side. That is another reaon why they portrayal of Richard III  so badly under the Tudors.
1487, 2 years after Bosworth John Pole,Earl of Linclon died fighting Henry VII at the Battle of Stoke.
The death of the children princes was Richards only real crime compaired to the norms of the time, however Henry Tudor could have done this later. Henry Tudor locked up the 3rd Edward that is Clarences son and later executed him. 
1539 Clarence daughter Margaret Pole and her son were executed by Henry VIII
Richards body was found exactly in the Church choir of Greyfriars as predicted. with a half penny bearing EdwardsIVs head.
Titulus Regnus - Henry Tudor ordered all copies of this destroyed. This is the document that Parlament declared Richard III king and his brother Edward IV illigitimate.
Henry only married Elizabeth York in 1486 but her coronation was only year later as he did not want to appear beholden to her.

_______________________________________

Notes from my actual  talk

 The White Boar was the symbol of Richard III. Boars are associated with courage and ferociousness. White symbolizes loyalty.  His personal motto is ‘loyalté me lie‘ which means loyalty binds me.


1483 Edward IV died suddenly leaving a kingdom esteemed as a powerful leader throughout Christendom, his kingdom was rich, but he had created to powerful factions  a very fractured realm

 

Richard the Duke of Gloucester was the only surviving brother of Edward IV who he had been impeccably loyal to him.  He lived in Yorkshire. He was a of many talents charismatic and knew how to win support. Some understood his ambition and deceit but Hastings was a true old friend. At 12 Edward V was devoted to his mother’s family Woodville and his uncle Lord Rivers had been entrusted with his education.  Richard had had had the role of "Viceroy” of north England and was the most experienced so it no surprise that he was appointed Protector.
In reality it is parliament that should appoint the heir to the crown. 

 

 .  Edward V was escorted from Ludlow to London but at Northampton. Richard met up with them and the unsuspecting Lord Rivers

 

Edwards’s funeral cost more than what was left in the treasury so jewels had to be sold to pay for it. The treasure had not been raided. Richard ceased power for his own safety this was not a deep laid plan.

The wealthy magnet Henry of Buckingham one of the wealthiest magnates was a  a close reliable  friend of Richard.

Lord Rivers Richard Grey and Sir Thomas Vaughan were all arrested, sent to Pontifract where thay would be beheaded.

At the meeting in the tower of London Richard banged on the table and guards came in took Hasting and executed him outside.  As king however he brought Lady Hastings under his protection her properties were not attainted, he had destroyed Hasting with reluctance.  They had supported Richard as Protector but with the death if the princes, could not support the usurpation. Lord Rivers Woodville was arrested by Richard. Later Richard Grey and Thomas Vaughan were arrested for treason, orders were later sent north for their execution at Pontefract.

The Woodville navy took off with the Royal treasury so Richard set up a navy to deal with this fleet at Downs. Richard then appealed for help from the north and an army formed there and came to help him.

 

The Woodville plan was to rush the young king to London at the head of a large army have his coronation as fast as possible and then rule with the king as a figurehead.
Normally the crown prince goes to the Tower of London to wait for the coronation but he was imprison here.

Richard had his corronation immidiatly and was the first English king to take the oath in English.

 Hasting was executed; he had been loyal to Edward IV and his son's. A friend of Richards but would not support him in usurpation, his death was sorely regretted as he was a popular figure. Richard by surrounding Westminster managed to get the younger prince away from the queen and into the Tower. 

 1474 Henry Tudor was the only Lancastrian heir to the throne.

14 years old Henry Tudor leaves England for Britany with Jasper Stanley who escaped Edward IV. Britany was at war with France

 Margaret Beaufort now marries Thomas Stanley as rich steward of Edward IV and secures her son’s birthright of the earldom of Richmond.

1483 Edward IV died and Margaret now starts plotting with Edwards IV widow to overthrow Richard.
Margaret Beaufort had 4 husbands from all over the political spectrum….with the first (Edmund Tudor) she gave birth to Henry VII. The married her because of her personal wealth and power

1483 Margaret Beaufort attended Richard III coronation and carried Queen Anne’s train. Despite his arrest Lord Stanley had made peace with Richard III and agreed to support him. He and Duke Beauford,  Duke Buckingham Henry Stafford, Duke Norfolk John Howard and Earl Northumberland Henry Percy were the 4 magnates who Richard depended on as props for his regime.

 

Declared Bastards

Richard accused the queen and the kings Mistress Elizabeth Shore of witchcraft because of the curious circumstances of Edward IV marriage to the queen. 

Richard own mother Cecily gave evidence that Edward IV was conceived in an adulterous marriage. also Edward had been precontracted to marry lady Eleonor Talbot. This made Richard the only legitimate heir and he looked exactly like his father giving him legitimacy. Also he was the only one born in England and not France. 
The declaring of the marriages invalid and the sons bastardy were not matter for Parliament but the Church which had never been consulted. Stealing the crown was not just robbery but blasphemy and his pretext was unconvincing.

No treasury

In the Tower, Richard discovered later on the the Royal treasure had been appropriated by the Woodvilles.

 

Richard Good Government

Richard was the first king to take the oath at the coronation in English

To appease the public good administration and legislation preventing the forfeiture of accused goods before they were convicted.

 

Richard introduced to his first parliament big changes in the legal system bring justice to societies weaker. Laws allowing bail and forbidding the seizing of property of those held on suspicion. He contributed toward churches and monasteries in Middleham.  He got hold of musicians both religious and secular for celebrations. He build extensively in Middleham , Barnard Castle , Warwick and Nottingham, Queens Collage Cambridge an a chantry for hundreds of priests in York. This good development was meant to gain support of the lords and people.

1461 The Battle of Towton put Edward IV on the throne.  Here Richard III made sure that the dead on both sides received proper burials.1477 in Queens collage Cambridge the names of humble soldiers who died fighting at Barnet and Tewkesbury were remembered by name.

Richard III did many good works to gain support, both private and public. He was essentially a well-meaning man living in difficult times. His concern for justice and law-giving was a notable feature of his brief reign.

After executing Hasting gave him a Royal mausoleum at St. Georges Chapel. Windsor next to Edward IV as he had requested.

Richard began offering pardons to gain support. Initially he stopped taking forced loans from the wealthy but later when he needed money for his army , he reversed this reform. 

 

1843 The Buckingham Rebellion -we don't know his motives for rebellion but Margaret Beaufort decided to put in her support to the Woodvilles. Buckingham never started this by joined it much later. This was put down in Kent and by the time Richard arrived in Exeter was over and in Wales it ran out of steam for lack of support. Henry Tudor coming from Brittany his 6 ships were scattered in a storm promptly returned.  Once the public knew that the 2 boys were dead, rumors started of general support for Henry Tudor in exile. He had been left out of Richards’s calculation. 

Buckingham realizing the hostility to Richards’s regime, that it could not survive. Richards entire 26 months in power were riddled in paranoia and it cost a fortune to keep guard against invasion. 

Tudors ships got caught in a storm and Buckingham's soldiers  coming from his estate in Wales were blocked by the flooding Severn River. Richard paid offered a bounty for catching Buckingham.
Buckingham’s rebellion had been put down, but the effect was that many important rebels escaped into exile to Henry Tudor. Richard only trusted northerners and so attainted estates were given to them, but the southerners objected to being colonized by squires.

1484 Elizabeth Woodville the  queen moved with her 5 daughters  after receiving a  solemn arrangement came out of sanctuary and her daughter were taken into the royal court.

1484RichardIII only legitimate son died, this was taken as god wrath for the death of the princes. He now signed the succession to his sisters son of the Duke of Suffolk.

1485 Richards wife died of tuberculosis, but he was accused of poisoning her to be able to remarry. Richard lll had 2 illegitimate children John and Catherine during his teens but once he married Anne Neville he was faithful.  . So he now looked for a suitable marriage of alliance.

Foreign Affairs

Richard III offered Britany support against France so Henry Tudor Fled to France where Charles VIII  recognized his claim to the English crown. The French gave funds supporting him also building an invasion army at Hafleur.

Margaret Beaufort was mother to the great rebel and traitor , she understood real politics and made alliances with the Woodville’s.

Richard wanted Henry Tudor handed over to him and was prepared to lend a thousand English archers to help defend Britany against France. The French though the 100 years’ war was not yet over and welcomed Henry who had been tipped off to escape Britany.  The earl of Oxford arrived and he basically became the rebel Chief of Staff.

 

Battle of Bosworth

1483 Henry pledged to marry Elizabeth of York in a effort to rally support from the Yorkist’s. They were worried that Richard would marry her to get this support once Ann Neville had died 

 Margaret sends money to Henry Tudor to invade England and 7 ships suffer disaster. 

1885 She becomes the leader of the conspiracy and tells her son Henry to land in Wales and get all the rebels to support him and crosses at Shrewsbury. The experienced soldier earl of Oxford is his commander in chief.

 

 

1485 August Henry Tudor embarked and landed at Milford Haven Wales with 2000. These were predominanttly mercenaries from France, Brittany and Scotland. The Earl of Oxford was the Chief of Staff. It is in Nottingham that Richard gets a message that rebel Tudor has arrived in Wales and 4 fifths of the Pembroke garrison laid down their arms to Henry. They entered England viaa Shrewsbury; the town surrendered without resistance on instruction of William Stanley The king of France had opened his prison and 3000 criminals were recruited for them. Richard was pleased that they had not invaded Southampton to march on London.

Richard had a bad night not because of the dreams of the evil things he did as in Shakespeare but he understood he had been betrayed.

Richard was made king by the consent of the House of Lords and commons and anointed by the archbishop.  His murderer will also be recognized by them.

At Bosworth Lord  Norfolk (John Howard) Richards closest supporter was killed by a lucky archer arrow and this upset Richard, and where was Northumberland. He could see Henry hiding at the back of the battle. With speed and surprise Richard charged against the wall of battle and kept killing till his horse got stuck in the bog. 

The king of France had given Henry pikesmen trained to cope with a cavalry charge. They formed a phalanx A row on their knees, a row standing with their pikes angled up and a third row with pikes at waist level around Henry.

Both Richard III and his father took took mounted cavalry charges to their enemy, at Wakefield and Bosworth.

When Stanley saw the charge he charged with his men and attacked the King's army. Richard had already decided that he would rather die in battle that escape and go into exile.

 The crown was welded to Richard helmet. Henry Tudor’s victory would be a judgement of God upon his crimes.

 

 

The Stanleys

They had changed allegiances about 6 times and managed to get away with it as they were powerful magnates

It was vital for Sir William Stanley and Tudor to combine forces but then Richard would surely execute Stanley’s son.

 

.

 

Margaret was alive to be at the coronation of her grandson Henry VIII

1885 becomes the first Tudor is the last English king to win the crown on the battlefield. England now started seeing the monarchy as the seat of authority again, and ruled for 23 years

After the Battle of Bosworth the royal emblem was a red rose and a white rose combined to become the Tudor rose.

  Quote

We will unite the white rose and the red: —
Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction,
That long have frown'd upon their emnity!

·         Henry, Earl of Richmond, scene v

 

 

 

House of Tudor

1485 Margaret Beaufort watched her son Henry VII at his coronation. Henry then wanted  strengthen  his position by marrying Elizabeth of York in 1486 the daughter of Edward IV

1487 Battle of Stoke. This was the final battle where Jasper Tudor , and Earl of Northumberland lead against the pretender to the throne Simmel Lincoln. The Duke of Warwick was found guilty of treason and beheaded. Henry pardoned the rebels to bring peace. This ended the Plantagenet’s. 

 

Henry VII declared that his reign started from the day before Bosworth thus all who fought alongside Richard was forced to take an oath that they had been pressed into fighting. The Tudor regime needed a bogeyman and claimed that Richard ws cruel and vindictive.

  Richard was a far more legitimate than Henry to be King if anything Henry was a total usurper till he married Elizabeth York, but he was a bastard on both his paternal and maternal side. That is another reaon why they portrayal of Richard III  so badly under the Tudors.

  Elizabeth of York may have had a romance with Richard III even though he may have killed her brothers the princes.  Ultimately she married Henry VII, also a suspect

The death of the children princes was Richards only real crime compared to the norms of the time, however Henry Tudor could have done this later. Henry Tudor locked up the 3rd Edward that is Clarence’s son and later executed him. 

1539 Clarence daughter Margaret Pole and her son were executed by Henry VIII

Titulus Regus - Henry Tudor ordered all copies of this destroyed. This is the document that Parliament declared Richard III king and his brother Edward IV illegitimate, however a copy was recovered.

Henry only married Elizabeth York in 1486 but her coronation was only year later. She 

 

1487 Battle of Stoke. This was the final battle where Jasper Tudor , and Earl of Northumberland lead against the pretender to the throne Simmel Lincoln. The Duke of Warwich was found guilty of treason and beheaded. Henry pardoned the rebels to bring peace. This ended the Plantagenet’s. Stoke Field is considered the last battle of the War of the Roses.

 

Archeology
1924 Start the Richard III society. The current Duke of Gloucester is the patron.  Burials in this churched stopped in 1538 with the Dissolution of Monasteries

Richards’s body was found exactly in the Church choir of Greyfriars as predicted. With a half penny bearing Edwards IVs head.
Game of Thrones was based on the War or the Roses. Richard was an enigma. 10 years after Richard III was buried in Greyfriars Leicester, Henry VII paid for a tomb for him.

1446-1503 Margaret of Burgundy Richards elder sister.  Her descendants have a DNA of the haplotype J for Jasmine and only 17% of the population have this with a particular haplotype Jic2c only 1.5% of them have this. The DNA was also checked against the Phillip  Duke of Edinburgh

 Once the body was found they would honor it with a tomb. The archeologist were prepared to search for the Greyfriars Church while the author would search for the body. The project would also pay for Richard III tomb.

. The body of Richard showed a marine based and healthy diet as opposed to ordinary individuals of the period who ate vegetable based soup. To take the throne Henry Tudor needed Richard to be seen to be dead. The body had death injuries but also insult injuries. He was buried in a grave not to be a York shrine.

 ___________________________________

  

No comments:

Post a Comment

Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh 1956 181pg.

This is a novel that tries to show the social effect of partition of the average Indian. 18/11/24 movie of this book was released in 1998   ...