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Richard IIIKing of England from the Plantagenet family, who reigned from 1483 to 1485.
Date of Birth: 02.10.1452
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Richard III
Richard III (1452–1485) was an English king from the Plantagenet dynasty who reigned from 1483 to 1485. He was born on October 2, 1452, in Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire. Richard was the youngest child of Richard, Duke of York, and a descendant of Edward III.
Early Life and Military Career
Richard's early life was marked by the Wars of the Roses, a series of conflicts between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. His father, Richard, led the Yorkists in opposition to Henry VI of Lancaster. Richard's military fortune fluctuated during the war. However, at the time when Shakespeare portrays him as the driving force behind Yorkist victories in Henry VI, Richard was only 8 years old.
From the time of Elizabeth I, historians who called themselves "defenders of the most maligned king" emerged. They challenged the accounts of Tudor chroniclers Thomas More and Edward Hall regarding Richard's alleged crimes, particularly the murder of his nephews, the young princes Edward (Edward V) and Richard, the sons of Edward IV. While these historians were unable to definitively prove Richard's guilt or innocence, they argued that the negative depiction of Richard in Shakespeare's play was a distortion of the truth.
Contrary to Shakespeare's portrayal of Richard as a hunchbacked villain, he was an attractive prince, albeit of delicate build. He was one of the most successful military commanders in Europe during his brother Edward IV's reign. Richard remained loyal to his brother and played a key role as constable and admiral of England, as well as the Lord of the North.
Rise to Power
After Edward IV's death on April 9, 1483, Richard took on the role of protector to his 12-year-old nephew Edward V. This decision was driven by his belief that the queen mother and her relatives intended to deny him his rightful position as protector of the realm. However, just two months later, Richard executed Lord Hastings (June 13, 1483), accusing him of conspiring with the queen mother to seize Edward V. The plans for the young king's coronation were abandoned, and it was declared that Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, were illegitimate and had no claim to the throne due to a prior marriage contract that invalidated Edward IV's marriage.
Richard ascended to the throne formally on June 26 and was crowned at Westminster Abbey on July 6, 1483, without facing any significant opposition. In October, Richard easily suppressed a rebellion led by his former ally Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, who sought to place Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, a distant Lancaster relative, on the throne. Tudor agents spread rumors and fabricated accusations about the fate of the princes, creating unrest. However, when Henry Tudor landed in Wales in early August 1485, neither he nor Richard could rely on widespread popular support. The last-minute defection of the powerful Stanley family and the Earl of Northumberland tipped the balance in favor of Henry Tudor. On August 22, 1485, Richard fought bravely but was killed in battle at Bosworth Field. The widely circulated theory that the princes were killed by Henry Tudor (coronated as Henry VII) also lacks sufficient evidence. It is possible that it was the Duke of Buckingham himself, Richard's constable of the Tower, where the boys were held, who sought to discredit the king he hoped to overthrow. Regardless, Richard's usurpation had fatal consequences for Edward V and his brother.
