Richard III, King of England

Richard, the brother of Edward IV, son of Richard, Duke of York and Cicely Nevill, was born October 2 1452 at Fotheringhey Castle, Northamptonshire.
He married Anne, widow of Edward, Prince of Wales, and daughter of Richard Nevill, the Kingmaker, and Anne Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick, July 12 1472 at Westminster.

Left: site of Fotheringhey Castle, birthplace of Richard III.
Right: Richard III

Richard became Duke of Gloucester when his brother, Edward IV, was crowned King of England. He grew up to support the King fighting in the later stages of the Wars of the Roses. Circumstantial evidence, often disputed, points to Richard being responsible for the death of Edward, Prince of Wales, after the Battle of Tewkesbury, and for the murder shortly afterwards of the Prince of Wales's father, Henry VI.

Richard was also suspected of the death of George, Duke of Clarence. In 1472 Richard married the Duke's sister-in-law, Anne Nevill, who was also the widow of Edward, Prince of Wales. Anne, and her sister, succeeded to the Warwick estates when Richard the Kingmaker died.

Through the marriage, and the earlier deaths, Richard gained a large inheritance. Events which began in the spring of 1483 ended in the summer when Richard III succeeded to the throne. In April Richard was appointed protector for his young nephew, Edward V.

Suspicion for the King's safety was aroused by Lord Hastings and other Council members. They plotted to wrest Edward V from Richard's control, but their plan was revealed and they arrested while holding a Council meeting. Their executions quickly followed and a few days later the Earls Rivers and Grey were also beheaded.

In June Edward IV's marriage was declared illegal which implied their son, Edward V, was illegitimate and could not continue to reign. He disappeared and in July Richard and Anne were crowned in Westminster Abbey.

Henry Tudor landed at Milford Haven on August 7th 1485 to rally Lancastrian supporters to fight in what became the last battle in the Wars of the Roses. On August 21st the two sides met at Bosworth and Richard III was killed. He was buried in Grey Friar's Abbey, Leicester.

Anne Nevill died March 16 1485 at the Palace of Westminster and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

View from Richard III' position on Ambion Hill, Bosworth Battlefield,