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Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, marked the end of the Middle Ages in England .
- 26 June 1483 – 22 August 1485
- Cecily Neville
- Overview
- Formative years
Richard III (born October 2, 1452, Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, England—died August 22, 1485, near Market Bosworth, Leicestershire) the last Plantagenet and Yorkist king of England. He usurped the throne of his nephew Edward V in 1483 and perished in defeat to Henry Tudor (thereafter Henry VII) at the Battle of Bosworth Field. For almost ...
The future Richard III was the fourth son of Richard, 3rd duke of York (died 1460), and his duchess, Cecily Neville, to survive to adulthood. York was the most prominent duke in England, of royal descent, and the most powerful nobleman of his day. Neville came from the most prolific, most politically prominent, and best married of contemporary noble houses. Young Richard was, therefore, supremely wellborn and well-connected; but, as the youngest son, he was of so little account that a verse genealogy of the family merely recorded that he “liveth yet.” Three brothers—Edward, 3rd earl of March; Edmund, earl of Rutland (died 1460); and George, 1st duke of Clarence (after 1461)—reached maturity. Consequently, Richard’s future at first was decidedly unpromising.
During Richard’s youth, York initiated the opening stages of the Wars of the Roses. Three times York was appointed lord protector for his feeble cousin, the Lancastrian king Henry VI (reigned 1422–61 and 1470–71). In 1460 the Yorkist claim—York’s descent through the senior female line from Edward III (reigned 1327–77)—was recognized to be superior to the Lancastrian title through the junior male line of Henry VI. York himself was designated heir to the throne when Henry V died. However, this settlement, the Act of Accord, was resisted, and York was killed attempting to enforce it at Wakefield (now West Yorkshire) on December 30, 1460. This setback was reversed by York’s eldest son, Edward, who decisively defeated the Lancastrians in February 1461; he assumed the title King Edward IV on March 4, 1461, and his coronation took place on June 28. Although merely a child, Richard was directly affected by these upheavals and briefly took refuge in the Low Countries before his brother restored the family fortunes.
The succession of Edward IV made Richard a royal prince. He was quickly created duke of Gloucester and a knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. He and his other brother, George, now duke of Clarence and also a child, resided together in a tower at Greenwich Palace in Kent. About 1465 Richard was placed in the household of his cousin Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, better known as “the Kingmaker.” He was recorded with him at Warwick and York. It was probably late in 1468, when he was 16 years old, that Richard was declared of age, took possession of estates conferred by his brother, and commenced public life, attending court and judicial commissions.
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The Wars of the Roses resumed in 1469, when Richard’s brother George and Warwick temporarily seized control of Edward IV and his government. Richard remained loyal and was appointed by Edward as his figurehead in Wales, the real ruling being undertaken by others. When Warwick and George succeeded in reinstating Henry VI as king briefly in 1470, Richard joined Edward IV in exile in The Hague, later accompanying Edward on his victorious campaign in 1471. Richard was prominent at the Battles of Barnet (Hertfordshire), where he was slightly wounded, and Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire), where as constable he summarily condemned the Lancastrian leaders to death. With royal approval and definitely not on his own initiative, he may also have helped kill both Prince Edward of Lancaster and Henry VI.
Aug 25, 2022 · The discovery of the medieval English king Richard III, who fought battle in vain in 1485, has become almost as memorable as the life of the man himself, with details such as his unlikely...
Apr 2, 2014 · (1452-1485) Who Was Richard III? Richard III served as king of England for only two years, but his reign was one of the most historic and turbulent. He is credited with the responsibility...
Feb 10, 2020 · Richard III of England ruled as king from 1483 to 1485 CE. Richard succeeded Edward V of England (r. Apr-Jun 1483 CE), the son of Edward IV of England (r. 1461-1470 CE & 1471-1483 CE) in mysterious circumstances.
- Mark Cartwright
Richard III, (born Oct. 2, 1452, Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, Eng.—died Aug. 22, 1485, Bosworth, Leicestershire), Last Yorkist king of England. He was made duke of Gloucester in 1461 after his brother Edward of York had deposed the weak Lancastrian king Henry VI and assumed power as Edward IV .
King Richard III. Now famous as the ‘king under a car park’, Richard III was the last English king to die in battle…. Jessica Brain. 13 min read. Richard III is perhaps most well-known now due to the discovery of his remains in a car park in Leicester. He was however an important figure in England’s medieval monarchy: brother to Edward ...
