7 – Richard III – (1485)
Richard III is among the most controversial monarchs in British history. For centuries, he was derided as a tyrant, but recent evidence places the former king in a more positive light. It is important to remember that the history of Richard, up until recently, was based on accounts written by the Tudors. William Shakespeare’s depiction of the fallen king as a hunchbacked monster did him no favors either.
Richard’s reign was a short yet controversial one. After Edward IV, his brother, died in 1483, Richard was named Lord Protector of the kingdom and Edward V, the king’s 12-year old son, who was supposed to be his successor when he came of age. However, Richard had other ideas and ultimately imprisoned Edward and his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, in the Tower of London. He also ensured that the marriage between Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Edward V’s parents, was declared invalid which meant the youth had no rightful claim to the throne.
It is likely that both princes were murdered between 1483 and 1485. While the bodies of two children were found in the Tower of London, the remains were never identified. Most historians believe Richard III had them executed but there are other suspects such as the Second Duke of Buckingham. In any case, Richard’s short reign was marked by rebellion. The first revolt was led by Buckingham but was defeated in October 1483.
The second, decisive rebellion took place in August 1485 when Jasper Tudor, and his nephew, Henry, led a new uprising. The two armies met at the Battle of Bosworth in Leicestershire on August 22, 1485, in a fight that changed the course of British history. The tide of the battle changed when Thomas and Richard Stanley joined the fight on the side of Henry. Richard died fighting, and his body was unceremoniously buried somewhere in the county.
His remains were missing for over 500 years until an archaeological excavation found his body buried beneath a car park in 2012. It had once been the site of the Greyfriars Priory Church. With the aid of modern technology, we now know that Richard suffered 11 wounds, nine of them to the skull. There was also a fatal blow to the pelvis. However, since his armor would have prevented the wound, it is likely that this particular indignity occurred after death.