Page 39 - All About History - Issue 70-18

Richard III at War

“LOYALTY BINDS ME” Richard III’s sense of allegiance was both
heartfelt and pragmatically disposable

Richard’s personal motto “Loyaulte me lie” his interpretation of how the kingdom should be
(“Loyalty Binds Me”) is sometimes considered a ruled. Richard had grown up in an England that
historic irony. The virtue of loyalty seems almost was ravaged by civil war and he had governed
laughable considering that he likely ordered the fairly in the north to restore the peace.
deaths of his nephews, Edward V and his brother He may have believed that a strong monarchy
Richard, the Duke of York, after usurping the could not exist while a child was on the throne.
crown. However, Richard was often true to his In Richard’s view, the 12-year-old Edward V
motto and to understand him better we need to could be manipulated by his scheming Woodville
learn why loyalty was, important to him. relations and that could not be allowed to further
Despite the controversy surrounding the destabilise the kingdom.
Princes in the Tower, Richard showed few signs Usurpation was not unusual in the Middle Ages
of disloyalty to his Yorkist family before 1483. He and it is likely that Richard took the throne out of
venerated the memory of his father and was also a combination of desperate motives, opportunity
genuinely devastated when his wife and son died and self-preservation.
in close succession between 1484-85. Hard though it may be to understand,
Richard’s greatest of display of loyalty was Richard’s actions towards the Princes in the Tower
to his brother Edward IV. It never wavered were not borne out of personal malice. To use
despite the fact that Richard was educated in Oliver Cromwell’s phrase, it was probably ‘cruel Compared to his treacherous Richard was deeply loyal to his
the household of Warwick the Kingmaker who necessity’ that drove Richard in 1483. brother George, Duke of Clarence, wife and queen Anne Neville. His
later betrayed Edward and briefly deposed It is possible that Richard was loyal to a vision Richard’s loyalty to his brother grief was profound when both
him. Richard shared his brother’s exile and of Yorkist England that necessitated making Edward IV was unquestionable Anne and their son Edward died
fought as his right-hand man at Barnet and pragmatically cruel decisions for national stability.
Tewkesbury before becoming his steadfast However, if that required the murder of
representative in the e north of England. children then it is not surprising that The imprisonment and
His loyalty was in marked contrast Richard’s concept of loyalty disappearance of the Princes
to his elder brother comes under such severe in the Tower is the most
George, Duke scrutiny. controversial event of Richard’s
of Clarence. life and is the biggest question
Despite being a mark over his family loyalty
Yorkist, Clarence
defected to the
Lancastrians and
was later convicted
of treason and
executed on Edward d’s orders. It is
generally agreed tha at Richard played
no part in his brothe er’s murder and
may even have tried d to save him.
Nevertheless, the ese
marked displays of familial
loyalty may ironically y
have led Richard to
usurp the throne fro om
his nephew in 1483. His
primary loyalty was to

Scottish warfare. In 1480, James III of Scotland Scottish rule. While the English laid siege to the fight, agreed and Richard eagerly sped back to
broke his treaty with England and the Scots began town James III assembled an army to march Berwick. Some Scottish troops attempted to raise
extensive border raids. south but he was imprisoned by his own nobles at the siege but Richard forced them back. The
Edward appointed Richard as his Lieutenant Edinburgh Castle. Richard broke off from Berwick town’s castle fell on 24 August and Berwick has
General in the north and an Italian visitor to and marched north, leaving Thomas, Lord Stanley remained English ever since.
England, Dominic Mancini, noted, “Such was in charge of the siege. The Scottish campaign was the most
his renown in war that whenever a difficult He burned Scottish towns and villages en route triumphant of Richard’s military career. When
and dangerous policy had to be undertaken, it before capturing Edinburgh by early August. Edward IV heard the news of Berwick’s capture he
would be entrusted to him.” James’s brother, Richard had reached the Scottish capital was exultant.
the Duke of Albany, treacherously promised to without losing any men and controlled the city by He jubilantly wrote of Richard to the pope
assist Edward in return for the Scottish crown. ordering his troops to refrain from molesting the and thanked, “God, the giver of all gifts, for
Albany accompanied Richard when the English citizens or stealing goods. The Scots asked for a the support received from our most loving
invasion began in the summer of 1482. Richard truce and Richard won great concessions. brother, whose success is so proven that he
commanded approximately 20,000 men and laid Albany would swear allegiance to James in alone would suffice to chastise the whole
siege to the important border town of Berwick- return for restored estates and the English would kingdom of Scotland.”
upon-Tweed. Berwick had changed hands many peaceably leave Edinburgh if the Scots abandoned
times over the centuries but in 1482 it was under Berwick. The Scots, who were in no position to Usurpation and
“Richard commanded approximately 20,000 rebellion

Richard’s success in Scotland was
men and laid siege to the important border not celebrated for long as events

overtook his life. Edward IV died on
town of Berwick-upon-Tweed” 9 April 1483 and was succeeded

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