Page 40 - All About History - Issue 70-18

Wars of the Roses

by his 12-year-old son Edward V. As the one of Richard’s supporters and was one of the
new king’s only surviving paternal uncle, most powerful men in England. Richard’s military
Richard believed he was vulnerable against response was swift. In two weeks between October
the machinations of the Woodville family and and November 1483 he quashed the rebellion.
took action to secure his position. He was named Support for Buckingham failed to materialise and
as Lord Protector of England during his nephew’s Richard marched south to cut a wedge between the
minority and personally intercepted the young king duke in Wales and rebels in England.
under armed escort en route to London. Buckingham’s army disintegrated and he was
Richard lodged the king in the Tower of London, captured and executed. Meanwhile, Henry had
where he was joined by his nine-year-old brother. sailed with a small fleet to Plymouth but some of his
He then declared the boys to be illegitimate and was ships were forced to return to France after a storm.
crowned as Richard III on 6 July 1483. His nephews Henry himself returned to France after he learned
disappeared shortly afterwards in the tower, which of Buckingham’s failure.
was not surprising given that the citadel was Richard was victorious but the rebellion was
England’s most formidable fortress, and secrets unsettling. A few hundred rebels escaped to France
could be easily contained. The mysterious fate and allied with Tudor while the revolt showed
of the Princes in the Tower permanently stained that there was a viable rival to the throne. It also
Richard’s reputation, along with his usurpation of showed that the king did not enjoy the total support
Edward V’s crown. of former Yorkists, which would have important
Nevertheless, at his accession his military consequences in the near future.
position was very strong. Richard was not only king,
but also England’s most preeminent general. His Death at
main Lancastrian opponent was Henry Tudor but Bosworth Over 30
he was living in exile in Brittany. Richard ruled uneasily cannonshot were
Despite this, rebels rose up in several English throughout 1484 but on 7
counties in Henry’s favour and the Duke of August 1485 Henry landed in found at Bosworth,
Buckingham declared his support for them. This Wales with a small invasion more than any other responded quickly and raised
was significant because Buckingham had been discovered on a
force of 2,000 men. The king 8,000 men, which he based
European medieval at Leicester. Richard did not
battlefield want to delay in case Henry
Richard III’s skeleton
was discovered under managed to persuade his powerful
a car park on the site stepfather Thomas, Lord Stanley
of the Greyfriars Friary (along with his brother Sir William

Stanley to join him. The two opposing armies,
along with Stanley’s, all met in an area near Market
Bosworth in Leicestershire.
Each army had grown with Richard’s numbering
10,000, Henry’s 5,000 and Stanley’s a further
4,000-6,000. Henry commanded a largely
mercenary force of French, Breton, Scottish, Welsh
and English troops while Richard’s was raised
entirely within England. Without the hovering
presence of Stanley, Richard held the advantage
and was contemptuous of his rival.
From what we know of Richard’s character
he was fascinated by chivalry so he probably
welcomed a battle to settle the score with Henry
in combat. Both armies deployed their vanguard
into a frontline on 22 August while Stanley’s
Richard III is now force positioned itself equidistant away from
prominently interred at
Leicester Cathedral the battlefield. A swamp lay in between and as
Henry advanced around it, Richard ordered an

UNEARTHING A KING attack. During this fighting Henry was spotted
and pointed out to
Richard by scouts. He decided

AUGUST1485 AUGUST2012 AUGUST SEPTEMBER2012 4FEBRUARY2013
After Richard III is killed at After centuries of speculation, Leicester On the irst day of the dig, archaeologists In what becomes a famous press conference,
Bosworth, his severely wounded City Council, University of Leicester uncover human bones near where a parking the University of Leicester conirms that
body is draped naked over a horse Archaeological Services and the Richard III space labelled ‘R’ used to be. An uncovered Richard III’s skeleton has been discovered.
and paraded by Henry Tudor’s Society begin to conduct an excavation at male skeleton reveals a man with severe The evidence is overwhelming and includes
victorious army to Leicester. The a car park on the site of the old Greyfriars injuries who also had scoliosis (curvature DNA and bone analysis, radiocarbon
dead king’s body is buried by the Friary. The dig is the brainchild of Philippa of the spine). The press is later told “strong dating and archaeological evidence. Lead
Greyfriars, which was a Franciscan Langley, a member of the Richard III circumstantial evidence” indicates that the archaeologist Richard Buckley conirms,
holy order, at their friary church in Society who had launched a project called sk skelet ton might be that of Richard III. The “The individual exhumed at Greyfriars in
are taken away for further study.
Leicester shortly afterwards. Looking for Richard: In Search of a King. bones a August 2012 is indeed King Richard III.”

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