This FSP is intended to be used for collating & editing a new Biography and WT profile text, with sourced citations, starting with the existing text, sources and layout for Richard (York) of England, the latter being a pre-1500 profile and PP thus this is done with agreement and knowledge of Project England (Contact: Jo Fitz-Henry or SusieO)

Richard III (of York; Duke of Gloucester)
Present WT profile has the following layout:
Contents
• 1 Biography
• 1.1 Family
• 1.2 Death
• 1.3 Archaeology
• 1.3.1 DNA
• 1.4 Re-interment
• 1.5 Timeline
• 1.6 Notes
• 2 Sources
• 3 See Also

Proposal for new text for his
1 Biography:
1.1 Family (needs editing & tidying up); Insert new sub-heading: Life as Duke/King
1.2 Death (needs editing & tidying up)
1.3 I would suppress 1.3 and 1.4 from his 1 Biography as he was long dead when those events took place concerning his skeletal remains.
1.4 Ditto
1.5 Timeline: delete post integrating any missing events into Biography; remove all >1485
1.6 Notes: to be amended to include edited parts of present 1.3 and 1.4; “CHANGES” to be deleted
2 Sources: keep after checking; add new inline citations & sources; delete broken links
3 “See Also”: to be kept, but renamed as 2.1 Other Sources (for sources which indicate interesting, otherwise not available information, but where veracity can't be verified directly, e.g. AYOR)

... ... ... is managed by the England Project. Join: England Project Discuss: england

Biography

... ... ... is a member of the House of York.

Birth, Childhood and Youth (1452-1470)

Richard of York (a plantagenet) was born 2 Oct 1452 at Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire, youngest son of Richard (York) of York and Cecily (Neville) of York during the reign of Henry (Lancaster) of England (Henry VI)

30 Dec 1460 his father Richard (York) of York and brother Edmund (York) Plantagenet were both slain at the Battle of Wakefield, Yorkshire

4 Mar 1461 his brother Edward (York) of York became Edward IV, deposing Henry VI following the latter’s defeat at the Battle of Towton; Edward taking the throne by conquest. Aged just 9 years old, Richard was named Duke of Gloucester, made a knight of the Garter and Bath by his brother Edward IV.

Richard spent much of his childhood training to become a knight at Middleham Castle, Yorkshire under the tutelage of his cousin Richard (Neville) de Neville; the father of his future wife Anne (Neville) York, whom he first met there. His warrior training in prearation for battle in full armour with various arms, on horseback and dismounted, must have been especially gruelling for him as he grew up and the twist in his spine from the scoliosis increased in severity (Note: we now know that his scoliosis reached about 80° in adulthood ^[1]); he must have persevered despite all the discomfort and difficulty of breathing that he must have experienced after any prolonged or strenuous effort

1 May 1464 his brother King Edward IV married [Elizabeth (Woodville) York; their marriage had been a private affair, kept secret until 14 Sep 1464, when negotiations for his official marriage to Bona of Savoy had been well underway & had to be cancelled. Elizabeth, a widow with two young sons, was not regarded as worthy of a king. Elizabeth's coronation was lavish and public in May 1465

3 Oct 1470 his brother Edward IV was forced to flee England when Henry VI and his followers returned in force and retook the throne, stemming from a revolt led by Richard (Neville) de Neville and Edward's brother George (York) of Clarence. Edward IV's wife [Elizabeth (Woodville) York gave birth to a son & heir named Edward Edward (York) Plantagenet on 4 Nov 1470 at Westminster Abbey, while his father was in exile in Holland

(Note: need to describe what happened to Richard during brother Edward's exile)

Marriage and Adulthood (1471-1483)

11 Apr 1471 his brother Edward (York) of York became King Edward IV again

14 Apr 1471 Richard fought with his brothers George and Edward at the Battle of Barnet ^[2]

4 May 1471 Richard fought with his brother Edward at the Battle of Tewkesbury, where Henry VI and his Lancastrian army were defeated ^[3]

21/22 May 1471 King Henry VI, having been kept in the royal quarters of the Tower of London, was murdered (probably put to the sword) in the chapel near the Wakefield Tower, during the night of the 21st/22nd; most likely at the behest of King Edward IV. though Richard, Duke of Gloucester was in charge at The Tower on the night that the order was given or passed on.

22 Apr 1472 Richard obtained the requisite papal dispensation in preparation for marriage to the recently widowed Anne (Neville) York. Some report the marriage took place on 12 Jul 1472, others before 12 Mar 1472 (which must be incorrect). She was the widow of Edward (Lancaster) of Lancaster, who had been slain at the Battle of Tewkesbury the year before

Dec 1473 {uncertain} a son Edward (York) Plantagenet was born to Richard and Anne (estimate based on age 10 at death in 1484) ^[4], ^[5],

18 Feb 1477/8 his brother George (York) of Clarence, having supported Henry VI and the Lancastrians, was executed for treason at the Tower of London on the orders of King Edward IV; it is said he chose to be drowned in a vat of Malmsey (wine). Edward used attainder so disinheriting his brother George's heirs ^[6]

25 Aug 1482 Margaret (Anjou) England the widow of King Henry VI died in France

9 Apr 1483 Richard's brother King Edward IV died after a short illness (probably pneumonia) and was buried on 20 Apr 1483 in St George's Chapel, Windsor ^[7]

Richard Lord Protector of England (Apr-Jul 1483) and Usurption

Upon Edward IV's death 9 Apr 1483 his son & heir Edward V became king at age 12. Richard, as his uncle and closest male relative, was named Lord Protector of the Realm for Edward V ^[8]

24 Apr 1483 Edward V, under escort by a party including Lord Rivers, Sir Richard Grey and Sir Thomas Vaughan, moved towards London in preparation for his coronation. On the advice of William Hastings Richard moved to take Edward V into custody, which he achieved on 29/30 Apr 1483 as well as the above-mentioned three leaders, who were imprisoned. Richard wanted them executed for treason, but his close advisor Hastings persuaded him that it wasn't treason so as long as he, Richard, was not king

13 Jun 1483 during a royal council meeting at the Tower of London, restricted to just a few participants, Richard had William Hastings denounced as a traitor, taken outside and summarily executed. See ^[9]

The coronation of Edward V had been set for 4 May 1483, but was postponed until 22 June 1483; however Richard had that date suppressed. 3 days later on 25 Jun 1483, he usurped the uncrowned Edward V, having had his father Edward IV’s marriage declared invalid for reasons of bigamy, all issue from the 2nd marriage declared illegitimate. Richard also had himself proclaimed king. That same day Richard had the said three leaders of Edward V's escort executed at Pontefract Castle: Anthony (Wydeville) Woodville (Lord Rivers) with his nephew Richard Grey (a half-brother of Edward V), Sir Thomas Vaughan (the Royal Chamberlain) and Sir Richard Haute (the tutor of Edward V).

(Note: text needs additions for: abt 13-16 June Hastings etc executed; 22 Jun sermon re infidelity of Edwrad IV in London (desparately needs source); 22 Jun 1483 execution of Rivers, Grey etc

Richard III King of England and Lord of Ireland

26 Jun 1483 Richard was installed as King with a quick ceremony at Westminster (needs checking) and his coronation in Westminster Abbey appointed for Sunday the 6th of July 1483. On the 5th King and Queen Anne (Neville) rode in procession in public view from the Tower of London to Westminster. On the day of the ceremony itself they walked barefoot on a red carpet from White Hall to Westminster Hall and then to Westminster Abbey. Walking barefoot, a public demonstration of humility, was usual practice in the day.

Around this time, the deposed King Edward V, aged 12, and his brother Richard, Duke of Shrewsbury, aged 9, (“The Princes in the Tower”) were murdered in the Tower of London. This must have happened some time from 25 June 1483 onwards and possibly before Richard’s coronation on 6 Jul 1483 and almost certainly before the end of July. They had last been seen on the 23rd of June in the Inner Ward of the Tower. Although it can’t be proven, their murders could not have taken place without Richard’s knowledge and consent, for he had been their protector, now king and their uncle. Although, there is an unclear reference of note that the Duke of Buckingham may have proposed the foul deed ^[10], nonetheless Richard would have had to sanction any such action. Richard had the means and the opportunity to order their murder as well as the strongest motive, because after Edward V and his younger brother Richard (hier apparent), he had the strongest claim to the throne and Richard had a son and heir. The "princes" had been lodged together in the Royal quarters, adjoined the White Tower (The Keep) of The Tower of London. They would have been brought food & drink daily and been seen playing outside in the Inner Ward, moreover, their royal chamber pots would have had to have been collected, emptied & returned every day they lived. It would been practically impossible to hide the fact that they were no longer there for very long, given the number of daily workers employed at the Tower, yet living offsite. Indeed, it was only a matter of days before rumours were circulating. By August, it was clear to many people concerned with their fate that they were never going to be seen again. In any case, the Royal quarters at the Tower had to be cleared out, cleaned & made ready for receiving the King and Queen in preparation for their stay before the coronation. It is known that Richard & Anne travelled from the Tower to Westminster on the 5th July, and it is know they travelled from Barbard Castle to the Tower the day before; so is sure that they stayed in the Tower on the night of the 4th/5th July 1483. Hence, it would be reasonable to assume that the "princes" had to have been expelled or made to "disappear" from the royal chambers of the Tower well before then. The murders, their aftermath & lingering suspicion would come to haunt Richard's short 2 year realm.

2 Nov 1483 he has his former ally Henry Stafford executed for treason for having supporting Henry Tudor’s failed 1st invasion of England, the latter escaped back to France

9 Apr 1484 his son [York-1767|Edward (York) Plantagenet]] said to have been aged 10 ^[11] died at Middleham Castle, Yorkshire, oddly on exactly the 1 year anniversary of his brother Edward IV’s death. He was buried possibly in Sheriff Hutton, North Yorkshire (although no record survives); It is said that Richard III visited his son's grave just once on 24 May 1484

12 Aug 1484 he had the remains of Henry VI exhumed from Chertsey and reinterred in St. George's Chapel, Windsor (where Knights of the Garter were interred).

21 Mar 1485 his wife Anne (Neville) York died. He now only had his mother, 2 sisters, an illegitimate son and daughter as close family still alive. The death of Richard’s son and wife in 1484/5 led to rumours that he intended to marry his niece Elizabeth (York) Tudor, but in fact he was negotiating to marry Joanna, Princess of Portugal in 1485, before he died in August ^[12]

From his exile in France, Henry (Tudor) of England (1457-1509) landed at Mill Bay (at the mouth of the Milford Haven waterway) in Pembrokeshire, Wales with his army on 7 Aug 1485 Henry landed; he wrong-footed those that sided with Richard by taking an unexpected route through the centre of Wales towards Leicester, England

Death at and Aftermath of Bosworth Field

On 22 Aug 1485 just 32 years old, Richard, unhorsed in the marsh, was slain ending the approximately 2 hour-long the battle of Bosworth Field, Whitemoors, Leicestershire, just West of the village of Sutton-Cheneys Bosworth Field ^[13]. He was the last Yorkist and Plantagent king. He was also the last English king to die on the battlefield.

Many nobles on the Yorkist side fell that day; whereas only 2 are known to have fallen on the Tudor/Lancastrian side [4]: John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk (age about 60), Walter Devereux (the younger), Lord Ferrers, Sir Richard Ratcliffe (Richard’s close companion), Sir Robert Brackenbury (Keeper of the Tower of London), , Sir Robert Percy (Controller of the King’s household) and John Kendall (the King’s secretary) were all killed in battle. Sir William Catesby (Richard’s other close friend) fled, but was soon captured and executed. Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland and Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey (son of the slain Duke of Norfolk) were both taken into custody and imprisoned, but later restored to their lands and titles. John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln (Richard’s nephew), Francis Lovell, 1st Viscount Lovell (Richard’s friend & supporter) and the brothers Sir Humphrey Stafford and Thomas Stafford, both of Grafton, all escaped. According to Polydore Vergil about 1,000 men were slain amongst Richard III’s men and about 100 on Henry Tudor’s side. The 2 nobles known to have perished on the Lancastrian/Tudor side: Sir William Brandon (Henry’s standard-bearer: some say struck down by Richard III himself) and Sir Humphrey Cotes (or Coates) of Woodcote (Note: presumed dead, for he never returned home) ^[14]

The crown was picked up on the battlefield and said to have been placed on Henry, Earl of Richmond’s head by Sir William Stanley.

Richard’s corpse was stripped bare, hands tied and slung over the back of a horse & taken to Leicester ^[15]. where he was displayed stark naked for all to see for 2 days. He was then taken to be buried near the choir of Grey Friars Abbey, squashed into a grave that wasn’t quite long enough for him (such that when exhumed in 2012/3 his head was found on his chest).

22 Aug 1485 Henry Tudor ascended the throne as Henry VII, uniting the Houses of Lancaster and York by his marriage to Elizabeth (York) Tudor, so forming the start of the House of Tudor. She was the daughter of Edward IV and niece of Richard III, and so the unification brought an end to the Wars of the Roses, which had lasted about 30 years.

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Discovery, Exhumation & (DNA) Examination of his skeletal remains (2012-onwards)

... (to be cont)

Research Notes

Although it will probably always remain contentious as to whether Richard III really did have the 2 princes murderd in the Tower or not; so long as no further sources are revealed that could offer a different insight, he remains the prime suspect, if for no other reason than that he seems to have had the most to gain by such an act as well as the greatest power to achieve it. Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that in June/July of 1483 Richard still had a son and heir as well as a wife, aged 27, who might still have born him more issue.

The exhumation of the skeletal remains in Westminster Abbey (Henry VIII chapel) which are considered to be the 2 princes has been repeated requested since 1933; however interesting, it would not reveal who had them murdered or when: it could only reveal if it really is them, provided their dna can be extracted & analysed, yet with little chance of finding out how they died.

In a similar frain, it is not possible to ascertain the character of Richard III: although we are often told he was impetuous rather than cautious, fearless rather than anxious, more pious than profane; however, it can't be known (from hearsay alone) if he really was e.g. benevolent or mean, patient or impatient, empathic or callous. Hence, his Biography above has been drafted with an attempt to avoid such descriptions, even though some of his actions might elicit an emotional response in the reader in his favour or against

Neverthless, it seems fair to enquire about Richard's state of mind before the Battle of Bosworth: having lost his son and heir the year before, his wife earlier that year (1485), the unlikely prospect of settling the proposed marriage to Joanna of Portugal (who preferred to remain in holy orders), the rumours of the princes' murders still in circulation, rumours of treachery afoot before the Battle. Also reported is that a priest could not be found for him on the eve of battle. For sure, many such matters must have weighed heavily on his mind & heart, not just the expected clash with Henry Tudor; that is not to suggest he would have been dispondant or downhearted, he was after all an accomplished, respected and battle-hardened knight of some 12 years experience, it is just hard to imagine that his mood would have been unaffected by the burden of said events, likewise his judgement which could have been more impetuous or rash than usual when deciding as to whether/when to charge the enemy and if to try to reach Henry Tudor across the other side of marsh that stood between them on the Batllefield - however, the decision that he took that fateful day was crucial to his survival

Other Sources

• Edward’s Final Wishes | Edward V 1483
• The Death, Burial and Grave of Edward IV (thewarsoftherosescatalogue.com)
• Microsoft Word - FINAL Anna M Duch -- Title Page (core.ac.uk)
• The Monarchs: Richard III (1483-1485) – The King in the Car Park (anglotopia.net)
• Edward V | Biography, Death, & Facts | Britannica
• ExecutedToday.com » 1483: William Hastings, trusting too much
• WORDS: BIOG: Wydeville, Anthony, Earl Rivers (fromoldbooks.org)
• The Will of Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers – Matt's History Blog (wordpress.com)
• Richard Grey - Wikipedia
• Richard Haute (–1483) • FamilySearch
• Battle of Bosworth - The Aftermath (thewarsoftherosescatalogue.com)
• DNA analysis of his remians by King, T., Fortes, G., Balaresque, P. et al. Identification of the remains of King Richard III. Nat Commun 5, 5631 (2014). [5]

^{[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] [25]}

Family

^[26]

• and Richard, 3rd Duke of York^[27][28]

His wife Anne Neville (b. 11 Jun 1456 - d. 16 Mar 1485, bur. Westminster Abbey), was the daughter of:^[29][30]

• Richard, Earl of Warwick, "the Kingmaker,"^[29]
• and Anne Beauchamp.^[29]

Their only child Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales (b. abt. 1476 Middleham - d. 09 Apr 1484 Middleham), died young.^[30][31]

Gloucester also had two acknowledged illegitimate children:

• John of Gloucester aka John of Pontefract (c. 1466 - 1499).^[32]
• Katherine Plantagenet (dsp. prob. bef. 25 Nov 1487).^[32]

Death

Gloucester's wife and only legitimate child were dead,^[29][31]

^[33]

Some believe that Sir Rhys ap Thomas, KG, killed Gloucester with a poleaxe. "Rhys ap Thomas was an important Welsh magnate who closely supported Henry Tudor. He and his retainers would have formed the close guard around Henry during the battle of Bosworth in 1485. That, together with the fact that he was knighted by Henry on the battlefield, and later claims that he used a poleaxe to kill Richard, certainly make him one of the prime candidates to have delivered that fatal blow."

</ref>

According to Duffy (2013), Gloucester's body was:

Duffy (2013), also states Gloucester has no surviving will, and that the monarch did not choose a burial location or commission a monument.

A transcript for wardrobe accounts, dating to the 18th century, lists a payment in c. 1495 for "King Richard tombe," to James Keyley. Duffy (2013), thought the item, may have been the monument discussed at a Chancery Court hearing in c. 1496, which involved a contract between the royal commissioners, drawn up in c. 1495 at Newark.^[34]

Archaeology

Discovery of remains in 2012

Thanks to a collaboration between Leicester University and the Richard III, society, Gloucester's remains were resurrected from a parking lot in August 2012.^[35][36]

^[37]

They used DNA to confirm his identity, then revealed that Gloucester's death at Bosworth was brutal.

His body suffered ten injuries in all. Eight of them were blows to the skull, but Tudor forces refrained from outright facial mutilation in order to prove Gloucester was dead.^[36]

The curvature of his spine showed signs of scolios,^{[36][33][38][39][40]} and his body was described as, "unusually slender."^[36]

^[41]

DNA

Gloucester's, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA),^[42] matched two female relatives of his eldest sister Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter, but yDNA showed false-paternity when the line for male descendants of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort was analyzed.^{[43][44] [45]}

</ref>^[38]

Initial findings of King et. al (2014), could not pin down the date of the affair:

The Y-chromosome haplotype ... does not match that of male-line relatives of Richard III, ... a false-paternity event could have occurred in any of the intervening generations.^[38]

Rincon (2014), states that, 'female infidelity ... could have occurred anywhere in the numerous generations separating Richard III from the 5th Duke of Beaufort (1744-1803), whose living descendants provided samples of male-line DNA to be compared against that of Richard.'^[46]

Dr Anna Whitelock (2020), states that:

"It's important to note that Henry VII claimed the throne "by right of conquest" not by blood or marriage - his claim (other than by conquest) was extremely tenuous.^[47]

"Henry VII was descended from Edward III from the Beaufort line - the Beauforts were legitimized by half-brother Henry IV, but not in Royal succession. "^[47]

Rincon, P. (2014, December 2). Richard III's y-DNA does not match known male descendants, who descend from the 5th Duke of Beaufort BBC News. Retrieved 2020, July 01.

</ref>

Re-interment

Richard's re-interment at Leicester Cathedral began on 22 March 2015 ^[48] with the official ceremony taking place on 26 March 2015.^[49]

Cardinal Vincent Nichols led Requiem Mass,^[49] and stated that Richard, "reshaped vital aspects of the legal system, developing the presumption of innocence, the concept of blind justice and the practice of granting bail rather than being held in jail. He established the Court of Requests to give wider access to justice and insisted on the translation into English of all written laws and statutes so that they were readily accessible to all." He also described Richard as, "a man of prayer," with, "an anxious devotion."^[50]

Timeline

• of Gloucester and Ogmore Castles, Kingston Lacy etc.^[51]
• Chief Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster (northern parts).^[51]
• lord of Bergavenny, Glamorgan & Morgannwg in Wales (wife's right).^[51]
• 1465: Knight of the Garter^[20][21]
• 1462: Admiral of the Sea ^[51]
• 1469: Chief Steward of the Principality of Wales ^[51]
• 1469-71: Chief Justice of North Wales^{[51] [52]}
• 1469-70, 1472: Constable of England^{[51] [52]}
• 1470: Warden of the West Marches Toward Scotland ^[51]
• 1470-71: Chief Justice and Chamberlain of South Wales^[51]
• 1471: Chief Justice of Chester and North Wales ^[51]
• 18 May 1471: Great Chamberlain of England.^[30][51]
• 1472: Warden of the Forests north of Trent ^[51]
• 1475-83: Sheriff of Cumberland^[51]
• 1480-83: Lieutenant-General in the North ^[51]
• 6 July 1483: King of England ^[51]
• Sun 06 July 1483: Dei Gratia Rex Angliae et Franciae et Dominus Hiberniae (by the Grace of God, King of England and France and Lord of Ireland).^[19][21]
• 30 Apr-26 Jun 1483: Lord Protector of England.^[19]
• 1483: Protector and Defender of the Realm ^[51]

Notes

• Living relatives: Close maternal-line relatives of Richard III, in The Discovery of Richard III. University of Leicester. 'pedigree used to identify DNA'. PDF.
• King, T., Fortes, G., Balaresque, P. et al. Identification of the remains of King Richard III. Nat Commun 5, 5631 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6631
• children 2 known: John of Gloucester & Katherine. ... There's also stories about another DISPUTED illegit son, Richard [Plantagenet] of Eastwell, who was a bricklayer. The evidence is viewed as poor.^[32][53]

Sources

1. ↑ citation needed
2. ↑ http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/barnet.htm
3. ↑ http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/tewkesbury.htm
4. ↑ https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_van_Middleham
5. ↑ https://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/plantagenet_54.html
6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attainder
7. ↑ [1]
8. ↑ https://edwardv1483.com/edwards-final-wishes/?msclkid=87ea5769d0a211ec84a689fdb5c5bd82
9. ↑ William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings - Wikipedia
10. ↑ needs citation
11. ↑ [2]
12. ↑ Joanna, Princess of Portugal - Wikipedia (she does not presently have a WT profile –see her father Afonso de Portugal
13. ↑ Battle of Bosworth Field (Aug. 22, 1485) [Wars of the Roses] (luminarium.org)
14. ↑ The Wars of the Roses Visitors Companion: Wales and the Borders, Book 1 see [Battle of Bosworth - The Aftermath (thewarsoftherosescatalogue.com)]
15. ↑ Fabyan, The New Chronicles, 673; Hall’s Chronicle, 421; More, “The History of Richard III,” 145
16. ↑ Lewis, M. (2014, May 30). Sir Richard III Plantagenet, King of England, Duke of Gloucester #27003, b. 2 October 1452, d. 22 August 1485. ORTNCA, citing various works by Douglas Richardson, Gerald Paget & G.E. Cokayne. Web.
17. ↑ Cannon, J. & Griffiths, R. (2000). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy, p. 268, 294, 296, 657. Oxford: University of Oxford Press.
18. ↑ Collier's Encyclopedia, 1985, 10, p. 310, p. 68. NY: Macmillan Education Co.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1 19.2} Wikipedia: Richard III of England
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} Weir, A. (1996). The Wars of the Roses. New York, NY: Ballantine Books. Print.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1 21.2} Markham, C. (1906). Richard III: His Life & Character Reviewed in the Light of Recent Research. London: Smith, Elder & Co. Gutenberg.org. eBook.
22. ↑ Ashley, M. (2002). A Brief History of British Kings & Queens, p. 442. New York, NY: Carroll & Graff Publishers. Print.
23. ↑ Seymour, W. (1977). Battles in Britain 1066 - 1746, p. 184. Herts: Wordsworth Editions Ltd.

    ---

    Ed: I have a problem with this part, because Richard DID USurp the throne, the records show that he quite clearly did on 25th June 1483 by having Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville declared invalid by reason of bigamy, and as a consequence his heirs (the 2 princes) were excluded from succession for reason of illegitimacy. If what was meant is that there are arguments against Richard III having had his nephews murdered that is somethoing else, BUT he was already King and they were no longer princes (stripped of titles and right of succession etc) . Pleas help me by looking at this as Im not sure if I should delete it or amend it-----------------------------------------------------
24. ↑ Wikipedia: Duke of Gloucester
25. ↑ for argument against Gloucester usurping the throne see:
    Ashdown-Hill, J. (2015). 6 myths about Richard III. History Extra. Web. Retrieved 01 July 2020. <https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/myths-facts-richard-iii-murder-princes-tower-shakespeare-york-leicester-car-park/>.
26. ↑ DNA MATCHES

    MATERNAL relationship confirmed by an exact HVR1 and HVR2 match between:

    • this mtDNA test of King Richard III
    • and this mtDNA test for his 15th great nephew Michael Ibsen
    • and this mtDNA test of his 17th great-niece Wendy Duldig.
    • this mtDNA test for Michael Ibsen
    • and this mtDNA test of his direct maternal line 14th cousin twice removed Wendy Duldig
    • and this mtDNA test of his direct maternal line 15th great uncle King Richard III.

    MATERNAL relationship confirmed by an exact HVR1 and HVR2 match between

    • this mtDNA test for Michael Ibsen
    • and this mtDNA test of his direct maternal line 14th cousin twice removed Wendy Duldig
    • and this mtDNA test of his direct maternal line 15th great uncle King Richard III.
27. ↑
28. ↑ Greenspan, J. (2014, December 3). New Richard III Mystery Comes to Light. 'History.' www.history.com
29. ↑ ^{29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3} Lewis, M. (2014, March 11). Anne Neville #55080, b. 11 June 1456, d. 16 March 1485. [ORTNCA]. Web.
30. ↑ ^{30.0 30.1 30.2} Chronology of the House of York,, (n.d.). Richard III Society. Web.
31. ↑ ^{31.0 31.1} Lewis, M. (2014, March 11). Sir Edward Plantagenet, Duke of Cornwall, Earl Salisbury & Chester, Prince of Wales #55079, b. 1476, d. 9 April 1484. ORTNCA. Web.
32. ↑ ^{32.0 32.1 32.2} Wikipedia: John of Gloucester

    "Royal Bastardy in Mediaeval England: Part Two," (1993, September). Back to the Basics. WayBack Machine. Web.

    Hammond, P.W. (n.d.). Richard III. Wayback Machine. Web.
33. ↑ ^{33.0 33.1} University of Leicester (2013, February 4). Richard III - Injuries to the Remains. Youtube. Video. Retrieved 01 July 2020. <https://youtu.be/QwrIka8x9_w>.
34. ↑ ^{34.0 34.1}
35. ↑ The Discovery of Richard III. University of Leicester. Web. Retrieved 01 July 2020. <https://www.le.ac.uk/richardiii/index.html>. The excavation site was thought to be the site of Grey Friars friary in co. Leics., where Gloucester was buried.
36. ↑ ^{36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3} 'Richard III dig: DNA confirms bones are king's', (2013, February 4). BBC News. Retrieved 01 July 2020. <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21063882>.
37. ↑ Speed claimed Richard's tomb had an alabaster effigy, which was broken up after the surrender of the Leicester friary in 1538 under Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, at which time the king's bones were scattered," (Duffy, 2003).
38. ↑ ^{38.0 38.1 38.2} King, T.E. (2014). Identification of the remains of King Richard III. Nature Communications. doi:10.1038/ncomms6631
39. ↑ "Richard III: Team rebuilds 'most famous spine'," (2014, May 29). BBC. [3]
40. ↑ Richard III, (n.d.). BBC History. bbc.com
41. ↑ </div></div> Byard, R.W. King Richard III revisited. Forensic Sci Med Pathol (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-019-00215-1
42. ↑ "Homo sapiens isolate Greyfriars Skeleton 1 mitochondrion, complete genome." v. GenBank: KM676292.1. Retrieved 02 July 2020. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KM676292>.
43. ↑ DNA Results: Mitochondrial DNA, in The Discovery of Richard III. University of Leicester. Web. Retrieved 01 July 2020. <https://www.le.ac.uk/richardiii/science/resultsofdna.html>.
44. ↑ Richard III dig: (mitochondrial) DNA confirms bones are king's, (2013, Feb 04). BBC. bbc.com.
45. ↑ Wikipedia: Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort
46. ↑ Rincon, P. (2014, December 02). Richard III's yDNA shows common infidelity issue. BBC. Web. Retrieved 01 July 2020. <https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30281333>.
47. ↑ ^{47.0 47.1}
48. ↑ "Richard III: Leicester welcomes king's remains," (22 Mar 2014). BBC. bbc.com
49. ↑ ^{49.0 49.1} Richard III: More than 5,000 people visited Leicester Cathedral coffin, (22 Mar 2015). BBC. bbc.com
50. ↑ Cardinal commends soul of King Richard III to God so his remains may rest in peace, (22 Mar 2015). Catholic News. www.catholicnews.org.uk
51. ↑ ^{51.00 51.01 51.02 51.03 51.04 51.05 51.06 51.07 51.08 51.09 51.10 51.11 51.12 51.13 51.14 51.15} Titles of Richard III [Plantagenet]: Richardson, D. (2013). Royal Ancestry, III: 533, IV: 128, V: 458-460
52. ↑ ^{52.0 52.1} Weir, A. (1995). The Princes in the Tower, New York, NY: Ballantine Books, August 1995, p 215
53. ↑ Wikipedia: Richard Plantagenet (Richard of Eastwell)

• "Richard III: January 1484," in Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, ed. Chris Given-Wilson, Paul Brand, Seymour Phillips, Mark Ormrod, Geoffrey Martin, Anne Curry and Rosemary Horrox (Woodbridge: Boydell, 2005), British History Online, accessed March 8, 2021, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/parliament-rolls-medieval/january-1484.

See Also

• Burkes Peerage and Landed Gentry. maximiliangenealogy.co.uk. Web.
• Find A Grave: Memorial #2614
• Hope, W (1901). "Plate LXXIV," in The Stall Plates of the Knights of the Order of the Garter, 1348-1485. Westminster: A. Constable & co. Ltd.. Google Books.
• Space: The Stall Plates of the Knights of the Order of the Garter, 1348-1485
• Wikipedia: Middleham Castle (childhood home of Rich. III. in Wensleydale, co. York).