Richard III

Richard III was king of England from 1483 to 1485. He was the last king from the House of York and the final ruler of the Plantagenet family, which had ruled England for many years. His reign began after a dispute over the right to the English throne, and it ended when he died in battle.

Richard was born in 1452 during the Wars of the Roses, a long conflict between two groups of the royal family: the House of York, marked with a white rose, and the House of Lancaster, marked with a red rose. He was the younger brother of King Edward IV. When Edward IV died in 1483, his eldest son, Edward V, was expected to become king. However, Richard, who was the boy's uncle, was named Lord Protector, which meant he was responsible for guiding the young king.

Richard soon claimed that Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville had not been lawful. He said this made Edward V and his brother, Richard, Duke of York, unable to inherit the throne. In June 1483, a council declared Richard the rightful king, and he became King Richard III. The two boys, later called the "Princes in the Tower," stayed in the Tower of London and then disappeared from public view. Their fate remains unknown, and no official record explains what happened to them.

During his short reign, Richard III worked to keep control in a kingdom that had been unsettled for many years. Some nobles supported him, while others opposed him. One important opponent was Henry Tudor, a member of the House of Lancaster. Henry left France with an army in 1485 and met Richard’s forces at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

The battle took place in August 1485. Richard III fought in the battle itself, which was somewhat unusual for a king. He was killed during the fighting, and Henry Tudor became King Henry VII. This victory ended the Wars of the Roses and began the Tudor dynasty, which would rule England for more than one hundred years.

Richard III was buried soon after the battle, but the exact place was lost over time. In 2012, archaeologists found a skeleton under a car park in Leicester. Tests showed that the remains were those of Richard III. His body was reburied in Leicester Cathedral in 2015. The discovery provided new information about his physical condition and confirmed details about his death in battle.