The Search for King Richard III

Home , Battle of Bosworth Field, House of Lancaster, Lord Protector, Richard III (1699 play), Rose (heraldry)

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©Leicester City Council October 2012

King Richard III

Who was King Richard III? King Richard III, originally Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, was King of England between 1483 and 1485.

He was married to Anne Neville and had a son, Edward of Middleham, who both sadly died before Richard. Richard himself lost his life at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. King Richard III

What were the Wars of the Roses? The Battle of Bosworth Field was the last conflict between the noble families of the House of Lancaster and the House Fact of York. They each wanted a member of their family to be King Richard III king. The families had been fighting since 1455 and some historians argue related conflicts had occurred was born in 1452. He was the last of even earlier. the Plantagenet Both families were part of the Plantagenet dynasty, kings. descended from John of Gaunt. King Richard III’s father was Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York.

The families both had a rose as their symbol. The Lancastrians used a red rose and the Yorkists used a white rose. That is why their fighting became known as the Wars of the Roses.

Richard saw conflict with the Lancastrians throughout his life. For example, the powerful Earl of Warwick’s rebellion had upset the reign of Richard’s brother, King Edward IV.

After Edward’s death, his son, the young Edward was crowned King Edward V, with Richard being made his Lord Protector. However, the Church declared King Edward V to be an illegitimate child, and so Richard was asked to take the throne.

The Lancastrians did not think that Richard had the right to the throne and so they backed the cause of Henry Tudor, who wished to rise up in rebellion against Richard.

Red rose White rose

The symbol of The symbol of the House of the House of Lancaster York

King Richard III and Henry Tudor

The Battle of Bosworth This battle was the result of a rebellion against the throne. King Richard III’s army (the Yorkists) fought Henry Tudor’s army (the Lancastrians).

Henry Tudor was supported by the Lancastrians and their allies. He wanted to defeat Richard in battle so he could become the King of England. Henry gathered troops from France and elsewhere and they made their way up to Leicestershire to attack King Richard III.

On the battlefield, Sir William Stanley betrayed Richard by telling his troops to switch sides and attack the Yorkist forces. This action led to Richard’s death. Henry Tudor was victorious and became King Henry VII of England, the first King of the Tudor period.

The Tudor dynasty lasted until 1603. It was the period in which two of England’s most famous monarchs reigned – King Henry VIII and his second daughter, Queen Elizabeth I.

Fact

King Richard III was the last

English king to be killed in battle.

King Henry VII made the Tudor emblem from the red and white rose.

The emblem is a combination of the symbols of the Houses of Lancaster and York, showing that the Wars of the Roses were over. This helped to show how secure Henry was in his throne.

Tudor Rose

King Richard III and Leicester

Why is King Richard III connected to Leicester? King Richard III stayed the night at the Blue Boar Inn the night before the Battle of Bosworth Field. The site where the Inn stood is now covered by a restaurant and a section of road at the top of Highcross Street in central Leicester.

On the day of the battle, 22nd August 1485, King Richard III rode on horseback over Bow Bridge, on a route which would lead him out of Leicester towards Market Bosworth, and on to the infamous battlefield.

Fact

King Richard III

was only 32 years old when he was killed.

Pic of Richard on horseback After his death on the battlefield, Richard’s body was brought back to Leicester on horseback and was buried in the town centre, in the church of the Greyfriars friary.

The Greyfriars

The cathedral – known at that Artist’s impression of th time as St Martin’s 15 century Leicester

The Guildhall

Archaeological dig

Has the skeleton of King Richard III been found?

The University of Leicester, Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society worked together to search for the remains of King Richard III. An archaeological dig began on 25th August

2012, 527 years after his burial.

The Greyfriars friary, where King Richard III was buried, was destroyed in Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries in 1538. Houses were built on the site of the friars in the 18th century. The houses have since been replaced and in more recent years, the site has been used as a car park; this is where the King’s grave was thought to be located.

Fact The dig for Richard’s grave began around the anniversary

of his burial.

Why do experts think this might be the skeleton of King Richard III? The archaeologists at the University of Leicester found a skeleton whose skull has been struck by a bladed weapon. A corroded arrowhead was found in between the vertebrae. These injuries look like the sort of thing that could be inflicted in battle.

The skeleton also reveals a deformity to the spine which matches contemporary accounts of King Richard III’s physical appearance.

King Richard III wordsearch

The next few pages Can you find contain fun activities the including a quiz, a following

landmark trail and words? colouring in.

Start with this wordsearch! crown

king

richard

henry

battle

roses

bosworth

b o s p t e b k f e lancaster

york l a h r i c h a r d

england a d k o j r u p r h

n b o s w o r t h e

c a t e u w a c e j

a t h s b n e r n r

s t l f a h y o r k

t l a b t t s u y i

e e n g l a n d r n

r f h d e n g k b g

Landmark trail

The next time you are visiting central Leicester, look for the following King Richard III landmarks:

The bronze statue of King Richard III This can be found near to the entrance to Castle Gardens on St Augustine Road.

Bow Bridge, St Augustine Road King Richard III rode over this bridge on his way to the Battle of Bosworth.

This modern bridge we see today

replaced the old one in 1861. The old Bow Bridge

Look for the Tudor Rose in the ironwork.

The Magazine (Newarke Gateway) Located at the end of Newarke Street.

This medieval gateway was built in about 1410. It is said that King Richard III rode through here on his way to battle.

Medieval knight dressed for battle

Colour

King Richard III quiz

1. How many years was King Richa rd III the king of England?

2. Was King Richard III from the House of Lancaster or the House

of York?

3. What was the battle called in which King Richard III was killed?

4. Who became king after defeating King Richard III in battle?

5. Can you remember what year the battle took place?

6. True or false? King Richard III was the last English king to be killed in battle?

7. How old was King Richard III when he was killed?

8. Was King Richard III buried in Leicester or in Gloucester?

Answers: 1) Two years 2) House of York 3) Battle of Bosworth 4) Henry Tudor 5) 1485 6) True 7) 32 years old 8) Leicester

Roses

Use the space

below to draw a white rose,

red rose or Tudor Rose