The future Richard III was born in 1452 in Fotheringhay Castle near
. He was the fourth son of the Duke of
, so was not destined to become the monarch. His father was killed at the Battle of
, along with his oldest brother in late 1460, meaning that Richard's next oldest brother, Edward, Earl of
, became king as Edward IV. Initially, Edward was supported by his powerful cousin, Richard Neville, the Earl of
, but forfeited this when he married Elizabeth Woodville without Neville's agreement.
Richard was created Duke of
by Edward and was given a chance to shine during the Wars of the Roses, particularly at the Battle of
in 1471 alongside the King. He consolidated his position by marrying Anne Neville, daughter of the previously mentioned Richard, who was nicknamed the 'Kingmaker'.
Richard saw the removal of another potential rival when his other remaining brother, George, Duke of
, was executed. When Edward IV died in 1483, his son became Edward V, but was only twelve years old with Richard being named as his protector. Seizing his chance, Richard imprisoned Edward V and his younger brother, another Richard, and is widely believed to have had them killed - they became known as the Princes in the Tower.
Having claimed the throne as Richard III, he was now faced with the problem of holding on to it. In 1485, forces led by Henry Tudor, defeated Richard at the Battle of
, with Henry becoming the first Tudor monarch as Henry VII. Richard's name became reviled in history and his body was believed lost. In 2012 his remains were found under the site of a car park in
- underneath the car park were the ruins of a church. Richard was eventually laid to rest in the city's cathedral.
