Modern scholarship places Richard III a long way from the murderous hunchback of Shakespeare. He fought at the battles of St Albans and Shrewsbury which seemed to end the Lancastrian lineage instituted by Henry IV and put the rightful King, his brother Edward IV, on the throne. He counted without the lancastrian publicity. According to Shakespeare and others his infamous deeds commenced on the battle field at Shrewsbury where her murdered Edward of Westminster, King Henry VI’s son, who had surrendered to him. He rapidly followed this with the Murder of Henry VI, who was by then a prisoner in the tower of London.

He then, according to Shakespeare, ordered the murder of the Princes in the Tower, one of whom was recognised as Edward V. Suffering from paranoia he then murdered his own brother, George of Clarence by drowning him in a barrel of wine. Most probably he did none of this.

What did happen was that he married Edward of Westminster’s widow and by her fathered a son Edward of Middleham. Unfortunately for the Yorkist cause this Edward died at the age of seven leaving Richard III without an heir. He nominated his sister’s son John de la Pole as his heir, with dire consequences for that family.