Richard III
Richard III ruled for two years, lost his crown in battle, and was found under a car park. Born in 1452, the youngest surviving son of Richard, Duke of York, he was a loyal and effective lieutenant to his brother Edward IV for a decade, governing the north from Middleham, fighting at Barnet and Tewkesbury, and commanding a campaign against Scotland. His reputation in the north was good, and York's council recorded its grief at his death. Edward IV died suddenly in April 1483 leaving a twelve-year-old son and naming Richard protector. Within three months Richard had intercepted the boy, executed the queen's relatives without trial, had Lord Hastings beheaded at an hour's notice, obtained his nephews' declaration as illegitimate on grounds of a precontract, and been crowned. The two boys were housed in the Tower and were not seen after the summer of 1483. Whether he killed them is unresolved and he had the clearest motive. His single parliament, in 1484, passed useful legislation — bail reform, protection of jurors, restrictions on forced loans, and the publication of statutes in English. Buckingham's rebellion failed in 1483. His son died in 1484 and his wife in 1485, and rumours that he intended to marry his own niece forced a public denial. Henry Tudor landed in August 1485. At Bosworth Richard charged Henry's position personally and was killed when the Stanleys committed against him — the last English king to die in battle. His skeleton, with severe scoliosis and eleven wounds, was excavated in Leicester in 2012 and identified by DNA.
- Lived: 1452 CE – 1485 CE
- Nationality: English
- Roles: king, head_of_state
