The Controversial King

Richard III may have died more than five centuries ago, yet he remains one of the most controversial and contested characters in British history. Was he an honourable and loyal servant to his country or a ruthless man willing to bastardise and kill his own family members in order to capture the throne? Was he the “crook-backed” freakish figure unworthy of the throne as portrayed by Tudor chancellor Thomas More or the the brave warrior with “a great heart” that one of Richard’s contemporaries, the historian John Rous, described after he was cruelly denied victory in the Wars of the Roses?

Unpicking his legacy has become a fraught and fascinating pursuit for countless historians, not helped by the fact that his reputation was tarnished by none other than William Shakespeare, while a 100-year-old society has dedicated itself to correcting centuries of slanderous accounts of his life.

So where to begin? Let’s start with the facts. Richard III’s reign as King