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 of York. They each wanted a member of their family to be king. The families had been fighting since 1455 and some historians argue related conflicts had occurred even earlier. Both families descended from Edward III. King Richard III s father was Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York. Fact King Richard III was born in 1452. He was the last of the Plantagenet kings. 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, 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 The symbol of the House of Lancaster White rose The symbol of the House of 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 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 may have 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. Henry VII combined the symbols of the Houses of Lancaster and York to give the impression he had ended the Wars of the Roses and was a secure, powerful king. 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, 22 nd 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 time as St Martin s Artist s impression of 15 th century Leicester The Guildhall
Archaeological dig The search for King Richard III 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 25 th 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 friary in the 17 th 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 located. Why do experts know that this is the skeleton of King Richard III? Archaeologists found a body that showed evidence of being wounded in battle. Following excavation, scientists closely examined the skeleton. They found multiple weapons trauma: Fact The dig for Richard s grave began around the anniversary of his burial. Fatal blows to the skull. Eight wounds were found on the skull. Two of these would have caused unconsciousness or death. The spine was severely curved; matching contemporary accounts of King Richard III s physical appearance. A cut to a rib; likely to be caused by a blow after death. DNA test results DNA extracted from the skeleton s femur and a tooth matched saliva samples from two of King Richard III s living relatives. This helped to Confirm that the skeleton is that of King Richard III. What is DNA testing? DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. Every living this has DNA. In humans DNA is the tiny part of a cell which makes us who we are. DNA testing is a process of matching DNA profiles to identify individuals; a bit like matching the unique pattern of a fingerprint.
King Richard III wordsearch The next few pages contain fun activities including a quiz, a landmark trail and colouring in. Start with this wordsearch! b o s p t e b k f e l a h r i c h a r d a d k o j r u p r h Can you find the following words? crown king richard henry battle roses bosworth lancaster york england 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: 1 The bronze statue of King Richard III This can be found near to the entrance to Castle Gardens on St Augustine Road. 2 Bow Bridge, St Augustine Road King Richard III rode over this bridge on his way to the Battle of Bosworth. The old Bow Bridge This modern bridge we see today replaced the old one in 1861. Look for the Tudor Rose in the ironwork. 3 The Magazine (Newarke Gateway) Located at the end of Newarke Street. This medieval gateway was built in about 1410. Some accounts say that King Richard III rode through here on his way to battle.
Landmark trail map Bow Bridge, St Augustine Road The bronze statue of King Richard III The Magazine (Newarke Gateway)
Medieval knight dressed for battle Colour in
Medieval knight on horseback Colour in
Medieval knights in battle
King Richard III quiz 1. How many years was King Richard 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