Richard III of England

Reign: 1483 – 1485
Life: 1452–1485

He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Bosworth Field marked the end of the Middle Ages in England. Richard was created Duke of Gloucester in 1461 after the accession to the throne of his older brother Edward IV. This was during the period known as the Wars of the Roses, an era when two branches of the royal family contested the throne; Edward and Richard were Yorkists, and their side of the family were in conflict with their Lancastrian cousins. In 1472, Richard married Anne Neville, daughter of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, and widow of Edward of Lancaster, son of Henry VI, a Lancastrian. He governed northern England during Edward's reign, and played a role in the invasion of Scotland in 1482.

During Richard III of England's reign, Bayezid II ruled Ottoman Empire, James III of Scotland ruled Scotland, and Ferdinand II of Aragon ruled Spain.

Further reading: Richard III by Charles Ross

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Richard III of England

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Further Reading

Richard III

The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III