Richard III: A Villain or a Victim?

Abstract

This article seeks to give some insight on the controversial figure of Richard III of England. He is known as probably the most maligned monarch in British history and he has come down in history as the man who cleared his way to the throne by eliminating his rivals. He is mostly reviled for murdering his young nephews in the Tower of London. His supporters, however, argue that King Richard is the victim of a smear campaign by the Tudors, who ascended the throne after the death of Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth. They claim that king Richard has been vilified and his reputation has been blackened by Tudor propaganda, as history is written by the victors. Richard III was a typical ruler of his time. He has to be measured by the standards of his time. After 500 years of speculations about the figure of Richard III, there is hope that a wronged monarch might at last find posthumous justice. It proves that it is never too late to save one's reputation.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n6p353