Richard the Ruthless? Was Richard III a Protector of the People?

The legacy of Richard III (1452–1485), the last Plantagenet king of England, has been one of the most hotly debated topics in English history. For centuries, he has been portrayed predominantly as a villain — a ruthless usurper who murdered his nephews, the Princes in the Tower, to seize the throne, and whose reign ended in the bloody Battle of Bosworth Field, marking the end of the Wars of the Roses and the beginning of Tudor rule. But recent historical research and archaeological discoveries have challenged this traditional narrative, sparking a reassessment of whether Richard III was truly the ruthless tyrant Shakespeare immortalized or, alternatively, a protector of his people and a reformer of the realm.

The Traditional View: Tyrant and Usurper


Much of what the public knows about Richard III comes from William Shakespeare’s play Richard III, written during the reign of the Tudors, who had a vested interest in demonizing the last Yorkist king. In this portrayal, Richard is a deformed villain, manipulative and merciless, willing to kill his own family members to secure power. The disappearance and presumed murder of his nephews, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York — known as the Princes in the Tower — is often cited as the ultimate proof of his cruelty.

The narrative was cemented by Tudor chroniclers like Sir Thomas More and Polydore Vergil, whose works painted Richard as a cruel usurper, justifying Henry VII’s overthrow. For centuries, this view dominated English history, making Richard III synonymous with tyranny and evil. shutdown123

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *