Profile of the Day: Richard III of England

Richard III of England

On August 22, 1485, Richard III of England was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard III served as king of England for only two years. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty.

When his brother Edward IV died, Richard was named Lord Protector of the realm for Edward’s 12-year-old son. However, before the young king could be crowned, his parent’s marriage was declared invalid, thus making their children illegitimate and ineligible for the throne. Richard III was crowned king of England and rumors swirled that he had his nephews executed to protect his crown.

Richard III’s defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field would prove to be the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses and symbolize the end of the Middle Ages in England. Richard III’s remains were lost for more than five centuries until they were discovered in 2012 beneath a parking lot. Using DNA samples from living descendants of his sister, Anne of York, scientists were able to confirm the remains to be that of the former king.

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