Richard III of England

:For the play Richard III by William Shakespeare, see Richard III (play)

Childhood

Richard was born at Fotheringay Castle, the fourth son of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (who had been a strong claimant to the throne of King Henry VI) and Cecily Neville. It is thought that the withered arm, limp, and crooked back of legend are complete fabrications, but if he did have a disability, it may have been the result of a bout of polio as a small child. It is said that he used a crutch in early youth, but sometimes stubbornly refused it for fear of looking "weak", and had abandoned it entirely by age ten. Some sources claim Richard's "deformity" may have actually been an overly muscular right arm, owing to the mace he favored in battle, and his body compensating for years of wielding the heavy club. At worst it was possibly Sprengel's deformity or simple scoliosis.

Related Topics:
Fotheringay Castle - Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York - King Henry VI - Cecily Neville - Mace

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Richard spent much of his childhood at Middleham Castle in Wensleydale, where he later made his married home. He was involved in ongoing battles between different alliances of the House of Lancaster and the House of York factions during the last half of the 15th Century. At the time of his father's death at the Battle of Wakefield, Richard was still a boy, and was taken into the care of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, known to history as "The Kingmaker" because of his strong influence on the course of the Wars of the Roses. Warwick was instrumental in deposing Henry VI and replacing him with Richard's eldest brother, Edward. While Richard was at Warwick's estate, he developed a close friendship with Francis Lovell, a friendship that would remain strong for the rest of his life. Another child in the household was Warwick's daughter Anne, whom Richard would later marry.

Related Topics:
Middleham Castle - Wensleydale - House of Lancaster - House of York - 15th Century - Battle of Wakefield - Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick - Wars of the Roses - Francis Lovell

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