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The Search
for
King
Richard III
Educational
Resource
‘Kids with active minds’
©Leicester City Council October 2012
King Richard III
Who was King Richard III?
King Richard III, originally Richard, the Duke of Gloucester,
was King of England between 1483 and 1485.
He was married to Anne Neville and had a son, Edward
of Middleham, who both sadly died before Richard.
Richard himself lost his life at the Battle of Bosworth Field
in 1485.
King Richard III
What were the Wars of the Roses?
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the last conflict between
the noble families of the House of Lancaster and the House
of York. They each wanted a member of their family to be
king. The families had been fighting since 1455 and
some historians argue related conflicts had occurred
even earlier.
Both families were part of the Plantagenet dynasty,
descended from John of Gaunt. King Richard III’s
father was Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York.
Fact
King Richard III
was born in 1452.
He was the last of
the Plantagenet
kings.
The families both had a rose as their symbol.
The Lancastrians used a red rose and the Yorkists used
a white rose. That is why their fighting became known as
the Wars of the Roses.
Richard saw conflict with the Lancastrians throughout his life.
For example, the powerful Earl of Warwick’s rebellion had upset the reign of Richard’s brother,
King Edward IV.
After Edward’s death, his son, the young Edward was crowned King Edward V, with Richard
being made his Lord Protector. However, the Church declared King Edward V to be an
illegitimate child, and so Richard was asked to take the throne.
The Lancastrians did not think that Richard had the right to the throne and so they backed the
cause of Henry Tudor, who wished to rise up in rebellion against Richard.
Red rose
White rose
The symbol of
the House of
Lancaster
The symbol of
the House of
York
© Leicester City Council October 2012
King Richard III and Henry Tudor
The Battle of Bosworth
This battle was the result of a rebellion against the throne. King Richard III’s army (the
Yorkists) fought Henry Tudor’s army (the Lancastrians).
Henry Tudor was supported by the Lancastrians and their allies. He wanted to defeat Richard
in battle so he could become the King of England. Henry gathered troops from France and
elsewhere and they made their way up to Leicestershire to attack King Richard III.
On the battlefield, Sir William Stanley betrayed Richard
by telling his troops to switch sides and attack the Yorkist
forces. This action led to Richard’s death. Henry Tudor
was victorious and became King Henry VII of England,
the first King of the Tudor period.
The Tudor dynasty lasted until 1603.
It was the period in which two of England’s
most famous monarchs reigned –
King Henry VIII and his second daughter, Queen Elizabeth I.
Fact
King Richard
III was the last
English king to
be killed in
battle.
King Henry VII made the Tudor emblem
from the red and white rose.
The emblem is a combination of the symbols
of the Houses of Lancaster and York,
showing that the Wars of the Roses were
over. This helped to show how secure Henry
was in his throne.
Tudor Rose
© Leicester City Council October 2012
King Richard III and Leicester
Why is King Richard III connected to Leicester?
King Richard III stayed the night at the Blue Boar Inn the night before the Battle of Bosworth
Field. The site where the Inn stood is now covered by a restaurant and a section of road at the
top of Highcross Street in central Leicester.
On the day of the battle, 22nd August 1485, King Richard III rode on horseback over Bow
Bridge, on a route which would lead him out of Leicester towards Market Bosworth, and on to
the infamous battlefield.
Fact
King Richard III
was only 32 years
old when he was
killed.
Pic of Richard on horseback
After his death on the battlefield, Richard’s body was brought back to Leicester on
horseback and was buried in the town centre, in the church of the Greyfriars friary.
The Greyfriars
The cathedral –
known at that
time as St Martin’s
Artist’s impression of
15th century Leicester
The Guildhall
© Leicester City Council October 2012
Archaeological dig
Has the skeleton of King Richard III been found?
The University of Leicester, Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society worked together
to search for the remains of King Richard III. An archaeological dig began on 25th August
2012, 527 years after his burial.
The Greyfriars friary, where King Richard III was buried, was destroyed in Henry VIII’s
dissolution of the monasteries in 1538. Houses were built on the site of the friars in the 18th
century. The houses have since been replaced and in more recent years, the site has been
used as a car park; this is where the King’s grave was thought to be located.
Fact
The dig for
Richard’s grave
began around
the anniversary
of his burial.
Why do experts think this might be
the skeleton of King Richard III?
The archaeologists at the University of
Leicester found a skeleton whose skull has been
struck by a bladed weapon. A corroded arrowhead
was found in between the vertebrae. These injuries
look like the sort of thing that could be inflicted in
battle.
The skeleton also reveals a
deformity to the spine which
matches contemporary accounts
of King Richard III’s physical appearance.
© Leicester City Council October 2012
King Richard III wordsearch
Can you find
the
following
words?
The next few pages
contain fun activities
including a quiz, a
landmark trail and
colouring in.
Start with this wordsearch!
crown
king
richard
henry
battle
roses
bosworth
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© Leicester City Council October 2012
lancaster
york
england
Landmark trail
The next time you are visiting central Leicester, look for the
following King Richard III landmarks:
1
The bronze statue of King Richard III
This can be found near to the entrance to
Castle Gardens on St Augustine Road.
2
Bow Bridge, St Augustine Road
King Richard III rode over this bridge on his
way to the Battle of Bosworth.
This modern bridge we see today
replaced the old one in 1861.
The old Bow Bridge
Look for the Tudor Rose in the ironwork.
3
The Magazine (Newarke Gateway)
Located at the end of Newarke Street.
This medieval gateway was built in about
1410. It is said that King Richard III rode
through here on his way to battle.
© Leicester City Council October 2012
Medieval knight dressed for battle
Colour
in
© Leicester City Council October 2012
King Richard III quiz
1. How many years was King Richard III the king of England?
2. Was King Richard III from the House of Lancaster or the House
of York?
3. What was the battle called in which King Richard III was killed?
4. Who became king after defeating King Richard III in battle?
5. Can you remember what year the battle took place?
6. True or false? King Richard III was the last English king to be
killed in battle?
7. How old was King Richard III when he was killed?
8. Was King Richard III buried in Leicester or in Gloucester?
Answers:
1) Two years 2) House of York 3) Battle of Bosworth 4) Henry Tudor
5) 1485
6) True
7) 32 years old
8) Leicester
© Leicester City Council October 2012
Roses
Use the space
below to
draw a
white rose,
red rose or
Tudor Rose
© Leicester City Council October 2012