Why did Richard III make himself king in 1483?

The Woodville family had made many enemies in the past and now they made errors meaning that it was easy for Gloucester to carry through his usurpation. And although the rivalry between Gloucester and Woodville proved deadly, yet it was not immediately apparent on Edward IV’s death. Hastings warned Gloucester to act to defend his position when the Woodville’s tried to alter Edward IV’s will. Richard was convinced of the legality of his claim to the throne and that Edward IV’s children had no legitimate claim. He believed this because of the illegitimate marriage between Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV.

Richard believed this so called illegitimacy because, he discovered that his late brother had agreed to marry another woman before he married his Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. According to the English Law of the time, a marriage following an unbroken marital promise was invalid. So, he used that argument in order to make his nephews illegitimate and thus having no right to the throne. So, Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York were removed from the throne and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Rumour has it that Richard III murdered the brothers as a way of securing his position of being next onto the throne.

In conclusion the reason as to why Richard wanted the throne was that he felt jealous of the fact that he was defiantly superior to his brother’s children and to the fact that he thought the children was illegitimate to gain the throne. This is why Richard decided to lock them away and to be announced king so that people would realise that he was the true heir to the throne.

BY CHARLIE LIFE