Re: MR: Was Richard maligned?

[Lance Harrop <lharrop@mrj.com>]

Poster: Lance Harrop <lharrop@mrj.com>


Razmus writes:

> Ummm... ditto about Richard killing off his two little nephews.  Never
> happened, nope, sorry.

That, actually, is a little hard to demonstrate.  Certainly Henry VII 
killed off nearly a score of individuals with better claims to the throne 
then himself, including two de Poles, George of Clarence's son, and John of 
Glochester, Richard III's bastard son.

So Henry VII certainly shows a pattern of judicial murder in regard to 
better heirs then himself...

On the other hand, what reason should Richard have had to kill his 
nephews.  We know for a fact that he did not kill George's son, against 
whom there was a bill of attainder removing him, and his sister, from the 
succession.  And Richard had just such a bill laid against Edward and 
Richard, his nephews, as well as against his nieces.  And both boys would 
still have been minors for all of the two years Richard of Glouchester 
was king, most of which time he was on progress afd thus not in London.

Richard's wife and his legitimate son died in the two years he was king.  
AFter that, he had one of the de Pole's named Lieutant of Ireland, which 
is the usual title for a Yorkish heir, and was reputiedly having the bill 
of attainder against George's son reversed (George's son was his nephew 
on both sides and Richard therefore likely considered him a better heir 
then some bastard brats of the Greys).

just my $.02,

Leifr
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