We Three Kings

Once upon a time, there were three kings. Actually, three kings of England, all named Richard.....And one no one has ever heard of.

The first, King Richard I, was called Le Couer De Leon, or The Lion Hearted. Richard loved one thing and one thing only, the sights, sounds and smells of battle, and battle he did. Personally leading the charge to retake Jersulem from Saladin, a charge that failed, but not before 3,000 Muslim's were put to the sword first. On his way home, he managed to get captured and to ransom him cost 100,000 Pounds, and if that wasn't enough, the defend his turf in Normandy, he built an immense castle that cost a whopping 11,000 pounds. His death was not one would expect from this warrior king. He succumbed to wounds from an arrow after trying to take a subjects castle.

The second Richard, Richard II, has been named by history as a bad king. A tyrant, a narccissitic, whiny, spoiled, vain and just plain rotten to the core. But on further examination, we learn this was not the case. Richard was actually, quite a good king. His first test came at the ripe old age of 14, when his Barons lead a revolt against him because he opposed their taxing of the peasantry to pay for wars in France. At Smithfield, the revolt came to a head, and after the leader, Watt Tyler was brought down by the Mayor of London, he issued a blanket pardon to everyone to avoid further blood letting. His next act was to end the wars that were money makers for his barons. Richard took his role as king very seriously, believing that he was mandated by God to rule. His baron's didn't see him as such. They couldn't stand the man to the point that in 1387, three of them lead a revolt, slaughtered his advisors and deposed him. Fighting amongst themselves, he was able to regain control, that is until 1399, when Henry of Lancaster returned from exile and murdered Richard and took the throne for himself. Henry, now Henry IV now cast Richard as one of the most evil men in order to justify his usurping the throne.

"And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.
Richard III, 1. 1

So says our last Richard in Shakespeare's play Richard III. But was he really the hunchbacked villian we've come to know or was he too a victim of slander? In 1483, Richard became protector to his nephews upon the death of their father Edward IV. Their mother, a conivving, grasping woman, sought power herself and tried to take over the throne by having the eldest boy, Edward V, crowned king. Locking his nephews in the Tower of London to keep them from their mother's grasp, Richard then had parliament declare him protector. His nephews never say the light of day again, and even know the mystery of what really happened to them remain just that. Getting a bishop to do his bidding, he then had the late Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville declared invalid, his children bastards, and Richard was crowned king.

So, so far, Richard is proving to be not such a nice guy? Or is he? According to records, Richard proved to be a most capbale and able administrator, peacekeeper and defender of the poor. Richard reformed the legal system, insisiting trials be conducted in English instead of Latin, and installed the jury system of trial and protections for jurors.

In 1485 his rule came to an end at the Battle of Bosworth when he was killed by Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII and established the Tudor Dynasty which ruled England until 1603.

So who is this mystery king? Well, you have to watch the show to find out. So enjoy this, the last installment of Medieval Lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYLXlbE6Ly4