These are the famous last words of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, at least according to William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s version of events and the image that the last Plantagenet king of England was a misshapen antichrist have always clouded the truth of Richard III’s life. Since then, there have been many tomes written by both the supporters and detractors of Richard III; of the mysterious death of the Princes in the Tower, and the usurpation of the throne itself. Indeed, scholars and historians will no doubt continue to debate Richard’s character and life for many years to come.
The Battle of Bosworth (or Redemoor) was fought on 22 August 1485 and was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, a series of dynastic civil wars fought for the throne of England. It is often regarded as the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the renaissance, although in reality the change was much more gradual. Nevertheless, it does mark the beginning of the reign of the Tudors, with Henry VII taking the throne at the end of this fateful day, before his son Henry VIII and his granddaughter Elizabeth I would go on to lead the country to previously unknown greatness.
