What was the most significant form of Tudor propaganda in Richard III’s portrayal as a tyrant?
BY AVA BYRNE
succession in 1377, ruled through a council of nobles who would provide him with the administrative experience he needed to rule effectively.The other proposition made by a foremost member of Edward IV’s council came from Lord Hastings, who made the proposition of forming a minority council who would serve as advisors to Edward.The formation of such council would consequently give Richard responsibility over King Edward’s person, as following the council’s formation it was concluded by parliament that the King’s uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester, would act as chief councillor. To Richard, it was of integral importance to secure the position of protector, as failing to do so had the potential to threaten his dominance in the North of England, which would be transferred to his nephew, Edward V. However, even when successful in obtaining the role of protector, Richard would only have significant power up until Edward reached an age that made him suitable to rule independently.The role of protector would only shortly fulfil Richard’s supposed insatiable lust for power and complete supremacy. Hence, the only resolution to overcome this obstacle and assume total power would be to secure the crown for himself, through whatever means necessary, even if it meant murdering his own nephews. Moreover, it is this situation that acted as a backbone to claims made by Tudor historians that Richard usurped the throne, which was then further affirmed through speculation regarding the disappearance of his nephews from the public eye (4). One conclusion reached was that Richard had in fact smothered both of his nephews to death in order to secure the throne.
A tyrant: a person who has complete power in a country and uses it in a cruel and unfair way (1). The discovery of Richard III’s body in 2013 attracted the attention of both news reporters
and the general public alike, unleashing widespread curiosity regarding his reign.
Propaganda has painted a lurid picture of the Plantagenet monarch, one that is still prevalent today.This can be measured through the publication of various news articles following the discovery of Richard’s body. For example, an article published by Polly Toynbee titled “Britain mourns a monster” describes Richard as a “child-murdering tyrant” (2). Moreover, the discovery of Richard’s body has encouraged us to revisit his reign and re-evaluate it in order to determine if he really was the epitome of cruelty. In this essay I intend to analyse the different forms of propaganda in order to determine which was the most significant in earning Richard the reputation of a tyrant. The situation in 1483 The unanticipated demise of Edward IV in 1483 initiated a chain reaction of events that resulted in the displacement of two monarchs up until 1485. Edward IV’s heir apparent was the young Edward V, who at the premature age of 12 was to succeed the English throne. However, the succession of the young king presented some complexities due to the fact that Edward V was only 12 at the time.Young Edward was on the border between requiring a protector who would act as regent or having the right to rule the country independently (3).This concern hence stimulated debate amongst high-ranking Yorkists, regarding whether Edward should require a protector if he was to assume the role as King of England. One conclusion reached was that Edward would follow a similar path to that of seven-year-old Richard II, who, following his
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