Richard III: The turbulent reign

In this third part of our series on the controversial reign of Richard III, Chris Skidmore tells Spencer Mizen about the uprisings and rumours that dogged his time on the throne – including, most famously, suspicions about the fate of the princes in the Tower

Composite image featuring a colour portrait of Richard III on the left, overlaid on a black-and-white court scene in which a richly dressed man stands beside a column while several figures gather around him

Published: October 26, 2026 at 10:32 AM

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After four of the most controversial months in medieval history, Richard III was crowned king in July 1483. Yet barely two years later, he was dead – slain at Bosworth. In the third episode of our four-part series on Richard's extraordinary life and legacy, Chris Skidmore talks Spencer Mizen through the king's turbulent reign. As he explains, it was one in which he was seen by many as a benevolent ruler yet was ultimately dogged by uprisings and swirling rumours about the fate of the Princes in the Tower.

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More episodes in this series:

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Authors

Spencer MizenSenior production editor

Spencer is senior production editor of HistoryExtra magazine

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