Supporters of Richard claim that Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was invalid, as he was allegedly pre-contracted to another woman. A cleric named Robert Stillington testified to this pre-contract, thereby rendering Edward’s children illegitimate in the eyes of the law.
This justification allowed Parliament to pass the Titulus Regius, declaring Richard the rightful king. Some historians argue this act was not entirely unscrupulous but a legal maneuver within the bounds of medieval succession laws. Still, the legend of the power-hungry usurper clings to Richard’s name, largely because of how history was later written by the victorious Tudors.
The Last Chivalric King
Contrary to his villainous reputation, another legend paints Richard as a brave, noble, and generous ruler—a king of chivalry in a brutal age. During his brief reign, he instituted reforms that suggest a concern for justice and the common people. He banned the practice of forced loans, improved bail laws, and opened courts to the poor.
Some chroniclers describe him as a man of learning and piety. He was known to be a patron of the arts and religion, and he fought valiantly at the Battle of Bosworth.
Supporters from the Richard III Society argue that he was the victim of a historical smear campaign and that he should be remembered as a progressive and capable monarch rather than the twisted figure of Shakespeare’s imagination. This legend of the "good king" reflects an ongoing revisionist effort to rescue Richard from centuries of negative portrayal. shutdown123