After a long civil war, England enjoys a period of peace and prosperity under the rule of King Edward IV and the victorious Yorks. The king's younger brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, resents Edward IV's power and the reveling of those around him. Malicious, power hungry and bitter about his physical deformity, Richard plots to seize the throne.
Richard halts the procession accompanying the casket of the former King Henry VI. Attending the coffin is Lady Anne Neville, daughter in law of Henry VI and wife of Prince Edward (both murdered by Richard). Richard manipulates her so successfully that she agrees to be his bride. Richard next causes the murder of his older brother George, Duke of Clarence. Richard convinces King Edward IV that Clarence has committed treason; Clarence is arrested and murdered while imprisoned. The prophetic former Queen Margaret appears cursing the nobles, Queen Elizabeth and her family, and finally Richard. She is dismissed as lunatic but slowly her prophecies come true. Ailing, Edward IV succumbs to illness and Richard is named regent to the Prince of Wales, until he comes of age. Sensing the impending danger, Queen Elizabeth seeks sanctuary for her sons but is thwarted by Richard. Instead, Richard sends the princes to the Tower—for their "protection." His followers determine which noblemen are loyal to the Princes and have them murdered. Richard expediently has the outspoken kinsmen of the princes—Rivers and Grey—arrested and hanged.
With Queen Elizabeth and the princes now unprotected, Richard's political allies, particularly Lord Buckingham, campaign to crown Richard king. After a clever planting of insinuations regarding the illegitimacy of Edward IV's children, Richard ascends the throne. To bolster his own legitimacy, Richard sends a murderer to dispose of the princes. Buckingham, unable to support the murders of the two young boys and fearing for Richard's sentence on his own life, flees.
Rumors circulate that a challenger to the throne is gathering forces in France. The challenger is Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, a descendant of the Lancaster family asserting his own right to the throne. All but one of Queen Margaret's curses are realized.
Richard has his wife, Queen Anne, murdered, so that he can pursue a marriage with young Elizabeth, daughter of former Queen Elizabeth and dead King Edward IV. Though Elizabeth is Richard's niece, the alliance would strengthen his claim to the throne.
Buckingham is captured on his way to join with Tudor's armies and is beheaded. Richmond's troops land and march inland. On the eve of the battle both men are visited in dreams by the ghosts of those whom Richard has slaughtered-tormenting Richard and bolstering Richmond. Richard's forces are defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richmond accepts the crown as Henry VII and marries Elizabeth of York, uniting the white rose (the Yorkists) and the red rose (the Lancastrians). This union establishes the Tudor line and ends the Wars of the Roses.
After a long civil war, England enjoys a period of peace and prosperity under the rule of King Edward IV and the victorious Yorks. The king's younger brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, resents Edward IV's power and the reveling of those around him. Malicious, power hungry and bitter about his physical deformity, Richard plots to seize the throne.
Richard halts the procession accompanying the casket of the former King Henry VI. Attending the coffin is Lady Anne Neville, daughter in law of Henry VI and wife of Prince Edward (both murdered by Richard). Richard manipulates her so successfully that she agrees to be his bride. Richard next causes the murder of his older brother George, Duke of Clarence. Richard convinces King Edward IV that Clarence has committed treason; Clarence is arrested and murdered while imprisoned. The prophetic former Queen Margaret appears cursing the nobles, Queen Elizabeth and her family, and finally Richard. She is dismissed as lunatic but slowly her prophecies come true. Ailing, Edward IV succumbs to illness and Richard is named regent to the Prince of Wales, until he comes of age. Sensing the impending danger, Queen Elizabeth seeks sanctuary for her sons but is thwarted by Richard. Instead, Richard sends the princes to the Tower—for their "protection." His followers determine which noblemen are loyal to the Princes and have them murdered. Richard expediently has the outspoken kinsmen of the princes—Rivers and Grey—arrested and hanged.
With Queen Elizabeth and the princes now unprotected, Richard's political allies, particularly Lord Buckingham, campaign to crown Richard king. After a clever planting of insinuations regarding the illegitimacy of Edward IV's children, Richard ascends the throne. To bolster his own legitimacy, Richard sends a murderer to dispose of the princes. Buckingham, unable to support the murders of the two young boys and fearing for Richard's sentence on his own life, flees.
Rumors circulate that a challenger to the throne is gathering forces in France. The challenger is Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, a descendant of the Lancaster family asserting his own right to the throne. All but one of Queen Margaret's curses are realized.
Richard has his wife, Queen Anne, murdered, so that he can pursue a marriage with young Elizabeth, daughter of former Queen Elizabeth and dead King Edward IV. Though Elizabeth is Richard's niece, the alliance would strengthen his claim to the throne.
Buckingham is captured on his way to join with Tudor's armies and is beheaded. Richmond's troops land and march inland. On the eve of the battle both men are visited in dreams by the ghosts of those whom Richard has slaughtered-tormenting Richard and bolstering Richmond. Richard's forces are defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richmond accepts the crown as Henry VII and marries Elizabeth of York, uniting the white rose (the Yorkists) and the red rose (the Lancastrians). This union establishes the Tudor line and ends the Wars of the Roses.