9. He Was Loyal To His Brother King Edward IV... A Rarity For A Prince In The Middle Ages
Far opposed to the supposed evil Machiavellian schemer who Shakespeare depicts, Richard III actually spent the formative 20 years of his political life serving his brother, King Edward IV. Upon Edward IV's elevation to the throne in 1461, Richard was made Duke of Gloucester - before also being given the titles of the Governor of the North, Constable of England, Great Chamberlain and Lord High Admiral of England following his loyal service to his king. In contrast, their other brother George rebelled against Edward IV during the 1460s - creating a further divide within the already splintered royal family. Richard, meanwhile, fought courageously for Edward IV at battles in Doncaster and also during an invasion of France via Calais. He also led armies at the battle of Barnet and Tewkesbury at the age of just 18. Richard bucked the trend for princes in the Middle Ages - he was willing to support his brother and king, instead of attempting to depose him as Shakespeare portrayed.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
