Richard
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William Shakespeare,
"The Tragedy of King Richard The Third"
An Annotated Hypertext Edition
Timeline (text version)
- October 2, 1452 - Richard born at Fotheringhay (7th son; 4th to survive)
- 1456 - Anne Neville born
- 1459 - Duke of York in exile in Ireland
- November 1459 - Duke of York's estates are confiscated
- June 1460 - Edward of March invades from Calais
- July 10, 1460 - Edward captures Henry VI at Northampton
- September 1460 - Duke of York returns to Wales, claims the throne
- and is named Henry VI's heir
- December 30, 1460 - Queen Margaret's Lancastrian army defeats the
- Yorkists at the battle of Wakefield. Duke of York
- and Earl of Rutland killed.
- February 2-3, 1461 - Edward of March defeats the Lancastrian army
- at the battle of Mortimer's Cross
- February 17, 1461 - Queen Margaret's Lancastrian army defeats Warwick at second battle of St. Albans
- Spring 1461 - Duchess Cecily of York sends George and Richard
to the Duke of Burgundy for safety
- March 4, 1461 - Edward of March declared King Edward IV
- March 29, 1461 - Edward IV defeats the Lancastrians at the battle of
Towton
- June 1461 - George and Richard return from Calais
- June 26, 1461 - George and Richard made Knights of the Bath
- June 28, 1461 - Edward IV crowned (at 18 years old)
- November 1, 1461 - Richard made Duke of Gloucester
- Late 1461 - Richard enters household of the Earl of Warwick
at Middleham Castle
- August 12, 1462 - Richard granted lands and titles (but little income
or power)
- October 2, 1462 - Richard appointed Admiral of England, Ireland &
- Aquitane (another empty title)
- May 1464 - Edward IV marries Elizabeth Woodville
- May 1465 - Elizabeth Woodville crowned Queen
- Late 1465 to late 1468 or 1469 - Richard placed in the custody of the Earl of
Warwick
- 1466 - Princess Elizabeth born
- 1468 - Richard's sister Margaret marries the Duke of
Burgundy
- June 18, 1469 - Edward IV learns of Warwick and Clarence's
rebellion
- July 4, 1469 - Clarence marries Isobel Neville
- July 26, 1469 - Edward IV loses to rebels at battle of Edgecote.
King emprisoned at Warwick and Middleham Castles
- September 10, 1469 - Edward IV free in York
- October 1469 - Edward IV and Richard are back in London
- October 17, 1469 - Richard created Constable of England
- November 7, 1469 - Richard replaces Lord Hastings as Chief Justice of
North Wales
- February 7, 1470 - Richard replaces Warwick as Chief Steward and
Chamberlain of South Wales
- February 1470 - Warwick and Clarence rebel again
- March 1470 - Clarence is promised Warwick's lands
- March 12, 1470 - Edward IV disperses rebels at 'Lose-Cote' Field
- May 1470 - Warwick and Clarence flee to France
- July 25, 1470 - Anne Neville betrothed to Edward of Lancaster as
part of deal between Warwick and Queen Margaret
- August 26, 1470 - Richard leaves Wales and becomes Warden of the
West Marches toward Scotland
- September 1470 - Warwick's army sails for England
- October 2, 1470 - Edward IV and Richard flee for Low Countries
- November 2, 1470 - Edward, Prince of Wales born
- March 11, 1471 - Edward IV and Richard return to England
- April 14, 1471 - Edward IV defeats Warwick (and kills him) at the
battle of Barnet
- May 4, 1471 - Edward IV defeats Queen Margaret and the
remaining Lancastrians at the battle of Tewkesbury.
Richard leads the vanguard. Prince Edward of
- Lancaster is killed and Queen Margaret is taken prisoner.
- May 18, 1471 - Richard named Great Chamberlain and Constable
& Admiral of England (and other titles and grants)
- May 21, 1471 - Edward IV returns to London & Henry VI dies, (Act I, sc. 1)
- May 20, 1472 - Clarence given Richard's title of Great Chamberlain
- February 17, 1472 -Anne Neville and Richard agree to marry. Richard
begins battle with Clarence over Anne's share of
Warwick's lands, (Act I, sc. 2)
- March 25, 1472 - Clarence created Earl of Warwick and Salisbury
- Easter 1472 - Anne Neville and Richard marry
- November 1473 - Edward IV takes back the land he granted to
Clarence
- May 1474 - Warwick's lands split between Anne and her older
sister Isobel disinheriting their mother.
- 1475 - Richard accompanies Edward IV on invasion of
France
- 1478 - Clarence accused of treason by act of parliament, (Act I, sc. 3)
- February 15, 1478 - Richard's son created Earl of Salisbury (one of
Clarence's titles)
- February 18, 1478 - Clarence executed in the Tower, Act I, sc. 4
- February 21, 1478 - Richard regains title of Great Chamberlain and
Clarence's share of Warwick lands, Act II, sc. 1
- 1481-1483 - Scottish Wars
- 1482 - Queen Margaret dies in France
- April 9, 1483 - Edward IV dies (at 40 years old), Act II, sc. 2-3
- April 14, 1483 - News of Edward's death reaches the Prince of
Wales at Ludlow
- April 17-20, 1483 - Funeral rites for Edward IV
- April 20, 1483 - Richard travelling slowly towards Northampton
- April 24, 1483 - Prince leaves Ludlow for London
- April 27, 1483 - Council (excluding Richard & Buckingham)
decides coronation date of May 4 and other
administrative matters
- April 29, 1483 - Prince siezed from Earl Rivers at Stony Stratford
by Richard & Buckingham
- April 30, 1483 - News of seisure of Prince and arrest of Rivers, Act II, sc. 4
reaches London
- May 4, 1483 - Prince arrives in London with Richard and, Act III, sc. 1
- Buckingham and 500 men
- May 10, 1483 - Council meets and sets new coronation date of June
24th (later changed again to June 22nd). Richard
named as Protector and other changes in great offices
made.Buckingham receives spectacular list of new
powers/titles/lands.
- June 9, 1483 - Negotiations with Queen Elizabeth to leave sanctuary
break down
- June 10-11, 1483 - Richard sends letters to the north asking for aid against
the Queen and the Woodvilles
- June 13, 1483 - Lord Hastings arrested and executed. Lord Stanley
arrested, Act III, sc. 2 & 4
- June 16, 1483 - Cardinal of Canterbury sent to sanctuary to persuade
the Queen to release the Duke of York.
- June 17, 1483 - The Duke of York is released into Richard's custody.
Preparations for coronation stopped. Parliament
scheduled for June 25th cancelled. Act III, sc. 1
- June 20, 1483 (approx)- Prince and Duke of York's attendants withdrawn
Clarence's son brought to London and placed in the
custody of his aunt, Anne Duchess of Gloucester
- June 22, 1483 - Richard claims the throne through Ralph Shaw's
sermon at St. Paul's Cross
- June 24-25, 1483 - Buckingham advances Richard's claim in a speech
at the Guildhall and to an assembly of lords and
gentry. The assembly draws up a petition requesting
Richard to take the throne. Act III, sc. 5
- June 25, 1483 - Rivers, Grey, Vaughan and Haute beheaded at
Pontefract Act III, sc. 3
- June 26, 1483 - Buckingham, the assembly, the mayor and
aldermen of London presented the petition to Richard
at Baynard's Castle. Richard agrees and assumed
the throne. Coronation date fixed for July 6, Act III, sc. 6-7
- July 6, 1483 - Richard III crowned Act IV, sc. 1
- Summer 1483 - Edward V and Duke of York probably killed
- July 13, 1483 - Richard III promises Earldom of Hereford to
- Buckingham(Buckingham is richest landowner
in England) Act IV, sc. 2
- July 21 to September
- Richard III makes first "progress"
- September 8, 1483 - Richard III and Anne's son invested at Prince of
Wales
- October 11, 1483 - Duke of Norfolk responds to Buckingham's rebellion
with orders to muster troops
- October 12, 1483 - Richard III aware of Buckingham's rebellion. He is
surprised and shocked. Act IV, sc. 3-5
- October 15, 1483 - Unusually severe storm floods rivers and cuts off
Buckingham also scatters Henry Tudor's fleet
- November 2, 1483 - Buckingham, betrayed by a servant, is executed, Act V, sc. 1
- November 8, 1483 - Richard III at Exeter, Henry Tudor and rebels flee
to France
- November 25, 1483 - Richard III back in London
- December 25, 1483 - Henry Tudor pledges to marry Elizabeth of York if
he gains the throne, rebels gave homage.
- January 1484 - Rebels attainted for treason, their offices filled by
northerners, as were following openings
- January 23, 1484 - Richard III holds his only parliament
- 1484 - Richard III's bastard daughter Katherine married
to William Herbert, earl of Huntingdon
- March 1, 1484 - Dowager Queen Elizabeth and her daughters leave
sanctuary
- early April 1484 - Richard III and Anne's son, Edward Prince of
Wales, dies
- May 1, 1484 - Richard III issues general order of array against
possible invasion
- Summer 1484 - War with Scotland continued
- September 1484 - Three year truce with Scotland signed;
Henry Tudor leaves Brittany for France
- November 1484 - France grants Henry Tudor funds for an army
- early 1485 Queen Anne falls ill
- December 3, 1484 - Henry Tudor and the rebels denounced in a
general proclamation
- December 8, 1484 - Richard III again issues general order of array
against possible invasion
- January 1485 - Richard III issues warrant to knights, esquires, etc.
in Chester to obey Lords Stanley, Strange and Sir
William Stanley
- March 11, 1485 - Richard III's bastard son John appointed captain of
Calais
- March 16, 1485 - Queen Anne dies and Richard declares to the Council
that he does not intend to marry Princess Elizabeth
- June 22, 1485 - Richard III issues next set of commissions of affray
- June 23, 1485 -Henry Tudor and allies are proclaimed to be
"murderers, adulterers and extortioners"
- July 31 - August 1
- Henry Tudor sails from Harfleur
- August 7, 1485 - Henry Tudor lands at Mill Bay
- August 9, 1485 - Henry Tudor lands at Milford Haven. Richard III
at Nottingham
- August 11, 1485 - Richard learns of Henry's landing and sends out
letters demanding instant support from supporters
- August 14, 1485 - Duke of Norfolk receives Richard's summons at
Framlingham Castle in Suffolk
- August 15, 1485 - Henry Tudor at Shrewsbury (News reaches York)
- August 21, 1485 - Henry Tudor at Atherstone in Warwickshire
- August 22, 1485 - Henry Tudor defeats Richard III at Bosworth and is
proclaimed King Henry VII, Act V, sc. 2-5
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