I am nearly finished writing my first novel (about Richard of course!) and there is a section where the question “What if Richard III had won the battle of Bosworth?” is asked.
We know that he nearly reached Henry ‘Tudor’ and so it isn’t too farfetched to imagine the result if he had killed Henry.
Would he have executed the Stanleys? What about Northumberland?
And Rhys Ap Thomas who allowed Henry to enter the country over his ‘bellie’? Would Richard have become more ruthless?
Would England have remained a Catholic country? Would Richard have invaded France, as the French also supported ‘Tudor’? Would he have gone on a crusade?
It is known that Christopher Columbus’ brother, Bartholomew, came to England in 1489 to request funds to fund his brother’s venture to the New World and was refused by Henry. Would Richard have acted any differently?
Would he have married Joana of Portugal? Would she have agreed to the match, since she had previously refused other suitors?
What would Richard have done regarding York Minster, as he was planning a chantry chapel there? If he built this, would he have moved Anne’s body (and his son, Edward’s) there, using it as a family mausoleum?
What other laws would he have brought in? Would he have moved his court to the North? How would he have behaved towards the Scots?
If the ‘Princes’ had not been killed in the Tower, but moved, as many of us think, what would have happened to them later?
What sort of king would he have been? (I think I can guess what most of our readers will say to this!)
Discuss! Please leave your comments below!
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