The New Murrey and Blue blog

Oh woe, the red mist doth appear before me AGAIN! I have no idea when this (https://www.msn.com/en-ie/travel/news/some-of-the-worst-monarchs-in-history/ss-AA1naF9c) daft list was published, but it arrived with me today. All it’s done is set my hackles quivering. How on God’s own earth can anyone equate Richards II and III of England with, among others, Ivan the Terrible, Caligula, and Henry VIII? There’s no comparison whatsoever.

I’ll begin with what it has to say about Richard III, who is, after all, the heart of this blog.

“….Often described as cruel and ambitious, Richard III seized the throne following the death of his brother, Edward IV. Before he could do that though, there was the little matter of Edward’s children, Edward V and Richard. Both were imprisoned in the Tower of London and later mysteriously disappeared….” Crap! As is the above image, which is nothing remotely like Richard! Wrong period, wrong age, mythical humpy back and a beard.… We’re to suppose the withered arm is the one we can’t see? Oh, come ON!

Must I say it again? Richard III’s nephews were revealed to be illegitimate and therefore barred from the throne. Richard was then offered the crown by the three Estates. Ricardians have never believed he murdered the boys, and now recent research has gone a long way to proving his innocence. The boys survived Richard’s reign. If they were murdered, it was by Richard’s enemies. My money’s on Henry VII and his mother, Margaret Beaufort.

Next I’ll go to my other favourite king, Richard II. At least the illustration is him.

“….King Richard II alienated the nobility and kept his friends close. He then taxed his people unfairly and seized land belonging to other nobles…. Not happy with that, he also ended up in confrontation with Parliament over his demands for more money. He was later deposed by his cousin Henry IV….”

Oh well, that’s it then. The mad fellow was beyond redemption. But Richard was, as I’ve said several times before now, damaged goods. From childhood he’d been controlled by uncles who even tried to deny him his majority. Then he was persecuted by his rebellious nobles and finally usurped and murdered by his odious Lancastrian cousin Bolingbroke, who then had himself crowned Henry IV. And a lousy king he was, yet he doesn’t warrant a place in this list.

So, I’ll summarise, and keep saying the same things until, finally, the cows come home:

1. Richard III was the rightful king and innocent of murder and other misdeeds in order to gain the throne. He’s the victim of the very first Smear Campaign, fake news courtesy of the House of Tudor.
2. Richard II wasn’t a tyrant, but boy, was he beset by them! Why does no one question/criticise those lesser men who ranged themselves against and above him? Yet it’s only Richard II who is maligned, not them.

Among the other British monarchs listed are King John, Edward II and Henry VI. Henry VIII’s elder daughter wasn’t called Bloody Mary for nothing, and Mary, Queen of Scots was just plain silly. IMO. Henry VIII himself gets a good drubbing for beheading his wives and executing 57,000 people. And the two Richards are in a list with such a brute?

From further afield we have Ivan the Terrible, Caligula, a few French monarchs and some others of whom I know nothing.

Poor Richards II and III, defamed as usual by all the Lancastrian/Tudor machinations that continue to have the upper hand. But one day, ONE DAY, those lies will be kicked into touch once and for all!

Links related to this post:-

1. Richard III: https://murreyandblue.org/2024/03/27/the-gelderland-document-proof-of-life-of-richard-duke-of-york-alias-perkin-warbeck/ and https://murreyandblue.org/2024/01/16/more-praise-for-philippa-langleys-discoveries-concerning-the-princes-in-the-tower/ and https://murreyandblue.org/2018/06/25/the-meeting-of-the-three-estates-25-june-1483/.
2. Richard II: https://murreyandblue.org/2022/05/29/richard-ii-went-berserk-in-salisbury/ and https://murreyandblue.org/2024/08/03/a-very-telling-portrait-of-richard-ii/
3. The last word: https://murreyandblue.org/2020/06/28/the-worst-king-in-our-history/