Medieval Conspiracy & Betrayal: The Man Who Killed Richard III | Timeline

this is a story of conspiracy and betrayal of a lust for power and a lost Allegiance the story of the man who killed King Richard the third cerise Optimus has been forgotten by historians and even written out of the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 until now a swashbuckling hero in terms of soul dearie two great characteristics of we saw Thomas was his strength of will and his ability of a military leader a complex passionate character and compelling evidence now suggests he doubt the fatal blow killing Richard the third without Richard being dead there is no way Henry could ever be king was no good wounding him somebody had to kill him Rhys is a problem he he is a an obvious turncoat that he probably knew which side his breakfast butters this is the untold story of a man who killed a king and changed history Bosworth England 22nd of August 1485 the most famous battle in Britain took place a battle that was to change the course of history and the destinies of three great men King Richard the third who was killed Henry Tudor who became King under Welshman lease-up Thomas the man who dealt the fatal blow killing Richard the third today Bosworth is a busy Heritage Center but although this place commemorates one of the most famous battles in the history of Britain no mention is made here of who actually killed the last Plantagenet King [Music] tree sap Thomas was a Welsh nobleman and accomplished soldier who fought at Bosworth and survived to tell the tale at the end of his life in his Santee's he went to the gray friars Priory in Carmarthen South Wales to die but he was not at peace he was plagued by memory and regret three-quarters of a century of life and now I'm facing the same hell as that which I created for so many oh how easy it is to get drunk on power and status or through the tasting of the blood and fear on the battlefield but it is here in this head the sobriety and its truth starts to hurt like a sword through the flesh [Music] by 1485 Richard the third had been king for almost two years and was 32 years old the Battle of Bosworth brought to an end the decades of fighting between the House of York with a white rose and the House of Lancaster with its red rose the great conflict between these two houses the Wars of the Roses is as compelling today as it was deadly than every year the reenactment of the Battle of Bosworth on the 22nd of August attracts over 750 re-enactors and thousands of visitors Richard died and in doing so history changed the wards erosion is phenomenally complicated and I've tried to put myself in the position of somebody who was alive at that time and worried about the loyalty which they would have had and I think you were mainly loyal to somebody that you trusted 15th century generally was a difficult time politically for a lot of noble families in England and Wales and only a lot of Welsh families would have found it quite difficult to make the right choice here politically 50 century of course was really very much in the shadow of the defeat of the glinda rebellion a wine gained dude was a Welsh nobleman who led a revolt against the English rule of Henry the fourth seen as a rebellious character by some others welcomed him as the son of prophecy who would freely Wales from English rule and return the crown of Britain to the true Britons the Welsh a wine Glinda's revolt came to an end around 1415 but its impact lasted for decades the Welsh suffered under increasingly oppressive laws as a direct result of the uprising and resentment of the English run deep it stayed in the hearts of all Welshman and definitely all Englishmen who decided that this wasn't going to happen again so yeah a very pivotal time I think and then of course you've got the Wars of the Roses which kind of disrupts all that and now you've got Welsh brother fighting most brother depending on whether you're a Yorkist or Lancastrian so very very confusing times the tension between the houses of York and Lancaster dominated the 15th century Welsh noble families had to walk a tightrope between the two one of the families that managed to flourish was that of Rhys app Thomas his ancestors were not born into aristocracy but rose through the ranks achieving status and power they ruled here at dinner the castle it commanded views of the Toey Valley and had once been home to the famous Welsh blintz of the 12th century Lord feasts of Denova the family was Welsh spoke Welsh and her patrons poets and musicians [Music] by the 15th century guru Philip Nicholas the grandfather of Reis up Thomas was the most powerful man in the locality he became a sheriff of kama ventia a keen supporter of the House of Lancaster he mixed in the right circles and by being seen as a faithful servant to the crown he received status land power and money [Music] by 1440 he possessed the least for all the land on the deliverer estate he was a bit of a chancer he was a bit of a Dell boy of his time he became quite wealthy due to a lot of spurious activities that he carried on in and around Kemal than sure and he actually although he was such a bit of a you know a bit of a rake he still was a man who was educated who was very intelligent very much patron of the arts even though he was very rough and ready and he was a man of his time I mean these were wild times and you took what I could get and he took more than most but he built up a little Empire down here in West Wales Griffith at Nikolas went on to win fevers and secured the rights to the land surrounding Denova kid welly kamar then Aberystwyth cardigan and carreg cannen he was a great patron of the Arts and of poets and they returned the favor praising him in their work Griffiths allegedly was killed Battle of Mortimer's cross now I say allegedly because it appears he died a couple of years earlier but the bards whom he patronized of course decided to give him a heroic end rather than just having died on a bed he died at Waterman's cross you know fighting fighting for the Lancastrian cause the Battle of Mortimer's cross took place near Halliford in 1460 good a faith supported the Lancastrian side of Hawaiian Judah and his son Jasper but they lost a wine Tudor was executed Jasper Tudor managed to escape a year later the House of York attacked Carrick cannon castle still held by the family of the now deceased Griffith up Nikolas his son Thomas and his grandson Rhys fled Wales to the core to Philip the good the Duke of Burgundy in France the family had fallen foul of the dangers of the time but for the young Reese it opened a door to another world conscience is knowing but the memory is filled with mixed pictures some with joyful hues Philips caught in burgundy our what a place filled with culture and art and an emphasis on learning how to behave like aristocracy learning about European culture and also the continents methods of fighting I was so young but so ready to learn and that's what I did Philip had a learning system that was born from the techniques of the Knights of the Golden Fleece similar to the ideas of King Arthur's knights of the round table I loved the history of Arthur and the bards saw me as his successor the court of Philip was one of the most renowned courts in Europe it was the best court in Europe and here of course it was based on the sort of Knightly virtues of chivalry honor there were lots of doubts young men were trained and in the art of warfare but also Philip was a very well educated man he had lots of scholars at his court lots of poets so it was it was really quite a staggering place to be and I think for a young man like Rhys was about 14 at the time it must have been overwhelming to the senses jeez and his father returned to Wales around 14 67 by this time Rhys was a high achieving young man he married well to the daughter of a Welsh noble family who were neighbours of his dinner her estate most of the Fertile Joey Valley came under his control and following the death of his father and his two brothers fils was the sole heir to the wealth and land of the whole family Risa's father was killed in battle in 1468 near Mahan - Mid Wales again fighting for the Lancastrian cause against the Orcas in his inherited position of power tree sap Thomas chose to be a great patron of the Arts continuing the family tradition and earning a place for himself in the poems of the time in some cases in the 15th century for example we have a single poem for a single patron and that's all we know about it but in sorts of Thomas's case we have a wide range of poems by a wide range of poets for example David fluid of my sovereign Willem are beyond Haines Louis killing cost see and so on and so on many of these poets were minor poets but it's key I think that the most influential and the best poets of the time were also fertilized by 30 so Thomas in the latter half of the 15th century the conflict between the houses of York and Lancaster continued to dominate political life Henry Tudor had been born in 1457 in pembroke castle and his Lancastrian supporters argued that he was the only rightful heir to the throne like a game of chess noble families had to carefully plot their allegiance with some swapping sides to avoid falling out of favor and losing their land and power I learned very early on that not all battles can be won through war playing the game planning and buying time comes with its own rewards do not mention values and principles very few material rewards come from these but now as I close in on the end my principles and values are becoming more important undoubtedly there a balm for the troubled conscience in 1483 King Edward the fourth died his sons Edward the fifth and Richard were only twelve and nine years old their uncle Richard of York became their guardian but the young princes suddenly and stunned lessly disappeared Richard of York became King Richard the third as a result it was a triumph for the Yorkists the Lancastrians however were outraged the people were now hoping for peace and stability police up Thomas breaking with family tradition swore allegiance to King Richard the third it is even claimed that he said only over his body would anyone pass through Wales to attack King Richard but the question remained then and still does today what happened to the two young princes in the tower Richard the thirds nephews who disappeared even by the brutal standards of the Wars of the Roses killing innocent children was seen as unforgivable here in Bosworth the Richard the third Society which played a pivotal role in the reburial of his skeleton has a clear mission to reclaim the reputation of Richard the third he was a good king in the things that he did his laws and we have no idea of what would have come out of a longer reign of this thing but he you know he did things that were good for the common people our aim is to set the record straight because we think that Richard was a good man who's been badly served by history the disappearance of the young prince's may have fueled another private concern for Reis up Thomas King Richard the third wanted Reese's son Griffith to be held the royal court as guarantor for his loyalty to the throne I think Reese gave his word to Richard at the time that he was writing to him when he was begging for his son to remain here is someone's only two or three years old he didn't want him being carted off to England maybe never to see him again and I think when he was begging for for his son's life he meant what he said to Richard you know you are my liege lord and he'd always been faithful to whichever King had been on the throne and I think that perhaps coupled with the rumors of the princes in the tower which Rhys must have heard about decided Reese that maybe you know maybe I might break my oath to Richard [Music] yes I did send a letter promising to support Richard the words are still in my memory but Richard was to take the boy into his care my four-year-old son hostage to my own loyalty this was too much for me in his mother such a cheek on behalf of the King for taking my son what kind of man would do this to a four-year-old child even though I signed the letter most obedient the most faithful subject and servant such requests were hurting and angering me no he would not have my son as a hostage but I couldn't let my true feelings show to anyone I'm buying time my opportunity to strike back will come in 1484 richard the third son died and a year later his wife this left him weak a king without an heir meanwhile his Lancaster rival Henry Tudor and his uncle Jasper Tudor were in France building an army preparing to land on British soil and attack Richard here in kit Whaley Henry Tudor had an important ally a lawyer named Shahana Morgan he was the link between Henry Tudor and his supporters within the Welsh aristocracy including secretly fils up Thomas publicly please continued to support King Richard Gold I loved its colour and feeling to an excess Richard gave me some of money for a third year in a row to try and keep me outside but his threat of keeping my son hostage was one step too far and under Richard the Third's leadership and the House of York there was no room for me to rise in the political ranks Henry Tudor offered more yes there was a risk but through careful planning and elements of conspiracy there was a way to defeat Richard even though I swore allegiance to him and I will not go back on my word unless it will be beneficial to me on August the first 1485 Henry Tudor and his uncle Jasper Tudor sailed towards Wales with the support of the King of France six days later they landed in Mill Bay two miles from Dale in south Pembrokeshire when Henry Tudor landed here he created a dilemma for he SAP Thomas should he fight against the newcomer or reveal his true support for him it was a turning point in history according the legend pre-sub Thomas had sworn that if anyone was to come into the country to attack Richard the third they would have to do so over his own body how could he release himself from this oath of allegiance he found a way out with the help of the bishops and David's [Music] he could keep to his word by lying under the Mallick bridge here while Henry and his soldiers marched over him the myth that you know Reese lies down under mullick bridge and and Henry Tudor marches across so that Reese doesn't break his word is really just a myth Reese was halfway up country by then and he wouldn't have had time to get back and lie under mullet bridge and then come out go all the way back again it would have been pointless by keeping a distance between himself and Henry please succeeded in keeping everyone guessing who was he supporting the uncertainty was a useful tactic Henry traveled the coastal route from panlixa to Mid Wales and then inland towards Welsh Pugh and Bosworth please took a different path from carmarthen through Mid Wales was he strategically protecting Henry from Richards forces in the east he's shadowed and all the way up to Welshman before he made his choice to throw in his lot with Henry and I think it was a very dangerous thing that he did it was a great chance that he took but he rolled the dice he came out in Henry's favor and he went with Henry on the way to Bosworth Henry Tudor stayed near McIlrath with a prophet poet Davies hurried from massive Aden the father was the rebel Broadcasting House in Wales stealing the Wars of the Roses and David Hewitt without any doubts he was the rebel Minister of Information there was good reason therefore why and each other would have called why he would have stayed overnight with David fluid over dinner that evening Henry Tudor asked David Lloyd what his fate would be the Prophet promised to give him an answer in the morning Tabitha had very sleepless nights and according to tradition his wife she was fed up with him and she just turned round and said well just give him the simple answer tell him that there's no doubt that he will be the victor if he loses the day it's doubtful if you'll come back here and bother you again and if he is victorious it's a great probability that you will be lavishly rewarded victory was in reach thanks in no small part to the private allegiance of Rhys Optimus [Music] I succeeded in winning the support of my people and the young men who were proud to fight for the Welshman Henry Tudor [Music] I'm a firm believer and exercise and gaining strength in order to be able to fight on the battlefield if I've learned anything over the years it's about military strength knowing where and when to strike Henry had promised so much to me and I shared the hope of seeing a Welshman on the throne of England and Wales one bard referenced Henry is the second son of prophecy and her hopes were that he would be more successful than the first which was Oh England or that August back in 1485 was a turning point in more ways in one I was young and in the prime of my life [Music] from Welshpool Henry Tudor and FISA promises joint army marched through Wales on their way to mid England their aim to defeat King Richard the third at the same time the king was in Nottingham preparing for the upcoming battle by now it was all too clear to him that Reese had switched allegiance and was supporting Henry Tudor against him oh [Music] what a plan to trick Richard to create doubt the leader of the land in North Wales also joined us William Griffin Robin and free serve our apparatus Huw Conway and Trish had up her well from Austin the Welsh were out in full force in support of Henry Tudor I might as well admit here it was my army my thousand disciplined soldiers that were the most key to the fighting and Henry Tudor knew that all too well [Music] King Richard moved his soldiers from his headquarters in Nottingham to Leicester one of the main hubs of power during this period thanks to its central position they then marched onwards towards the small village of Market Bosworth wails at this time was ruled from Ludlow on Crown land a strategic position for the administration North and South Wales and the border lands [Music] what a morning the morning of the 22nd of August 1485 between us and Richard's army the land was wet and boggy [Music] on one side ready to fight on behalf of Henry Tudor with the Duke of Oxford on the other side having not decided ready to support him me to do was to stand his arrows were shot by the soldiers of the Duke of Oxford the fighting went ahead the Stanley's joined in in the fighting on the side of Henry Tudor [Applause] later and they understand why Richard decided to rush forward to attack Henry Tudor who had a group of soldiers next to him including my own soldiers [Music] Henri's flag barrows killed who was so William Brandon the flag was raised once more by Frese viaduct Moretti I saw Richard coming towards Henry [Music] I had to learn sacks in my hand as he rushed towards Henry he turned his back on me I raised my weapon [Applause] when I was actually quite a short battle as battles goal it was determined quite decisively of course because of the death of a true third that decided the outcome quite clearly we have this picture of Richards thrusting himself into the middle of Henry's closest supporters in the hope of bringing V back into a decisive victory he came off his horse CC who disappeared into this throng of warriors who were beating him down and it may be the case that there were quite a few people who struck a blow at that point after around 2 hours of battle it was all over Henry Tudor was now the king of England and Wales [Music] following the morning of fighting Lee Sapp Thomas was appointed night on the fields of Bosworth by Henry Tudor later Henry Tudor walked triumphantly into Leicester with Richard the thirds body following close behind him the body was displayed for two days before he was buried at Greyfriars Priory how do I feel about the Battle of Bosworth the wrong man once but then I would say that it's very strange because Richard was a good general he was a great warrior he only lost the one battle and because Bosworth [Music] in 2012 his body was found beneath a car park in Leicester it has proven to be the skeleton of King Richard the third and that he had died from his skull being split by an axe or a sword like weapon within months of the victory in Bosworth the most important Welsh poet of his day gets our Glen wrote of the battle he praised serve Heath's indicating that it was feasts himself who struck the fatal blow [Music] Ketil Clin the welsh poets suggests that he did so describing him sort of shaving the head of Richard the third some old uses that suggests the whole bird sort of an axe it's interesting that guitar Flynn who's generally quite correct in his facts he's quite careful with his facts suggested that he was the killer so I think it can be accepted though it can't be proven guitar makes it obvious I think that sir Sir Thomas played a key part in handy tutors winning of the field in in Bosworth and he makes that obvious he says that King Hari actually won the field because of our master because of peace we've also got John Mullen a the contemporary chronicler who said it was a Welshman but he doesn't name Rhys it may not have been particularly sound idea to become known as a king killer as a regicide that could actually have reflected badly on somebody had there been another change in fortune so there may have been a reason not to advertise too much if receptiveness had actually been responsible for killing Richard the third who's elevated to be a knight three days after the battle he was then given offices in South Wales but he was also made a privy councillor and so he was also part of the court part of Henry's life part of the circle that advised him so in that sense yes he was central to the development of the henrician scheme that says a lot so I would say it points to the fact that he probably did kill Richard because without Richard being dead there is no way Henry could ever be King was no good wounding him somebody had to kill him [Music] without a doubt Henry Tudor was pleased he couldn't be more grateful I was knighted on the spot what would my grandfather make of this Henry was true to his word and I was made the Chamberlain of South Wales a steward for land and King and control of the lordship of Builth Wells things were changing immensely in my history Oh on the 30th of October two months after the Battle of Bosworth Henry Tudor was crowned Henry the seventh cerise Optimus continued to accept honors and land which made him even wealthier than his grandfather Griffith up Nicholas odd beam [Music] many more battles were fought in order to protect the reign of Henry descends and service was at the forefront of these battles we have some evidence for instance from Polydore Vergil who was writing during Henry the sensoring who said that the two great characteristics of we saw Thomas was his strength of will and his ability as a military leader and that probably does demonstrate to us exactly what his importance was for the Tudors he was a man of purpose with a very solid man somebody who was obviously very able when it came to leading troops in battle a trusted Ally to Henry the seventh and the king allowed his elder son our fur to be raised in Ludlow alongside Griffith the son of Surrey Septimus [Music] the family of cities were now at the heart of the Royal Court as well as having great influence as rulers in Wales Cerises swift rise to the top reflects the gratitude hemily the san felt towards him reinforcing the evidence that it was Rhys who killed Richard the third on the battlefield Rhys was rewarded with a great deal of authority who came second only to Jasper Tudor when it came to authority in South Wales he was also course a member of the King's Council so he played a more extensive role in effect he wasn't just a ruler on the ground in Wales but he also gave advice to the King on other matters as well there is a tradition that Henry always referred to him as father Rhys even though Rhys wasn't that much older than him he was known affectionately as king of command because he was virtually King here in South Wales he could do really whatever he pleased Henry the Sam's eldest son Arthur the Prince of Wales married Catherine of Aragon in 1501 and lived here in Ludlow but within five months of their marriage Arthur died the prince was buried here in Worcester Cathedral Griffith a police led the funeral proceedings a great honor the relationship between services family and the king was further acknowledged in 1505 when Reese was awarded the knight of the Garter the highest chivalric honor given by the king the craft of the Garter is clear to see on his tomb here in st. Peter's Church commanded he received obviously the order of the knight of the Garter which was a huge honor for him which took place the the whole ceremony was taking place in Charon Castle wonderful procession Shou staying all sorts and things were going on and the fact was he worked so well within the English Court with the English monarchy helping them and of course later on Henry the eighth's so he had the kind of standing that I don't think any Welshman has had before or since water celebration myself soldiers from the de Navarre area being honored with one of the greatest honors possible Knight of the Garter what a great period I would so much land in so many castles coming under my control it was a period of organizing and making sure soldiers were available and properly prepared when Henry the seventh died in 1509 it was an end of an era but his son Henry the eighth wanted me to continue to provide counsel and rule here in Wales even in 1512 and me at 63 years old I went to France with a king to fight my main job here at home to keep watch in the seas that way the enemy will be able to land on the coast of southwest Wales staged an attack of the country [Music] I was so proud of my son Griffith at this time the air was safe and he was being awarded more and more responsibilities and he was also in favor with a king great days but disaster struck the family in 1521 guru father please died at the age of 43 he was buried in Worcester Cathedral close to the tomb of Prince Arthur cerise had held great hopes for his son preparing him to become a councillor of Wales for the king now he had lost the heir to his whole estate it would have to pass instead to his Grum son priests up Griffith who was just 15 years old at the time services health was worsening on the 3rd of February 1525 he came to Greyfriars Priory in Carmarthen choosing to spend his final days here rather than at home [Music] well recycles had led a very long and full life feels I was sanctified when he died and that's quite an unusual age for the period so he may have had a lot to look back upon he had a long history of course as a warrior a lot of people had lost their lives in battle and the result of him he may also we look back and thought there were times when he was a little bit ruthless he was a known was quite a harsh governor of South Wales so he may have felt that there were times when he could have been more merciful I mean we must remember that Rhys had probably been there when Richard's body had been carted off very ignominiously to the gray friars in Leicester and I think for a man like Rhys this would have been a very difficult thing to cope with in his conscience he may have felt that he had quite a lot to confess at this point all in all and with the thought processes of the medieval Catholic Church it may very well have occurred to him that now was the time to to repent when he was about to meet his maker I'm sorry for what I did I'll end my days here with the gray friars like my liege Lord Richard did and the man I killed the man that I destroyed [Music] the end is nearing and everything is becoming weaker is it wise to look back yes there were successes who would have thought when I was a child playing around indeed never and a bird matelasse that I would experience such success and so many losses Oh Lord I tried to be honest to be fair I did not plan to swear allegiance to Richard the third and then to betray and kill him on the fields of Bosworth but surely that is the soldiers fate how can you judge me Oh Lord don't judge me solely on my faults forgive me for my transgression with Richard cerise up Thomas died on the 9th of February 1525 at the age of 76 and was buried with the monks in Greyfriars Priory after Henry the eighth dissolved the monasteries Cerises body was moved here to st. Peter's Church in the center of c'mon in his will said he's provided for his daughters from his two marriages as well as the 12 children of his numerous mistresses his legitimate grandchild fils inherited everything but he was later accused of treason and executed by Henry the eighth's he let it all slip away and that was the beginning of the end I think for the whole recept homer story and the receptor thomas legends they just disappeared through the bad behavior in his grandson [Music] but the story of service app Thomas the man who killed a king is being revived and celebrated for a new generation Robert told that rice is a descendant of cerise and continues the military connection a Major General with the Welsh Guards I'm sorry sir Thomas's 14 times great grandson he was a remarkable man he lived in violent times he prospered in violent times he I think did a great deal to to bring Wales into the heart of British politics plans are underway it's and Peter's Church in Carmarthen to move his tomb to a more prominent position now is the time to bring him into the the limelight to retell the story to emphasize his importance to Welsh history and to British history to tell the story of Rhys up Thomas the story that's been hidden for centuries please let Thomas a swashbuckling hero in terms of soldiery he was quite a fine administrator he was a wheeler dealer an extremely remarkable man and what I feel is he's one of the most important lost figures of British history Rhys is a problem he he is a an obvious turncoat but he probably knew which side his breakfast bar turns a man ahead of his time a great man and a great Welshman [Music]

Channel: Timeline - World History Documentaries

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Keywords: History, Full Documentary, Documentaries, Full length Documentaries, Documentary, TV Shows - Topic, Documentary Movies - Topic, 2017 documentary, BBC documentary, Channel 4 documentary, history documentary, documentary history, richard iii, medieval murder mysteries, king richard iii, murder case history, medieval history, wars of the roses, battle of bosworth, middle ages, world history, game of thrones, richard 3, henry vii, henry tudor, richard iii of england (monarch)

Id: cdogD3P_QPk

Length: 44min 54sec (2694 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 15 2019