Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Richard Plantagenet was born on 2 October 1452 at Fotheringhay Castle in Northamptonshire.
He was the youngest son of Richard, Duke of York and his wife, the former Cecily Neville
At the age of eight Richard entered the household of his cousin, Richard Neville, Earl of
Warwick, to begin his education as a nobleman. Richard is said to have fought with honour against the Lancastrians in the Wars of the Roses.
Edward IV
The 'glorious sun of York', was the eldest of the four sons of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York and brother to Richard and Clarence. In revenge for his father’s death by Clifford and Queen
Margaret, Edward raised an army and defeated Margaret causing her to flee to France and then became King. He married Elizabeth Woodville who was not a popular choice. He lost the support of Warwick, who had already arranged a French alliance for him. Warwick and Clarence joined forces with Queen Margaret in France. They invaded England but with the forces of the
Duke of Burgundy they defeated and killed Warwick at the Battle of Burgundy. He then defeated Margaret at Tewkesbury and with his brothers, killed her young son Edward, Prince of
Wales, to secure the crown.
Elizabeth Woodville
Elizabeth has two sons by her first husband, Lancastrian Sir John Grey. Grey was killed in the battle of St Albans whilst serving in Henry VI's army. Elizabeth is said to have first met Edward
IV when she visited him to ask him to restore her husband’s land that had been confiscated.
Elizabeth and Edward IV then married in a secret ceremony. She became unpopular in the court after this marriage as her relatives were advanced into positions of great power. Her marriage to Edward was later annulled by Parliament. Edward and Elizabeth had ten children together including Princess Elizabeth who later helped reunite the Houses of York and Lancaster by marrying Richmond/Henry VII. Together they bore a son – Henry VIII.
George Duke of Clarence
George was created Duke of Clarence on the accession of Edward IV. He was married to
Warwick’s daughter, Isabel Neville the wealthiest heiress in the kingdom and sister to Lady
Anne. During the Wars of the Roses, George switched his allegiance from his brother to his father-in-law and then back again and was imprisoned by his brother Edward IV for treason.
One of the causes of the dispute between Edward IV and Clarence was that he married Isabel without the King’s permission. In Shakespeare’s
, he is murdered in the Tower of
London on Richard's orders because he stands in Richard's way to the throne.
Earl Rivers
Rivers was Queen Elizabeth's brother and Governor of the Prince of Wales. In 1483 Richard had him arrested as he accompanied the young King Edward V to London and was beheaded on charges of treason.
Edward, Prince of Wales
Edward was Edward IV’s eldest son. He was King Edward V for a short time
.
He and his brother
Richard Duke of York were imprisoned in the Tower of London and supposedly murdered on the orders of Richard. However it has never been proved beyond doubt that Richard gave the order for their deaths. In July 1674 two skeletons were found buried under stairs leading to the chapel of the White Tower but there is no conclusive evidence that suggests they are the remains of the Princes.

Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, was the son of Thomas of Woodstock the Duke of
Gloucester and distant cousin of Richard III and his brothers
.
Buckingham was married at the age of 10, to the Queen's sister, Katherine Woodville
.
Buckingham supported Richard against the
Woodvilles. He played an important role in the arrest of Rivers and Grey and in proclaiming the illegitimacy of Edward IV’s children. He eventually fell out with Richard and was executed.
Lady Anne
Lady Anne was the eldest daughter of the Earl of Warwick, widow of Edward, Prince of Wales and daughter-in-law of Henry VI. Anne later marries Richard, Duke of Gloucester and so, briefly, became Queen. In Shakespeare’s
Anne seems to know Richard only as the murderer of her first husband and father in law, however historically, Anne would have met
Richard during his training as a nobleman at her father’s house.
Sir Thomas Vaughan
Thomas Vaughan was Prince Edward's chamberlain and friend to the Woodville family.
Lord Hastings
Hastings was the Lord Chamberlain who supported Edward in the Wars of the Roses and was loyal to the king although disliked by Queen Elizabeth
.
Hastings initially joined with Richard III against the Woodvilles but was then killed when he changed allegiance.
Henry Earl of Richmond
Henry was a son of Edmund Tudor and a descendant of the Lancastrian John of Gaunt
.
Convinced that he has a strong claim to the English Crown Richmond led an army from France against Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485
.
Lord Stanley
Stanley was also known as the Earl of Derby. He was a supporter of Richard’s then also changed allegiance to Richmond. Stanley was also Richmond’s stepfather.