Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was the younger brother of King Edward IV. As a child he was sent by his father to be brought up by the most powerful nobleman in England, Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick. It was during his education at the Earl's castle in Wenslydale that Richard not only received instruction in the arts and sciences but also in chivalry, weaponry and warfare. Richard married Anne Neville which gave him great power in the north but as a result made him enemies with the Woodvilles (who were allies with his brother, the King).

When Edward IV died in 1483, Richard's young nephew, Edward V, should have been proclaimed king although he was only 12. Richard didn't trust Edward's relatives, especially Elizabeth Woodville whom he feared was conspiring against him, and so, just before Edward's coronation, Richard usurped the throne and made himself protector in the young Edward's place. Richard then took Edward and his younger brother, also called Richard, to the royal apartments at the Tower of London. They were never seen or heard of again and in the summer of 1483 Richard declared himself Richard III, rightful King of England.

Richard had alliance and support from the people in the north of England but the southerners distrusted him, especially after the disappearance of the two princes. This resentment was becoming dangerous for him due to the warring factions between the Houses of York and Lancaster but was to be made even greater when, in 1485, Henry Tudor returned from exile in France. Henry was a direct descendant of John of Gaunt, one of Edward III's younger sons and so had a strong claim to the throne. Richard supported his claim by arguing that Henry's grandfather, Owen Tudor, was not of high birth and therefore should not produce a line of kings and so Henry had no real right to rule.