Chapter Ten Summary

It turns out the bombshell dropped by Stillington on the council on June 8, 1483 was that King Edward IV, prior to marrying Elizabeth Woodville, married Lady Eleanor Butler, a daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury. If this proves true, Richard's nephews are considered illegitimate and not entitled to inherit the throne. The matter is placed before Parliament on June 25th, and Richard requests protection from York on the 10th, as well as from the Lord Nevill, his mother's family. On June 20th at the Tower, (the royal residence at the time and not a prison), Richard interrupts a plot by Lords Hastings, Stanley and John Morton to murder him, for which Hastings is put to death. Hastings is Richard's and Edward's dear friend. Lord Stanley is pardoned, which results in Richard's loss of the battle of Bosworth, and the subsequent takeover by...