Unearthing the Historiography of Richard III: British Identity, Historical Memory, and Legacy Across Five Centuries

Richard III, King of England from June 26th, 1483, to August 22nd, 1485 encapsulates a fascinating mystery for many people. Why does such a figure sustain personal connections and produce strong emotions across time? This thesis traces the historiography and popular memory of Richard III across five centuries and asserts that changing understandings of British identity – national, local, and personal – from the seventeenth through the twenty-first century reflect varied depictions of him. The historiography of Richard indicates that figures of the more ancient, imagined past – not just the re-examination and re-evaluation of more recent historical figures – demonstrate the impact of such evolving views on how Britons today define themselves. Richard’s legacy has been debated for centuries in Great Britain, sparking interest among historians and non-historians, such as archaeologists, authors, courtiers, statesmen, and theologians. Much of Ricardian historiography, pro- and anti-, is interlaced with literary fiction and theatrical drama, complicating the scholarship. Thus, Richard III provides an excellent case study for comprehending how scholars of varied fields and non-scholars can unintentionally impact written history and how contested and changing identities across generations influence historiography.