Re: [Richard III Society Forum] Re: The answer is that Richard III

> On the standard of what would stand up in court there is zero
> evidence against Richard III, and I doubt a judge would even allow
> the jury to consider a verdict. Unfortunately some folk not only want
> to believe Richard is guilty of everything from poisoning his wife to
> pushing Billy Joe McAllister off the Tacahana Bridge and just will
> not accept that the nearest you can get on the evidence is "not
> proven".

I think it was the Tallahachie Bridge, Brian.

Richard was miles away at the time.

Jessica

> I think Richard's attitude to women: his nieces, stands to his credit.
> Unlike psychopathic Henry 8, he didn't routinely treat them with
> violence.

Actually Henry VIII was only cruel to the women in his life when he felt
betrayed and from a 16th Century standpoint the right was with him not them.
In his defence he was certainly manipulated by those around him with regard
both Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard's fall from favour.

In fact his reputation as a bluebeard is rather undeserved he was when
compared to his nearest male contemporary Francois of France a virtual model
of Christian Virtue. Apart from his wives he's only been linked with two
other women - Bessie Blount and Mary Boleyn.

In many ways its easy to see him as Starkey has often suggested as a man
desperate to recreate his happy and relative peaceful childhood with him at
its centre - a childhood cut short by the death of his brother Arthur and
the subsequent death of Elizabeth of York. He was relatively nice to most
of his female relations in the early years. Rather like Edward IV his
grandfather his "tyranny" arrived later in the reign when he realised how
difficult it was to enforce your will if you were perceived as a "soft
touch".

Margaret Salisbury was a tragedy and an appaling thing to happen having said
that given her recalcitrant catholicism, her royal blood and her close
connection with people whom were well out of royal favour she was probably
the result of a hasty and badly made judgement. Catherine Howard
undoubtedly was guilty of the charge she was accussed of and the silly girl
should have probably known better. Anne Boleyn faced numerous false and on
the dating evidence of the accussations stupidly false allegations and paid
a heavy price however I suspect that Henry had woken up to what price he'd
paid to have her and that price had probably been too high for Henry to
stomach without a son. I also suspect that Henry did believe that she had
"bewitched" him.

Of course I was thinking of the women he did mistreat: a fairly
long list as you indicate. Richard 3 by comparison didn't come
down on women anywhere near as harshly, which was the point I was
making.

--- In , "tim" <tmc_dale@y...>
wrote:
>
>
> > I think Richard's attitude to women: his nieces, stands to his
credit.
> > Unlike psychopathic Henry 8, he didn't routinely treat them with
> > violence.
>
> Actually Henry VIII was only cruel to the women in his life when he
felt
> betrayed and from a 16th Century standpoint the right was with him
not them.
> In his defence he was certainly manipulated by those around him with
regard
> both Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard's fall from favour.
>
> In fact his reputation as a bluebeard is rather undeserved he was
when
> compared to his nearest male contemporary Francois of France a
virtual model
> of Christian Virtue. Apart from his wives he's only been linked
with two
> other women - Bessie Blount and Mary Boleyn.
>
> In many ways its easy to see him as Starkey has often suggested as a
man
> desperate to recreate his happy and relative peaceful childhood with
him at
> its centre - a childhood cut short by the death of his brother
Arthur and
> the subsequent death of Elizabeth of York. He was relatively nice
to most
> of his female relations in the early years. Rather like Edward IV
his
> grandfather his "tyranny" arrived later in the reign when he
realised how
> difficult it was to enforce your will if you were perceived as a
"soft
> touch".
>
> Margaret Salisbury was a tragedy and an appaling thing to happen
having said
> that given her recalcitrant catholicism, her royal blood and her
close
> connection with people whom were well out of royal favour she was
probably
> the result of a hasty and badly made judgement. Catherine Howard
> undoubtedly was guilty of the charge she was accussed of and the
silly girl
> should have probably known better. Anne Boleyn faced numerous false
and on
> the dating evidence of the accussations stupidly false allegations
and paid
> a heavy price however I suspect that Henry had woken up to what
price he'd
> paid to have her and that price had probably been too high for Henry
to
> stomach without a son. I also suspect that Henry did believe that
she had
> "bewitched" him.