Loyaulte me lie

In my reading about Edward IV's reign, I've often felt
that he failed those who helped him, as well as those
who should have been able to rely on him for help.

It has occurred to me that Richard's motto might be
interpreted as a way of distancing himself from
Edward's unreliability. But I'm not so sure that was
Richard's intention when he chose his motto.

I've never seen this interpretation in print. Most
writers emphasize Richard's loyalty to Edward. Now
that I've read Michael Jones' book, I'm asking myself
if Richard could have been meant loyalty to his father
or chivalric ideals rather than Edward?

Does anyone know when and why Richard chose Loyaulte
me lie as his motto? Can you point me to any books or
articles about it?

TIA!

Marion



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