Why did Richard give Buckingham so much power?

Jan asked: Well the real mystery of course. Just why
on earth did Richard ever trust Buckingham and give
him all that power? What an amazing misjudgement . . .
:)

***

I've asked myself that question. I went through all
the index entries for Buckingham in both P.M.
Kendall's and Charles Ross' biographies of Richard
III. I didn't find an answer that clicked for me.

But something just clicked when I read the following
quote from "Richard III as a Soldier," by Michael K.
Jones in "Richard III; a medieval kingship," ed. by
John Gillingham (pp. 97-98)

"The agreement with Louis XI abandoned Edward's
brother-in-law and ally, Charles the Bold of Burgundy,
who had assisted his recovery of the English throne
four years earlier. Richard's opposition showed that
he felt this betrayal particularly deeply. Many
humbler soldiers showed their distaste for the
arrangement by joining Charles the Bold's army and
continuing the campaign.

It is worth considering Commynes' remark that 'other
persons of quality' were opposed to the treaty. The
young Henry, Duke of Buckingham, is known to have
withdrawn from the expedition and left for England
with his retinue before Picquigny was concluded. It
is likely that the intensely ambitious Buckingham was
hoping to win lands and renown through war with
France, just as his grandfather had, and had violently
disagreed with Edward IV over the abandonment of the
campaign. This would explain his subsequent puzzling
absence from court (the brief exception being the
trial of Clarence), his failure to gain office in the
last period of Edward's rule and also his remarkable
sense of common cause with Richard in April 1483, when
he became his closest supporter."


Unfortunately, none of the papers in "Richard III; a
medieval kingship," include footnotes, just a list of
Further Reading at the end of each. So I don't know
what source Jones is quoting for his statement: "The
young Henry, Duke of Buckingham, is known to have
withdrawn from the expedition and left for England
with his retinue before Picquigny was concluded." How
does Jones know this? Apparently P.M. Kendall and
Charles Ross didn't.

I have read and re-read Jones' Further Reading list.
But it's not clear to me which item on the list would
support his statement about Buckingham's withdrawal.
Can anyone on the list tell me where to find a source
(or sources) for Buckingham's departure from France
before the treaty of Picquigny was concluded?

TIA!

Marion



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