The Woodvilles
Elizabeth and Richard III
Elizabeth Woodville’s decision to negotiate with Richard III is no proof that she believed he didn’t murder her sons. There is no doubt that Richard murdered her son, Richard Grey, and yet she negotiated with his killer. So why wouldn’t she negotiate with the killer of her royal sons, Edward and Richard? She had six other children to consider.
Were the Woodvilles Guilty?
The bitter quarrel between Rivers and Hastings over the captaincy of Calais was fatal to Edward V’s prospects. Hastings’ dislike and distrust of Rivers, especially at the head of the King’s escort, drove him to support Richard as a counterbalance. Rivers’ actions and those of the King’s escort make it clear that they were innocent. Their arrest was for one purpose only: To separate the King from those who would be most likely to protect him.
Elizabeth Woodville of York