William Shakespeare's play, Richard III, starts off where Henry VI Part III, leaves off. The Yorkist Duke of Gloucester, Richard, still wants the throne of England for himself. To help him achieve this, Richard wants to set his brothers against each other, one of which is now King Edward IV, and the other George, Duke of Clarence.
Richard has George arrested after fabricating a story of treason. Richard also begins to put the moves on Anne, during her murdered husband's (the Prince of Wales) funeral procession (he later marries her).
During the course of the play, Richard arranges for George to be murdered while he is in prison. He also will serve as regent to the throne while waiting for Edward the IV's son to come of age to take over the throne for his father who is now dead as he was deathly ill near the beginning of the play.
The plot thickens when Richard places the Prince of Wales and his younger brother in the Tower of London so as to protect them. Or so he says.
Once the young princes are in prison, Richard makes his move against Edward's lords whom he imprisons and then executes. Then he declares that the two princes are illegitimate and therefore cannot be heirs to the throne.
To further play the masses, a public display is arranged where Buckingham offers the throne of England to Richard, who acts most reluctant to accept.
Richard, who by now has been disowned by his own mother needs the two princes in the Tower of London murdered and asks his ally Buckingham to do so but Buckingham refuses. Richard then hires a murderer to do the job for him and turns on Buckingham.
Meanwhile, the recently widowed Richard (Anne conveniently dies, hmmm) wants to marry his niece Elizabeth who was the daughter of his dead brother, King Edward. Elizabeth has secretly arranged to be married to the Earl of Richmond but makes Richard believe that she will consent to be married to him.
In an attempt to move against Richard, Richmond moves into action with an army from France.
His troops finally land after a few troubles crossing the English Channel, and Richmond's army marches for London.
Both armies of Richmond and Richard make camp near Bosworth Field but the night before the battle, Richard is haunted by all the people he has murdered and they tell him of his imminent death.
Alas at Bosworth Field, Richard falls off his horse during combat and is found by Richmond who prevails and kills Richard.
This ends the War of the Roses, and crowns Richmond as King Henry VII, which is the first of the line of Tudor kings.
