The Life and Death of King Richard III: The Film’s Story After the death of Prince Edward of Lancaster, son of King Henry VI, the ruthless, hunchbacked Richard, Duke of Gloucester, initiates a plan to eliminate all possible obstacles to his own kingship. He goes to the Tower of London and kills the king with his own sword, after which Richard's brother Edward triumphantly enters London as the first king of the York dynasty. Later, Richard interrupts King Henry's funeral procession and approaches Lady Anne Plantagenet, widow of Prince Edward. Although she at first rebukes Richard, his feigned demeanor of contrite concern soon wins her heart. A short time later, Richard shows the king a scroll that prophesizes the death of his heirs by "G." Believing that "G" is their brother George, Duke of Clarence, the king has Clarence arrested for treason and taken to the Tower. Although Richard visits Clarence and pretends to support him, he later convinces the gravely ill King Edward to sign their brother's death warrant. Soon after Clarence is killed, Edward dies, leaving two young heirs, princes Edward and York, under the protectorship of Richard, who tries to ingratiate himself to Edward's widow, Queen Elizabeth. With the collusion of the ambitious Duke of Buckingham, Richard is approached by the Lord Mayor of London to assume the throne. Richard pretends that he does not want to be king, but soon agrees to accept the crown from the cheering citizens of London. To eliminate any opposition, Richard then orders that the new princes be taken from their mother and sent to the Tower. After Richard's coronation, Buckingham is angered by Richard's orders that the young princes be killed and leaves the court. Richard then instructs his cohort Tyrell to smother the children. After their deaths, Richard attempts to woo his niece, Princess Elizabeth. Concerned for her daughter's safety, Queen Elizabeth summons the Earl of Richmond from France to protect her. At the same time that Richmond arrives in England and professes his love to Princess Elizabeth, Richard urges Anne to take her own life. Unaffected when he later is told of Anne's death, Richard departs London for his battle with Richmond, confident of victory. On the eve of the battle at Bosworth Field, however, Richard dreams of his accusing victims, who predict his fall. On the day of the battle, Richard and Richmond fight and Richard, the last of the Plantagenets, is killed. -- Patricia King Hanson. AFI Catalog of Feature Films

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