Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet kings, was a controversial figure whose reign was marked by political turmoil and violence. He ascended to the throne in 1483 after the suspicious deaths of his elder brother, King Edward IV, and his nephews, the "Princes in the Tower." His short reign was characterized by attempts to consolidate his power, including the execution of potential rivals and the imprisonment of his young nephews. Richard's rule was challenged by Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who claimed the throne through his Lancastrian ancestry. The two sides clashed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, where Richard was defeated and killed, marking the end of the Plantagenet dynasty and the start of the Tudor era.
