The Hours of Richard III

Richard III (1452-1485) is one of the most controversial figures in medieval history. In 1483 he succeeded his brother Edward IV on the throne of England, setting aside his nephews who were declared illegitimate. To establish himself he had to execute several opponents and crush one rebellion. During the two years of his reign his only son and his wife died.

In administrative terms his rule was not unsuccessful but its full potential was never realised for he failed to defeat an invasion led by Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII, losing his crown and his life at the battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485.

As a man's religious convictions can be considered fundamental to his character and behaviour, Richard's piety has naturally provoked comment, and conclusions have been made linking his piety with his crimes and a need to atone. Some of these theories have drawn on material in the Hours, especially 'his' prayer, but none have been based on any real inspection or understanding of the manuscript or of the prayer's text and purpose. A study of the Hours is therefore long overdue.

Lambeth Ms. 474, here styled the Hours of Richard III, was not made originally for the King. It was produced in London about 1420 for an unknown owner, possibly a cleric. It is a text of unusual length and some distinctive features. At some date after 6 July 1483, the date of his coronation, Richard III chose to use this text as his personal book of hours.

Both its liturgical contents and its decoration presumably appealed to Richard III. The text shows the preoccupations of a devout man of the fifteenth century and its decoration puts it in the context of the development of London manuscript illumination in the same period. Richard III chose a very useful, solid, unflamboyant and English manuscript for his daily use--one that can be shown to be entirely in keeping with the other books he owned. He seems to have chosen his books for their contents.