Illegitimate Children

by Peter Hammond

The image of Richard III presented by some historians is that of moral earnestness and a puritanical outlook, and that of his brother Edward of moral laxity. It is true to say though that while Richard publicly acknowledged two bastards in his lifetime (John of Gloucester and Katherine Plantagenet), his brother openly acknowledged none (yet at leas two were recognised in Tudor society). The difference may be that Richard’s illegitimate children were born before his marriage, while some of Edward’s were born afterwards; the children of a bachelor were not considered as reprehensible as were the bastards of a married man. There is very slight evidence that Richard had a third illegitimate child, Richard of Eastwell, not publicly acknowledged in his lifetime. Very little is known about any of these children, particularly the third, and these articles  summarise this scanty information.

First a few general remarks. It is necessary to say that, historical novelists notwithstanding, nothing is known for certain of the date of birth of any of the children, nor about their mothers. Probably they all had different mothers, but it is possible that they may have had the same mother, or at least that John of Gloucester and Katherine Plantagenet, the two openly acknowledged ones, did, but this is pure surmise. Nothing at all is known about the lives of John and Katherine, until they come to notice early in Richard’s reign.

Articles with named authors reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Richard III Society.