How did Tudor propaganda shape Richard III’s reputation?

Tudor propaganda played a decisive role in shaping the enduring, largely negative reputation of Richard III, who was depicted for centuries as the most wicked of English monarchs. Following his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the new Tudor regime sought to legitimize its rule by denigrating the last Plantagenet king.12

Key elements of this propaganda included:

• Character Assassination: Richard was portrayed as a tyrant, a betrayer, and a murderer of innocent "babes"—a reference to the disappearance of his nephews, the princes in the Tower.23
• Physical Deformity: Writers such as Thomas More and later William Shakespeare characterized his alleged "unnatural wickedness" through physical disfigurements, such as a hunched back, which were meant to symbolize a twisted mind.45
• Invented Myths: Accounts of his birth, including claims of a lengthy gestation and being born with teeth and hair, were likely fabricated after his fall to suggest he was inherently evil.5

Modern historians reject these extreme portrayals, noting that Richard possessed many qualities of a competent medieval ruler, and suggest that some of the charges against him were the work of his political enemies.15