Queen: Anne Neville, Queen of England, 1456-1485

Anne was the daughter and wife of ruthless, conniving men, so it's no surprise that any number of novels have been written about her.  Usually, she's as much Richard III's victim as were the Princes in the Tower, done in so that Richard could marry his niece Elizabeth of York.  As with much else that's alleged against Richard III, there's no proof of this tale and much circumstantial evidence to the contrary.

Anne Neville was the daughter of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, otherwise known as the Kingmaker for his role in backing Edward IV for the throne of England against Henry VI.  The Nevilles were attracted to power.  Her great-aunt, Cecily Neville would be the mother of two kings, Edward IV and Richard III and live well into the reign of Henry VII.  Anne's sister Isabel was married to the ill-fated George, Duke of Clarence.   Anne herself was born at Warwick Castle in 1456, but spent most of her childhood at another of her father's properties, Middleham Castle.  Also at Middleham, training under Warwick as a knight were the young royal princes, George of Clarence and Richard of Gloucester.  Warwick, and no doubt his daughters, were aware of dots could connect.  Isabel married Clarence in 1470, even after her father had switched allegiance from Edward IV back to the Red Rose, Edward, son of Henry VI.  Anne married Edward in 1470, and became Princess of Wales and prospective Queen of England.

Edward and Anne were married in exile in Angers Cathedral in 1470.  With Warwick's help, Henry IV was restored to the throne in 1470, but quickly deposed again by Edward IV in 1471.  After the Battle of Tewkesbury, Henry VI was incarcerated in the Tower.  He was murdered there while prayer in a chapel on May 4.  Richard of Goucester was said to have killed him but, more likely, delivered orders to that effect to the Constable of the Tower but did not do the deed himself.  Shortly thereafter, Prince Edward was killed and Anne taken prisoner.  She was placed under the ward of her brother-in-law Clarence.  As the wife of Isabel and ward of Anne, Clarence was entitled to their vast inheritance and not about to give it up.  When Richard expressed interest in marrying Anne, Clarence used his authority and forbade it.  Richard finally agreed to give up his claim to most of Anne's property, including the Earldom of Warwick, to take Anne as his wife.  Richard of Gloucester had a heart.

Sometime in 1472, Anne and Richard were married in the Chapel of St. Stephen in the Palace of Westminster.  They returned to Middleham Castle, and Anne gave birth to a son, Edward of Middleham, born either in 1473 or 1476.  They would have been happy to live out their days together but, in 1483, Edward IV died suddenly.  Richard of Gloucester was Protector of the Realm on behalf of his nephew Edward V.  He took custody of Edward V and his brother, Richard of York and put them in the Tower of London.  He then had his late brother's marriage declared invalid and the two boys illegitimate, placing himself on the throne of England.  Anne was now Queen and, on July 6, 1483, she and Richard were crowned at Westminster Abbey.  At the ceremony, her train was born by Margaret Beaufort, the mother of the future Henry VII Tudor. 

A few months later, on September 8, 1483, their son Edward was proclaimed Prince of Wales.  Life was good, or so they thought.  Edward died suddenly in April, 1484, while his parents were on their way to pay him a visit.  Both Richard and Anne were devastated by their son's loss and Anne's health began to decline a few months later.  On March 16, 1485, Anne died at Westminster of tuberculosis.  Richard III was grief-stricken again and wept at his wife's funeral.  Anne was buried in an unmarked grave near the Confessor's Chapel of Westminster Abbey, probably because events intervened before her husband could have a proper monument made for her.  Immediately after her death, rumors circulated that Richard had had Anne killed so that he could marry Elizabeth of York.  Richard had Elizabeth sent away from court and convened a council of lords to dispel the rumors.  Meanwhile, as King, Richard had to seek another wife and soon.  He opened negotiations with the Portuguese for the hand of one of their princesses, Joanna, while arranging to marry Elizabeth of York to the future Manuel I of Portugal.

The marriages never came to fruition.  Henry Tudor invaded England at the head of an army and met Richard in battle at Bosworth Field, where Richard was killed.  Not until 1960 was a monument erected to Queen Anne, a plaque near her grave at Westminster Abbey courtesy of the Richard III Society.