Timeline

2 Oct 1452, Fotheringhay Castle - birth of Richard, to Richard, 3rd Duke of York and his wife, Cecily Neville: he was the 11th of their 12 children, and the last of the 7 to survive childhood

13 Oct 1459, Ludlow - the first public mention of Richard, when he, along with his mother, older sister Margaret, and older brother George, were taken into custody by the forces of King Henry VI, after the departure in the night of the Yorkist leaders: “After the which departing King Harry rode into Ludlow, and spoiled the Town and Castle, whereat he found the Duchess of York with her two young sons (then) children, the one of thirteen years old [sic], and the other of ten years old [sic]: the which Duchess King Harry sent to her sister Anne Duchess of Buckingham.”

20 Dec 1459, Coventry - after the attainder of the Yorkist leaders, and the confiscation of their estates by the King, Richard’s mother, Cecily, Duchess of York, was given a grant of 1000 marks yearly “for the relief of her and her infants, who have not offended against the king, ... during her life from certain possessions late of Richard, her husband.”

12 Oct 1460, London - letter written to Sir John Paston, at Norwich:”…the Monday after Our Lady day [15 Sep 1460] there come hither, to my Master’s place, my Master Bowser, Sir Harry Ratford, John Clay, and the Harbinger of my Lord of March, desiring that my Lady of York, might lie here until the coming of my Lord of York, and her two Sons, my Lord George, and my Lord Richard, and my Lady Margaret, her Daughter, which I granted them in your name to lie here until Michaelmas. / And she had not lain here two days but she had tidings of the landing of my Lord at Chester. / The Tuesday next after, my Lord sent for her that she should come to him to Harford [Hereford], and thither she is gone; and in the mean time are left here both the Sons, and the Daughter, and the Lord of March cometh every day to see them.” NOTE: by the time this letter was written, Richard’s father, the Duke of York had already entered London to claim the throne

30 Dec 1460, just outside Sandal Castle - Richard’s father, older brother & one of his mother’s brothers were killed in the battle of Wakefield

Sometime after the death of his father, possibly as late as after the 2nd battle of St Albans (17 Feb 1461) - George & Richard were sent out of England by their mother, believed to have taken with them a letter from her to Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy; they are known to have stayed for some time in the care of Philip’s bastard son, David, Bishop of Utrecht

9 Mar 1461, Utrecht, Holland - George, Richard and their retinue and others were served a large quantity of wine

29 Mar 1461 (Palm Sunday) the ferocious battle of Towton where an estimated 10% of the adult male population of England fought, with an estimated 28,000 fatalities, which secured the throne of England to Richard’s oldest brother, Edward

3 Apr 1461, Bruges - news of Edward’s victory reached Duke Philip’s court & within the week, George and Richard were sent for by the Duke

9 Apr 1461, Sluys (modern Sluis), Flanders - George and Richard arrived accompanied by 23 people and stayed for a week at the Teste d’Or, an inn; the physician to the Papal Legate writing “The brothers of the king are at Sluys, and are to come here tomorrow or Saturday after dinner. I have been asked by the English to go and accompany them as a mark of respect, on behalf of your lordship [the Legate]. I shall do so, because it is my duty, although I have not been told…”

By 10 Apr 1461, Bruges - news had reached the Duke of Burgundy of Edward’s victory at Towton & his assumption of the throne of England on the 4th of March

24 Apr 1461 - George, Richard & their companions travelled to Nieuwpoort, and the next day to Dunkirk

30 May 1461, Canterbury - George & Richard were greeted at the door by the Prior and convent of Christ Church; the next day they walked in the high mass procession and attended evening vespers

1 Jun 1461, London - “It was agreed that all the Common Council and the most worthy citizens of the guilds should meet tomorrow at Billingsgate the Lords George and Richard, brothers of the Lord King, in their liveries according etc and that the Mayor and Aldermen be in crimson.”

12 Jun 1461, Greenwich - George & Richard greeted the new king, their brother Edward

27 Jun 1461, the Tower of London - George & Richard were created Knights of the Bath during the Vigil of the Coronation

28 Jun 1461, Westminster Abbey - coronation of Edward IV; Richard said to have ridden in the coronation procession & sworn fealty to his King.