Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Richard akanga asiri iye pachake anokonzera rufu rwomurume wokutanga womudzimai wake, Edward weWestminster (mwanakomana waHenry VI), kana kuti wababa vake, Earl weWarwick (uye mu"Henry VI, Chikamu 3" Richard haaratidzwi seane mhaka yorufu rwaWarwick). Edward weWestminster naWarwick vakaurawa muhondo dze
Tewkesbury naBarnet, zvichiteerana. Richard, panguva iyoyo aiva nemakore gumi nemasere, akatora rutivi muhondo dzose dziri mbiri, asi hapana zvinyorwa zvomunguva iyoyo zvinoratidza kuti akanga achibatanidzwa zvakananga murufu rumwe norumwe. Manyuko aShakespeare haazivisi Richard somunhu anobatanidzwa murufu rwaHenry VI, uyo zvimwe akaurawa pamirairo yaEdward IV. Richard nomudzimai wake, Anne Neville, vakanga vazivana kwenguva refu vasati varoorana, vapedza nguva yakawanda youduku hwavo vari mumusha mumwe chete. Chirikadzi yaHenry VI, Mambokadzi Margaret, angadai asina kuonekwa padare munguva yakafukidzwa nemutambo uyu; akava musungwa waEdward IV uye akadzokera kuFrance muna 1475. Mukoma mukuru waRichard, Clarence (George, Duke weClarence), akaurayiwa naEdward IV nokuda kwokutengesa muna 1478, apo Richard akanga ari kuNorth England, kwaakaramba achigara kusvikira Edward IV afa makore mashanu gare gare.