
This Kent Online article, about Sir Henry Wyatt (1460–1536) of Allington Castle, seems to be anti-Richard, but actually goes some way to exonerating him. And while I having sneaking admiration for the cat (see illustration below) which saved Wyatt from starvation in prison by bringing him pigeons, she isn’t what riveted my attention on the text. Wyatt was a politician and courtier who became a great friend and supporter of Kings Henry VII and Henry VIII, and what really caught my eye was this:-
“ . . . He [Wyatt] had been at Eton with Henry Tudor and he was sympathetic to the Tudor cause, even before Richard’s death at the Battle of Bosworth . . .”
Um, Henry VII went to Eton? Oh, what a picture I suddenly see! The schoolmate from Hell! Do you think his mother packed his little suitcase? I wonder how many pairs of underpants she thought he’d need?
I’m sorry for the puerile humour, folks, but these thoughts have me really giggling! The only good thing I can see about Wyatt is that he liked cats!
As readers may see from my article on Wyatt in the Ricardian Bulletin, I have a great deal of admiration for the man. He undertook many perilous missions in the cause he was devoted to, and suffered torture for it. He probably embroidered his experiences in later life, but we must blame his family for creating the untrue legend about encountering Richard III, as is clear from the Wyatt papers in the British Library. The truth is usually more complex (and more interesting) than would seem at first glance.
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