Now the death of the king had brought far-reaching changes to her life. She must have wondered with trepidation what the future held.

Meanwhile rumour was rife. The young king was not crowned. Was it not time this ceremony was performed? The government announced that in due course preparations would be made for the coronation. It was unfortunate that, in view of the troubles, it had been necessary to postpone it.

There were even rumours as to what was happening to the king and the Duke of York until they were seen on the Green before the Tower practising shooting arrows. Then the rumours died. There would soon be a coronation. The Woodvilles had always been unpopular so not too much sympathy was wasted on them.

The general opinion was that the Protector was a serious man -not attractive and lovable like his brother, but serious-minded, and men seemed to respect him. Moreover, the late king had found him so reliable that he had left the government of the country in his hands.

The death of a king which left a boy on the throne was an uneasy situation. It had risen before when Henry the Fifth had left a baby to follow him. And what trouble that had caused! Now they had a wise protector. He might not be charming and handsome like his brother, but if he were a wise ruler, what did that matter?

That was the mood of the people when Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells, made his extraordinary announcement. He came to see Richard at Crosby's Place and was with him for a long time. Then Richard sent for the Duke of Buckingham and the three of them were together all the morning. I knew that something of great importance was happening. It was much later in the day when I was alone with Richard and I begged him to tell me what was happening.

He hesitated for a moment or two and then, seeing my hurt expression at being shut out of. his confidence, he said: "It is so extraordinary ... so ... so wild. I cannot believe it, and yet Stillington knows. Do you remember, he was in the Tower for a while after George had made those statements against my mother's virtue?"

I cast my mind back. It had happened at the time the Duke of Clarence had been found dead in a butt of malmsey. We had wondered why Stillington had been arrested in the first place, and then released so suddenly.

"I remember," I said.

"I know now what that was all about, and it is disturbing, Anne. It is alarming in a way. The amazing possibilities ..."

"Please tell me calmly, Richard," I said.

"The bishop says that Edward was not indeed married to Elizabeth Woodville and that those boys in the Tower are bastards."

"But that is impossible!" I cried.

"No ... very plausible in truth, knowing Edward. And when you hear how it happened you will agree. Edward was very young at the time. You know how reckless and impulsive he could be where women were concerned. It would not the first time he had been so overcome by passion that he threw away all caution. Apparently what he did was marry a woman named Eleanor Butler, and although she went into a convent later, she was alive when he went through a form of marriage with Elizabeth Woodville ... which means that there was no true marriage to Elizabeth and her children are illegitimate."

"I cannot believe that, Richard."

"Stillington says he performed the ceremony with Eleanor Butler."

"Can this be proved?"

"Stillington swears it."

"And this Eleanor Butler... who was she?"

"She was no goldsmith's wife. She was the daughter of the great John Talbot, Earl of Salisbury, and widow of Sir Thomas Butler. She must have been older than Edward and apparently a lady of virtue because she would not submit to him without marriage. Hence he took this reckless step."

"If this is true ..."

"If this is true," he repeated, turning to me, his eyes gleaming, "you know what it means."

"It means that you are the king." He nodded.

"Oh, Richard," I cried in dismay, "it cannot be."

"If it is true, it must be."

A terrible feeling of foreboding swept over me. I tried to lose it in disbelief.

"The king would never have done such a thing."

"He would, Anne. You know he would. He chose to forget his marriage to Eleanor Butler. The affair was long over; she had retired to a convent; she was as good as dead. He became besotted by Elizabeth Woodville. She insisted on marriage, so he went through a form of marriage with her."

"And all those children ..."

"Let us face it. They are illegitimate. They must be, if the marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was no true marriage."

"What will Elizabeth Woodville do?"

"Shed some of that arrogance, that insufferable pride mayhap. The upstart is reduced to what she was before the Icing raised her up."

"Will the people accept this?"

"Everyone must accept what is true. Anne, I see you are full of disbelief."

"Why did not Stillington say this before?"

"I believe he did."

"When?"

"He must have let it out to Clarence. Oh, don't you see, Anne? That is why Clarence died in the Tower. It comes back to me now. Think back to the time of George's death."

"I remember he said that Edward himself was a bastard."

"Yes, that calumny against our mother. George said Edward was the result of a liaison between our mother and a man of low birth. You know my mother. Do you believe that?"

"I should find it very hard to."

"Exactly. That was one of George's fabrications. This is different. Casting my mind back, I remember how Edward went to visit him in the Tower. It was the night of his death. Edward came back. He was stunned. I had never seen him like that before. Now I know what happened. Stillington must have spoken to Clarence of the king's marriage to Eleanor Butler, and when Edward went to see Clarence in the Tower, Clarence told Edward that he knew this. The next morning Clarence was found dead in a butt of malmsey."

"You mean Edward ordered him to be killed!"

"It was a good enough reason, surely?"

"Edward ... to murder his own brother?"

"I know Edward well; he would reason that the death of one worthless man, obsessed by delusions of his own grandeur, was necessary in order to avert a civil war and the death of thousands. Edward was right in what he did, Anne. It is perhaps wrong to condone murder, but the life of one against those of thousands must be considered."

"And Stillington was sent to the Tower."

"Yes, because Clarence betrayed that the information came from him. Indeed, he was the only one from whom it could have come. You can imagine what happened. He was immediately imprisoned in the Tower, lest he should do more damage. Then Edward relented. I imagine he would go to see Stillington who would have been very contrite and swore he would never let the information pass his lips again, and possibly to deny it if it ever came to light through any other source. Edward was never vindictive. That has been shown again and again. He was always ready to forgive his enemies and live in peace with them. It may well be that he trusted Stillington so he was released and kept his silence."

"Until now."

"Yes, till now, when it cannot harm Edward."

"But it can harm Edward's family ... his son ... who is now king."

"I shall have to do my duty, Anne."

"You think the people will want that?"

"I must do what is right."

"You mean ... take the throne?"

"I think it is the only way. The king is but a boy. It is not good for a country to have a child king. A strong man on the throne gives stability to a country."

"You will be King Richard."

"And you will be my queen."

I closed my eyes. I was overwhelmed by foreboding.

Richard's first step was to call a meeting of the council and to lay the disclosures to them.

I waited at Crosby's Place to hear the result of that meeting. I soon heard that there was unanimous agreement that Richard must take the throne.

There was tension throughout the city. One could not help but be aware of it. The citizens knew that some great event was about to happen, though they were as yet unsure as to what it was.

There was much coming and going to and from Crosby's Place and Baynard's Castle. I hoped the Duchess of York was unaware of the slander which had been uttered against her, for I was sure that proud lady would have been incensed. Richard insisted that it was a slander and, in any case, what need was there to prove Edward's legitimacy now that he was dead? Suffice it that the young king and his brother were bastards. That was enough to displace them.

It was arranged that the news should be brought to the people on the following Sunday. The mayor, Sir Edmund Shaa, had a brother Ralph, who was a friar and well known to the people of London because he often preached at Paul's Cross in a most eloquent manner, and crowds flocked to hear him. It was suggested by the mayor that Friar Ralph should make the announcement.

Richard, with Buckingham beside him, and with all the noblemen and dignitaries of the city, rode in procession to Paul's Cross. Abandoning his customary robes of black, Richard wore purple velvet, for it was not fitting for a king to be attired in sombre black.

Crowds thronged the streets and there at Paul's Cross, Friar Ralph spoke. He based his words on the text: "Bastard slips shall not take root." Then he told the crowds that Edward the Fourth's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville had been no true marriage because he had pre-contracted himself to another lady, Dame Eleanor Butler, daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury. That lady had been living albeit in a convent when Edward had gone through the ceremony of marriage with the Lady Elizabeth Woodville. Therefore that was no true marriage, and the children of the union were illegitimate. This meant that the boy whom they called king, and his brother, known as Richard, Duke of York, had no claim to the crown.

On the other hand, there was Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who, since his brother was dead and had left no legitimate offspring, was the next in line to the throne.

They had all witnessed the fine qualities of Richard. He had proved himself to be a serious man, a great ruler, and he was truly English. Of the sons of the late Duke of York now living, he was the only one who had been born in England. Did the people want an English king? Well, they had one in Richard the Third.

How I wished that I had been there then! Richard needed me. I could guess his feelings, for the people were deeply shocked by these revelations. They had loved their handsome Edward and were deeply touched by the little king, and ready to love him, too. They went quietly away, no doubt to discuss their thoughts on the new reign in the security of their own homes.

The people's reception of the news was disconcerting, and it caused Richard a good deal of anxiety.

"They said nothing," he told me.

"There was no sign of approval, or disapproval for that matter. They just seemed shocked. It was a most unusual reaction." "The news must have astounded them as it has us all. Perhaps it was that. But I wonder what it means."

"Richard, if this is true ... you must be the king."

"If only there were proof... documents ..."

"Edward would certainly have made sure that they were destroyed."

"Edward was notoriously careless about some things. He believed that people were sufficiently fond of him not to betray him. You see, it did not occur to him that Stillington would be a danger until he betrayed the secret to Clarence; and he was amazed when your father turned against him."

"Oh, Richard, if only Edward had never married Elizabeth Woodville!"

"Oh, it was the same pattern. Eleanor Butler would not submit without a contract and nor would Elizabeth Woodville. And when Edward desired a woman he forgot all else. It was that trait in him which brought so much trouble."

"What are you going to do, Richard?"

"Buckingham wants immediate action. He thinks that now Friar Ralph's announcement has been made there should be no delay." Buckingham was firmly beside Richard. He was wildly enthusiastic which was typical of Buckingham. He reminded me of Clarence, and I had learned to beware of such men.

He took immediate action. First he came to see Richard, who shortly afterwards told me what happened.

"Buckingham is going to the Guildhall with some of his followers, and he has primed them as to how they should act."