Who inspired good old Ned?
The parallels between Eddard Stark and Richard III are particularly detailed, highlighting similarities in loyalty, governance, and facing succession crises.
Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash
We’ve all had favorite characters on Game of Thrones (GoT). Eddard Stark was undoubtedly the most beloved in the first season until he was brutally removed from the cast and our hearts. In retrospect, looking back, that moment of the good Lord of Winterfell’s beheading was just one of many moments where we helplessly watched acts of violence against characters (well, we can discuss violence in the books of Martin).
It is important to know that For Eddard Stark, there is a mix of historical references because George RR Martin has, in many cases, used not just one historical figure but several to create his GoT heroes. For example, the honorable Ned Stark could be inspired by Richard of York, Richard III, William Hastings, and Francis Lovell.
From the life of Richard of York and his son (Richard III), Martin could borrow that open conflict with the House of Lancaster and the succession crisis after the death of Edward IV (when Richard III became king, in a somewhat contested way incidentally, which we will talk more about). The life of Richard of York may have inspired Ned in terms of the brutal death, but also the injustice done to him (the gesture of the paper crown on his head before he was killed, even though he did have the right to lay claim to the crown of England).
From Richard III’s life, Ned seems to have borrowed loyalty because he was a northern lord who shunned the court and had a strong sense of duty.
Commonalities between Ned and Francis Lovell include the dog, which was a common symbol (see the ancient wolf of House Stark). Lovell was Richard III’s best friend, just as Ned had been Robert Baratheon’s best friend.
Finally, William Hastings had fought alongside the king in wars, just as Ned Stark fought alongside Robert Baratheon. Besides, Ned Stark was a loyal friend. His loyalty went so far that he agreed to be Hand, even though he had every reason to avoid court intrigue.
Ned Stark’s death was brutal and surprised us all at the end of the first season. But the reality is that the writer had to sacrifice this character, however loyal, brave, and honest he was. If he hadn’t, the story couldn’t have continued.
Eddard Stark vs. Richard III
Let’s take the analyses in detail. If we assume that Robert Baratheon is Edward IV, i.e., the elder York brother, Eddard Stark can only be Edward’s younger brother, Richard III. Is this an exaggerated parallel? At the outset, yes, it may be a slightly exaggerated comparison. Indeed, when looking for inspiration, George R.R. Martin did not think only of Richard III when creating Eddard Stark. We should also approach the historical character of Richard III and Tyrion Lannister, a subject to which I may return.
So Richard III is the famous king of England that William Shakespeare mocked (subject of a Tudor dynasty king, Elizabeth I, the famous daughter of his no less famous father, Henry VIII). In the Shakespearean play that bears his name, King Richard is portrayed as hunchbacked, villainous, a murderer of his grandchildren, and nearly married to his niece. The image is, from wherever you look at it, disgusting. Yet, the image of Richard, as Shakespeare presented it, is still contested today, especially after the discovery of the remains of the former King of England.
Of course, Richard III was not a perfect king. He certainly had skeletons in his closet, one of which belonged to Lord Hastings. However, research by scientists and historians proves that Richard III had no physical deformities, nor was he repulsive to look at. Although he did suffer from a spinal condition, nothing severely distorted the royal image. As for his actions, the story is longer than a blog post can allow, but I will return to the subject because it is worth addressing. Suffice it to say for now that Richard is considered by many, including historians, to be innocent of the deaths that are being laid at his feet. On the contrary, Richard is said to have been loyal, a good king, and, above all, very popular in the North, characteristics common to Eddard Stark.
Ned Stark’s defining trait is loyalty. Despite his misgivings, Ned accepts the position of Hand of King Robert Baratheon. This devotion makes him decide to tell the king that the heir to the throne lacks legitimacy. Only here does Ned Stark make a mistake that will prove fatal for him and many others. He tells Cersei of his intentions, hoping she will take her children and flee outside the realm, away from Robert’s predictably devastating fury.
Later, when Tywin Lannister asks Arya, unaware of her true identity, what killed her father, she replies, “Loyalty.” Excellent answer, and correct, but it’s more than that. Richard III’s motto was “Loyaulte me lie” (Loyalty binds me). When Richard’s brother George, Duke of Clarence (the one I told you about in a previous post who was accused of high treason and died drowned in a wine barrel) rose against their brother King Edward IV, Richard made a united front with his older brother Edward against George. This decision by Richard was challenging, given that his cousin Warwick (the famous Kingmaker) was at the forefront of the plot to topple Edward from power. I should add that Warwick had been like a father to young Richard, who had lived in Warwick’s house in Middleham for some years. Richard met his future wife, Anne, Warwick’s youngest daughter in those childhood-adolescent years.
Here’s another commonality between the two: like Ned, Richard III was known for his good governance of the kingdom’s north. Edward IV had left the entire North administration, including the Scottish border defense, to his younger brother Richard. Despite the attention his brother-turned-king paid to him, Richard preferred to stay away from court. Surely you remember the first episode of GoT when Robert greets Ned after 9 years away and asks him what he’s been doing all this time. Stark’s reply was this:
Guarding the North for you, Your Grace. Winterfell is yours.
However, there are some differences between Ned Stark and Richard III. Richard was charismatic, charming, articulate, and made friends easily. Richard built up a network of supporters in the North, who would remain with him after he took the throne. In the North, Richard was known for his loyalty and generosity to his followers. He was a good lord, sharing his wealth, power, and success with people less favored by fate, and this was well-regarded in those days. The chronicles mention that Richard was considered by his contemporaries to be a charismatic leader and as persuasive a speaker as his brothers.
There is another parallel that can be drawn between Ned and Richard. Both ‘benefited’ from a succession crisis in their lifetime. In Ned’s case, it was the one that followed the accident in which King Robert lost his life. In Richard’s case, it was the crisis of 1483. After the death of Edward IV, Richard III found himself in a perilous position. He was threatened by the Woodville family, who in turn blamed him for the death of his brother, the king. He even believed they had the best opportunity to kill the king.
On his deathbed, Edward IV added a codicil to his will, making Richard regent until his son, Edward V, was old enough to rule. That document was never found, which may mean it was destroyed soon after Edward’s death. Richard was not present at the death of his brother, the king, nor did he learn of it until a few days later, when he received the news in a letter from the late King Edward’s best friend, Hastings. The codicil could have been destroyed by someone in the Woodville family, who was opposed to the idea of seeing Richard regent. This historical fact may have been the basis of the scene in which Cersei (the incarnation of Elizabeth Woodville) tears up Robert Baratheon’s will, which stipulated, among other things, the appointment of Eddard Stark as regent.
During the crisis following the King’s death, Richard may have discovered that Edward had signed a marriage contract with another woman before Elizabeth Woodville. If such a document existed, it meant that Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was null and void, and the children of that marriage were bastards. Richard’s claim to the throne could have resulted from this. If Edward’s sons were bastards, the throne would go to the late king’s only surviving brother, himself, because George had been accused of treason and killed. By 1483, the battle for the throne was going much like we saw in GoT after Eddard Stark writes to Stannis that Robert is not the father of his children.
There’s an aspect in which Martin is distancing himself from the events of Richard’s life. Unlike Ned’s relationship with Robert, Richard never fought in Edward’s first battle for the throne. Richard was ten years Edward’s junior, so he was only a boy when Edward overthrew King Lancaster and his family from power. Ned also seems to lack impulsiveness, ruthlessness, and decision-making ability. Even though Richard III cannot be accused of cruelty (at least there is no evidence of it), he was temperamental and easily made decisions.
Richard and Ned were conscientious soldiers. Richard could, however, be hard-hearted when he had to do his duty. He was likely responsible for killing or ordering the murder of the mad King Henry VI after his brother Edward seized the throne of England. He also had no qualms about using the wealth of widows, including his mother-in-law. These cold calculations do not apply to Eddard Stark at all.
Next time, we leave Winterfell to look at the seven kingdoms.
Reading recommendations:
John Ashdown — Hill, Eleanor the Secret Queen.
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