Book One: To Save The Duke: Lord John Howard

In Defense of King Richard III of England

Matilda Philadelphia Carey was a young woman who loved English history and she was caught up in reading historical romances, but one notable aristocrat named Lord John Howard, who became the 1st Duke of Norfolk in England during the reign of King Richard III of England had caught her attention.

Lord John Howard was the son of Sir Robert Howard and Lady Margaret De Mowbray despite the fact that some English know-it-all stated that Lady Margaret de Mowbray married beneath her as she was the eldest daughter of Lord Thomas De Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.

Sir Robert Howard and Lady Margaret de Mowbray were married in 1417, and Sir Robert Howard was the great-great-great-grandson of Sir John Cornwall and Lady Joan  de Cornwall on his father's side of the family and on his mother's side, he came from the youngest son of King Henry II of England, King John of England and his great-granddaughter, Lady Joan of Cornwall as well as King John son's King Henry III and his son, King Edward I and his second queen, Princess Margaret of France and their son, Prince Thomas of Brotherton and his daughter, Lady Margaret and her daughter, Lady Elizabeth De Seagrave who married into Lord Thomas de Mowbray and their granddaughter, Lady Margaret De Mowbray.

Matilda read the sad story on how Lord John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk died on the battlefield of Bosworth on August 22, 1485 and she decides to travel back in time to try to save this noble gentleman with a very distinguished history.

Matilda lives in the 20th century and she is a student at the University of London as an exchange student.

Matilda Carey herself is of English, French, Irish, Native American-Cherokee and Scottish descent and she is an American studying at The University of London in England.

Matilda works at an outdoor cafe and inside of the cafe is a book-store where people can go buy books.

Matilda's favorite Historical writers are Jean Plaidy, Maureen Peters, Norah Lofts and Molly Costain Haycraft who wrote about English history in the way of Historical Novels about the many noble Kings and Queens that ruled in England starting with King Henry II and ending with Queen Victoria of England.

Matilda's friends thought she was incurable romantic and they laughed at her when she read the many wonderful historical novels like "The Queen of England" Series, " The Stuart Saga" but her favorite series was on the Plantagenet that began with the reign of King Henry II of England who began the Plantagenet family in England.

Matilda believed that King Richard III was innocent of murdering his two nephews in the Town of London in 1483, and she had formed the opinion who had murdered the two Princes, Edward and Richard.

Matilda in history class tells her peers and instructor " We had to look at the evidence."

"Tells look at Lady Margaret Beaufort who is the great-granddaughter of Lord John of Gaunt and Lady Katherine Sywnford through his son, Lord John Beaufort's eldest son, Lord John Beaufort and she is his sole heiress and she is also King Henry VI's first cousin thrice removed and her son, Henry Tudor was the great-great-great-great-grandfather of King Edward III of England but through the matrilineal line." Matilda tells them.

"The same thing happened happened with the matrilineal line of Prince Lionel of Clarence with his daughter, Princess Philippa of Clarence and through her great-granddaughter, Lady Anne Mortimer who marries the grandson of Prince Edmund of York and Princess Isabella of Castile came the same claim through their son, Lord Richard, Duke of York who marries Lady Cecily Neville and they have Lord Edward, Lord Edmund, Lord George and Lord Richard, but Lord Edmund gets killed in the Battle of Rutland and it leaves Lord Richard,Duke of York a double claim to the throne of England through Prince Lionel of Clarence and Prince Edmund, Duke of York through their great-grandchildren, Lady Anne Mortimer who marries Lord Richard of Coinsmarch." Matilda tells her classmates.