The monarchy of England has been a source of contention throughout history, and the War of the Roses was a series of major civil wars in the Middle Ages. The Duke of York, claiming a right to the throne, wants to depose King Henry VI and his heir in order to become king himself. The Duke had a son named Richard Plantagenet, the third of his name, on a terrible day fraught with many bad omens. Richard III, who is neither male nor female but possesses qualities of both sexes, is immediately despised by his mother. His upbringing is defined by her hatred, which leads to a deep dislike for his own body and a negative reaction to being labeled a demon. Richard is haunted by glimpses of England's past as he grows up.