Royal Insight Forum

QuoteThe mystery of what happened to the Princes in the Tower is one of the most enduring in English history.

QuoteThe boys - then aged just 12 and nine - were locked up in the Tower of London and never seen again.

QuoteRichard III: Leicester Archaeologists May Extend Grave Hunt

Fragments of medieval window The team have found pieces of window stone which may show they are in the right part of the church

Archaeologists hunting King Richard III's lost grave say the dig could be extended if they believe a breakthrough is close.

Richard III was killed by the forces of the future Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in Leicestershire in 1485.

Historians traced his burial to a long-demolished friary in Leicester, which archaeologists have now located.

The dig is due to finish on Friday but more work could be done if the team feel a major discovery is likely.

BBC News - Richard III: Leicester archaeologists may extend grave hunt (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-19516669) 

QuoteRichard III: 'When I saw the skull, the hair on the back of my neck stood up'

As far as Diana Thompson is concerned, the matter is beyond question. She hung a white boar flag from her front window the day she heard archaeologists had found the bones of a man with a twisted spine in a scruffy car park near her home in Leicester.

Sceptics may scoff, and results of an attempt to extract DNA and match it to descendants are not due until Christmas, but Thompson is adamant that the bones now resting in a safe in the archaeology and ancient history department of Leicester University are those of the last Plantagenet, Richard III, who rode out of Leicester on the morning of 22 August 1485 a king, and came back a naked corpse slung over the pommel of a horse.

"I've always been for Richard – I had to be, I went to the Richard III School for Girls. I know it is him – and I can tell you who did the wicked deed, it was Henry Tudor, without a shadow of a doubt, that's who killed him."

Like thousands of local residents who queued around the block on the final open day, Thompson wanted a last look at the hole in the ground where the remains were found. This week, the mounds of soil and stone will be refilled, the blue plastic fencing will come down, and the cars will return.

Richard III: 'When I saw the skull, the hair on the back of my neck stood up' | Science | guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/sep/23/richard-3rd-third-iii-leicster-bones) 

QuoteRichard III Descendant's 'Shock' at Genetic Link

A London carpenter has been describing how his quiet life has changed since discovering he is a descendant of the last English king to die in battle - Richard III.

A historian spent years using records and census documents to find descendants of the King's sister Anne and eventually tracked down Michael Ibsen, from Archway, via his mother's side of the family.

Mr Ibsen was contacted by archaeologists who believe they have unearthed the remains of the last Plantagenet king in a Leicester car park and he gave a DNA sample.

BBC News - Richard III descendant's 'shock' at genetic link (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19741394) 

QuoteRichard III Dig: MP Calls for State Funeral

A Leicester MP has called for bones found under a city car park to be given a state funeral, if they prove to be those of Richard III.

The king was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 but his burial site was lost beneath later development.

A battle-scarred skeleton found by archaeologists last month is undergoing DNA tests to confirm it is the monarch.

Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth has said the ceremony should reflect his status and his Catholic faith.

BBC News - Richard III dig: MP calls for state funeral (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-19799936) 

QuoteRichard III Dig: Leicester Cathedral 'Obvious Choice' for Burial

The Bishop of Leicester says the city's cathedral would be the obvious place for Richard III to be buried if bones found by archaeologists prove to be his.

Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth has called for a state funeral to be held if tests in December confirm the remains are those of the former king.

The Rt Rev Tim Stevens said details of a possible service would need to be carefully worked out but felt Leicester Cathedral was the most logical location to host the burial.

BBC News - Richard III dig: Leicester Cathedral 'obvious choice' for burial (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-19807027) 

QuoteRichard III Dig: MPs Discuss Cities' Claim to Bones

A parliamentary debate has been held on where a skeleton that could be that of Richard III should be interred.

The bones were found in September by archaeologists digging beneath a car park in Leicester.

MPs from Leicester, Nottinghamshire and York discussed a permanent grave but officials said precedent meant Leicester cathedral was favourite.

DNA results on the bones are being compared to that of living descendants of the king, who was killed in 1485.

BBC News - Richard III dig: MPs discuss cities' claim to bones (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20083683)

QuoteThat Richard III... Is 'e Still On the Electoral Roll in York?

Here is the news: MPs yesterday discussed burial arrangements for King Richard III of England (d. 1485).

Thursday sittings now begin at 9.30am, an hour earlier than was the case. Some Hon Members are struggling with this. Faced with a choice between departmental questions and their breakfast snorker, many are opting for  the snorker.

On the green benches yesterday morning there were almost as many holes in the ranks as there were at the Battle of Bosworth when Richard of York lost his horse and his life.

Quentin Letts: That Richard III... is 'e still on the electoral roll in York? | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2223277/Quentin-Letts-That-Richard-III--e-electoral-roll-York.html) 

QuoteHunt for Richard III: Woman's Skeleton Found By Archaeologists

Mystery surrounds the identity of a woman's skeleton found by archaeologists searching for the remains of King Richard III.

The team carrying out the dig under the car park in Leicester city centre, which is thought to have been the site of the monarch's last resting place at the Church of Grey Friars, are examining the second set of remains.

Mathew Morris, from the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, said the identity of the woman may never be uncovered.
"We know of at least one woman connected with the friary, Ellen Luenor, a possible benefactor and founder with her husband, Gilbert," he said.

"However, the friary would have administered to the poor, sick and homeless as well, and without knowing where Ellen Luenor had been originally buried we are unlikely to ever know who the remains are of, or why she was buried there."

Hunt for Richard III: woman's skeleton found by archaeologists - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9643444/Hunt-for-Richard-III-womans-skeleton-found-by-archaeologists.html) 

QuoteRichard III dig: Results expected in January

Archaeologists who discovered a skeleton thought to be Richard III have said it could be January before tests confirm whether it is the former king.

The remains were found underneath a Leicester car park on the former site of the Greyfriars church in September.

Prof Lynn Foxhall, from the University of Leicester, said the team has got to be sure of its facts before it confirmed whether it was the monarch.

BBC News - Richard III dig: Results expected in January (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-20391935) 

QuoteRichard III dig: Tests on Bones Continue

A team examining the suspected remains of Richard III say they have yet to find any evidence to disprove it is the king's body, but are still awaiting some results.

Experts at the University of Leicester have been analysing the bones since they were discovered beneath a car park in the city in September.

They are awaiting DNA test results before announcing their conclusions.

The team said evidence still pointed to it being the king.

BBC News - Richard III dig: Tests on bones continue (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-20740276) 

QuoteKing Richard III's Medieval Inn Recreated by Archaeologists

The medieval inn in Leicester where King Richard III slept before riding out to meet his fate at the battle of Bosworth has been recreated by the team of archaeologists and academics who dug up a local car park this summer searching for his bones.

News of their discovery of the remains of a man with a twisted spine and a gaping war wound, in the foundations of a long demolished abbey, created ripples of excitement around the world. Results of the scientific tests on the remains have not been announced, though there have been rumours that they proved inconclusive. Although DNA has been extracted from far older bones, the success of the technique depends on the quality of their preservation.

The DNA test results, which might establish whether the bones could really be Richard's, are expected next month, but meanwhile The Blue Boar inn has risen again in model and digital form, recreated from detailed drawings found in the archives of a local family.

King Richard III's medieval inn recreated by archaeologists | Science | guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/dec/18/king-richard-inn-recreated-archaeologists) 

QuoteA descendant of British monarch Richard III who gave DNA to help identify what may be the king's skeleton said he wants his ancestor's legacy re-examined.

Michael Ibsen, 55, a Canadian man who gave a DNA sample to experts attempting to determine whether the skeleton found in September beneath a Leicester, England, parking lot belonged to Richard III, said he does not agree with the king's image as a ruthless, power-hungry hunchback, The Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday.

Ibsen said he sides with historians who say much of the image of Richard, who was killed during his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, comes from Tudor propaganda designed to discredit the king and his family.

Michael Ibsen gave DNA to help identify king's possible skeleton - UPI.com (http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/01/01/Richard-III-descendant-dismisses-image/UPI-34411357078063/) 

QuoteRichard III dig: Conclusions to be Revealed in Weeks

Conclusions of investigations into human remains thought to be those of Richard III are due to be revealed in the first week of February.

Experts at the University of Leicester have been analysing the bones since they were discovered beneath a car park in the city in September.

They are awaiting DNA test results before revealing their conclusions.

Circumstantial evidence points to the remains being those of the English king, the team has said.

BBC News - Richard III dig: Conclusions to be revealed in weeks (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-20957190) 

QuoteRichard III: The Mystery of the King and the Car Parking Lot

Leicester, England (CNN) -- The line snakes around the block, hundreds of people wrapped up against the early autumn chill. The crowd waits patiently as a sensibly-dressed, middle-aged woman wanders along the queue, handing out flyers and apologizing for the delay.

"He's been waiting hundreds of years," says one woman, gesturing towards the archway up ahead with a smile. "It won't kill us to hang on for half an hour."

"He" is Richard III, one of the most famous kings of England, remembered by school children and Shakespeare aficionados alike as a notorious villain, hunchbacked and hateful, accused of killing his own nephews, the "Princes in the Tower," to usurp the throne, and whose whereabouts were, until recently, a complete mystery.

Richard III: The mystery of the king and the car parking lot - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/01/world/europe/search-for-richard-iii/index.html) 

QuoteA skeleton found beneath a Leicester car park has been confirmed as that of English king Richard III.

Experts from the University of Leicester said DNA from the bones matched that of descendants of the monarch's family.

Lead archaeologist Richard Buckley, from the University of Leicester, told a press conference to applause: "Beyond reasonable doubt it's Richard."

Richard, who died in battle 1485, will be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral

QuoteDr Ashdown-Hill, who wrote The Last Days of Richard III, said: "The most obvious features in portraits are the shape of the nose and the chin and both of those are visible in the facial reconstruction."

Richard III Society member Philippa Langley, originator of the search, said on a Channel 4 documentary earlier: "It doesn't look like the face of a tyrant. I'm sorry but it doesn't.

"He's very handsome. It's like you could just talk to him, have a conversation with him right now."

Layers of muscle and skin were added by computer to a scan of the skull and the result was made into a three-dimensional plastic model.

BBC News - Richard III: Facial reconstruction shows king's features (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21328380) 

QuoteHow Richard III Really Looked - And Sounded

As well as unveiling a reconstruction of how King Richard III – the great villain of British history whose bones were confirmed yesterday to have been unearthed in a municipal carpark – might have looked, researchers have also attempted to reconstruct his voice.

And the news is – the King was a Brummie. The news is likely to come as a disappointment to Yorkshiremen who have always claimed him as one of their own.

Dr Philip Shaw, from the University of Leicester, studied the king's use of grammar and spelling in contemporary letters, and concluded that the king's accent "could probably associate more or less with the West Midlands."

King Richard III Unveiled - The Daily Beast (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/05/how-richard-iii-really-looked-and-sounded.html) 

QuoteWho, What, Why: What Is the Method for Reconstructing Richard III's Face?

Bones found in a Leicester car park have been confirmed by DNA testing as those of Richard III. But what was the technique scientists used to reconstruct his face?

The only thing scientists had to go on was a skull. No portraits of the king done during his reign survive.

And yet scientists have built a model of Richard III's face. How?

Richard died in 1485 but his bones are well preserved. This doesn't surprise anthropologists as in the right conditions - soil with low acidity and few bugs - bones remain pristine for thousands of years.

BBC News - Who, What, Why: What is the method for reconstructing Richard III's face? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21350181) 

QuoteIt is one of the great mysteries of English history. Did Richard III, the last of the Plantagenets, really murder the princes in the Tower as his Tudor successors, including their greatest propagandist, William Shakespeare, always alleged?

Previously confidential correspondence reveals that the Church of England, with backing from the Queen and ministers, has repeatedly refused requests to carry out similar forensic tests to those used to identify the remains of Richard III this week to see if the bones buried in Westminster Abbey are those of Richard's two nephews.

DNA testing was refused on the grounds that it could set a precedent for testing historical theories that would lead to multiple royal disinterments. The church was also uncertain what to do with the remains if the DNA tests were negative, potentially leaving the church with the dilemma of how to manage bogus bones. Authorities also resisted on the grounds the tests could not finally establish "if Richard III is to be let off the hook".

Why the princes in the tower are staying six feet under | Science | The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/feb/05/princes-in-tower-staying-under) 

QuoteOne Royal Secret That Won't Be Revealed... Richard III has been unearthed but the princes in the tower will stay buried

Having solved one of the greatest mysteries of British history, scientists desperate to unearth the next one and confirm if Richard III did murder the princes in the tower have been left disappointed.

Previously secret documents show that the Church of England, backed by the Queen, has for 20 years refused repeated requests by experts to test skeletons believed to be the Tudor successors buried in Westminster Abbey.

And it appears they will not be changing their minds after the University of Leicester announced to the world this week that the skeleton found under a council car park in Leicester is that of Richard III.

Richard III has been unearthed but the princes in the tower will stay buried | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2274247/Richard-III-unearthed-princes-tower-stay-buried.html#axzz2KD9UD63R) 

QuoteAn academic has recorded what he thinks could be the accent of Richard III - and was surprised to realise he may have talked with a West Midlands twang.

Dr Philip Shaw, from the University of Leicester, studied two letters written by the last Plantagenet king.

The spellings gave him clues as to how Richard might have spoken.

But Dr Shaw said the accent was probably not the same as the distinctive one associated with modern-day Birmingham.

BBC News - Richard III: Academic mimics voice of last Plantagenet (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21369077) 

QuoteKing Richard III Exhibition Opens in Leicester Guildhall

Up to 1,000 people have taken the chance to be the first to see an exhibition about Richard III - which included a replica of his skull.

The display, at Leicester's Guildhall, focuses on the effort to prove remains found under a nearby car park were those of the last Plantagenet king.

Experts this week confirmed the skeleton unearthed by archaeologists belonged to Richard III.

Visitors queued around the building to gain entry to the exhibition.

BBC News - King Richard III exhibition opens in Leicester Guildhall (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21371891)

QuoteA recording of music from King Richard III's lifetime has been released - including a dance possibly played at a notorious Christmas party he hosted.

The University of Leicester held a concert by the specialist recorder trio TritonE.

It includes music he would have heard growing up in England and from a Christmas do which was so raucous it was written about at the time.

BBC News - Music from King Richard III's life (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21461112) 

QuoteYork Minster has received "abusive" letters over a decision to support the reburial of Richard III in Leicester.

A campaign calling for the monarch to be reburied in York began after it emerged he would be reinterred in Leicester Cathedral.

The King had strong associations with Yorkshire, but the minster backed the plan in Leicester, where his remains were found underneath a car park.

The Minster said the letters would be investigated by its own security team.

BBC News - Richard III: York Minster receives 'abusive' letters (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-21761540) 

QuoteRichard III's Relatives Seek Judicial Review Over Burial

Relatives of Richard III are to seek a judicial review into the decisions authorising his reburial in Leicester.

Earlier this year, skeletal remains found beneath a car park in the city were confirmed as the king's by a team at the University of Leicester.

Since the find, a disagreement has surfaced about whether he should be buried in Leicester or York.

The last Plantagenet king's descendants say they should have been consulted by the government over the re-burial.

BBC News - Richard III's relatives seek judicial review over burial (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21936327) 

QuoteKing Richard III, whose remains were found under a council car park, may have had painful treatments for his spinal curvature, research has suggested.

The 15th century monarch suffered from severe scoliosis, which he probably developed in early adolescence.

It is a condition that can be very painful to live with - but some of the treatments practised in the late medieval period would have also caused sufferers a lot of anguish.

Among the "cures" was traction - the same principle on which "the Rack" worked as an instrument of torture.

Richard III: Did King Have Painful Treatment? (http://news.sky.com/story/1080420/richard-iii-did-king-have-painful-treatment) 

QuoteKing Richard III's Teeth and Jaw Reveal Monarch's Anxious Life and Violent Death

Researchers say the skull and jaw of last English monarch to die in battle were badly damaged, lending support to reports that the blows that killed him were so heavy that it drove the king's crown into his head.

They also conclude that Richard III may have been as anxious and fearful as William Shakespeare portrayed him – he ground his teeth with stress.

Researchers also found that the king had suffered severe tooth decay, perhaps as a result of his privileged position and a sweet tooth.

King Richard III's teeth and jaw reveal monarch's anxious life and violent death - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/archaeology/10031896/King-Richard-IIIs-teeth-and-jaw-reveal-monarchs-anxious-life-and-violent-death.html) 

QuoteThe Final Moments of Richard III's Burial Revealed: King was squashed into tiny grave with his hands still tied by gravediggers 'in a hurry'

Richard III was squashed into a tiny, badly prepared ‘lozenge’ shaped pit with his hands tied as gravediggers rushed to bury him, a new paper reveals.

The last Plantagent king’s remains were unearthed under a car park in Leicester in August 2012 - 527 years after his death at the Battle of Bosworth.

And an academic paper on the archaeology of the three week search for his grave reveals for the first time the details of the grave dug for the King.

The University of Leicester researchers found Richard was casually placed in a badly prepared grave, which suggests the gravediggers were in a hurry to bury him.

The final moments of Richard IIIs burial revealed: King was squashed into tiny grave with his hands still tied by gravediggers 'in a hurry' | Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2329760/The-final-moments-Richard-IIIs-burial-revealed-King-squashed-tiny-grave-hands-tied-gravediggers-hurry.html?ito=feeds-newsxml) 

QuoteJudge Warns Against War of the Roses Part Two

A group of relatives of King Richard III, whose body was unearthed in a council car park last year, have won the right to bring High Court proceedings to challenge a plan to rebury his remains in Leicester.

Many of his relatives want the body buried in York, claiming it was the King's wish.

A High Court judge in London urged the relatives and other parties involved to act with dignity in deciding the King's final resting place or risk embarking on a new legal War of the Roses.

Richard III's final resting place to be reviewed: Judge warns against War of the Roses part two | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2395784/Richard-IIIs-final-resting-place-reviewed-Judge-warns-War-Roses-two.html)

QuoteLeicester Cathedral has unveiled the design for a tombstone to mark the final resting place of Richard III.

The remains of the King were discovered last year beneath a car park in the city by archaeologists from the University of Leicester. He died in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

The planned tombstone would be made of Swaledale fossil limestone and engraved with a cross. It would be placed in the Chancel of Leicester Cathedral. The King's remains would be buried beneath.

Designs show an engraving of the White Rose of York would be around the tombstone.

King Richard III Tomb Design Unveiled (http://news.sky.com/story/1144065/king-richard-iii-tomb-design-unveiled)

QuoteThe bones of Richard III were thought to be lost forever, buried unceremoniously on the battlefield. But in 2012, a skeleton was found in a parking lot, and history had to be rewritten.

The King's Skeleton: Richard III Revealed | Smithsonian Channel (http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/full-episodes/titles/22931/the-kings-skeleton-richard-iii-revealed)

QuoteThe academic who led the team that found Richard III's remains has been made an OBE in the New Year Honours.  Richard Buckley, of the University of Leicester, was recognised for his contribution to archaeology.

The skeleton, found under a car park in the city, was confirmed as that of the last Plantagenet king in February.

More: BBC News - Richard III archaeologist appointed OBE (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-25550983)

QuotePlans for a £4m visitor centre dedicated to Richard III, whose remains were found underneath a Leicester car park, have been unveiled.

Work has started to transform the old Leicester Grammar School building, which overlooks where the king was found, into the centre.

An exhibition will tell the story of Richard III's life and how his skeleton was identified by experts.

The centre's trustees said it would give the city an economic boost.

More: BBC News - Richard III: New £4m visitor centre plans unveiled (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-25927760)

Quotet's been more than a year since experts announced the remains found in a car park in Leicester were those of King Richard III - but now experts have raised serious concerns about the findings.

Michael Hicks, from Winchester University, and archaeologist Martin Biddle, from the Winchester Research Unit, are challenging the results of the DNA testing, and the accuracy of the radiocarbon dating.

They are even calling for a coroner's court to be set up to independently review all of the evidence.

QuoteRichard III's funeral crown will go on show for the first time next month for an event in the town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire.

The 15th century monarch's remains were famously found under a Leicester car park in 2012. However, there is currently a legal dispute ongoing about where The King will be buried.

There are currently arguments and debates about whether The King should be laid to rest in Leicester where he was found, or in York where he spent most of his life.

QuoteThe remains of the last Plantagenet King, Richard III, will be reburied in Leicester cathedral, it has been revealed.

Distant relatives of the King, who formed the Plantagenet Alliance, have lost their battle in the High Court over where the remains should be buried.

Richard's skeleton was discovered underneath a car park by excavation teams from University of Leicester in September 2012.

The question of where the King's remains should be reburied has been a contested issue over the past months. The Plantagenet Alliance have continued to argue that the Ministry of Justice should not have given the University of Leicester the rights to decide where Richard should be buried.

The Alliance were given a judicial review over the decision to reinter the remains in Leicester cathedral by the University for Leicester. However, the relatives were told by judges in the High Court this morning that there was "no duty to consult" the issue. They also commented: "There was no public law grounds for the court to interfere".

QuoteRichard III Bones Set for 'Dignified' Leicester Reburial

The remains of King Richard III are set to be reburied in Leicester Cathedral after his distant relatives lost a High Court battle over the choice of his final resting place.  Today three judges ruled it was "time for King Richard III to be given a dignified reburial, and finally laid to rest" after a dispute about where England's last Plantagenet king should rest.

His bones were found under a council car park in Leicester in 2012 and plans were immediately drawn up to reinter them in the city.

Relatives who make up the Plantagenet Alliance had argued the monarch known as Richard of York should be buried in York Minster.  They wanted Chris Grayling, Justice Secretary, to set up a wide-ranging public consultation exercise on where he should be buried.

More: Richard III bones set for 'dignified' Leicester reburial - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/10851191/Richard-III-bones-set-for-dignified-Leicester-reburial.html)

QuoteRichard III will finally be laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral after judges said it was time for the monarch to be given a 'dignified burial'.
Distant relatives opposed plans to bury him in the city after his remains were discovered in a council car park in August 2012.
They said he should be placed in York Minster because it was a wish of 'the last medieval king of England'.

QuoteHis body was buried 600 years ago without any pomp and ceremony befitting of a king.

But now the traditional funeral crown that Richard III never had, has gone on display in York.

The golden headpiece was commissioned for the last king of the House of York by a leading historian who was involved in the archaeological dig that discovered Richard III's remains beneath a car park in Leicester.

QuoteKING Richard III's curved spine was not bad enough to make him limp, say experts who have scanned his bones.

He had a common condition called adolescent onset idiopathic scoliosis, which would have started after he was 10.

Writing in medical journal The Lancet, Dr Piers Mitchell, of Cambridge University, said: "The physical deformity was probably slight.

"His trunk would have been short relative to the length of his limbs and his right shoulder a little higher than the left.

"However, a good tailor to adjust his clothing and custom-made armour could have minimised the visual impact of this.

QuoteThe design of the tomb King Richard III will be reburied in at Leicester Cathedral has been unveiled.

The wooden coffin will be made by Michael Ibsen, a descendant of Richard III, while the tomb will be made of Swaledale fossil stone, quarried in North Yorkshire.  The total cost of reburial is £2.5m and work will start in the summer.

The Very Reverend David Monteith, Dean of Leicester, said the design "evokes memory and is deeply respectful".

More: BBC News - Richard III tomb design unveiled in Leicester (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-27865860)

QuoteKing Richard III did plan to be buried in York, not Leicester, a new letter unearthed in the National Archives suggests.

The extraordinary letter, discovered by historian and Tory MP Chris Skidmore, provides fresh ammunition to those who believe the King was establishing a major new religious foundation at York Minister with a view to it becoming his mausoleum.

It shows that Richard III wanted the 100 priests at the new foundation to use their prayers to make him 'more acceptable to God and his saints'.

QuoteIn the heart of Leicester, visitors will be invited to gaze down through a pane of glass into a rough oblong hole in the ground: the grave that for more than 500 years held the body of the last Plantagenet king, Richard III.

An outline of the skeleton with the twisted spine is projected on to the red-brown earth. The pit also holds the yellow pegs used by the excavators from the University of Leicester archaeology service in August 2012 to mark a discovery that would make front-page news around the world.

The city council now hopes the crowds who followed the story so avidly will come to its £4.5m visitor centre, opening to the public on Saturday. The attraction tells the tale of Richard's life, brief reign and death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and the discovery of his hastily dug and slightly too small grave in what had been the choir of the long-vanished Greyfriars church.

More: King Richard III visitor centre in Leicester opens to the public | UK news | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/22/richard-iii-visitor-centre-leicester)

QuoteLeicester's Richard III Visitor Centre: Crowds at Opening

Scores of people arrived more than 90 minutes early for the official opening of Leicester's Richard III visitor centre.

Visitors can see below their feet to the spot where the king was found by archaeologists in 2012.  Although the actual bones are not on display inside the £4m visitor centre, there is a 3D printout of the skeleton.

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby officially cut the ribbon amid medieval-themed celebrations at 10:30 BST.

More: BBC News - Leicester's Richard III visitor centre: Crowds at opening (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-28487978)

QuoteIn a Museum Far, Far Away: Anger Over Reconstruction of Richard III's Armour Which Looks Like a STAR WARS Stormtrooper

The discovery of King Richard III's remains in a car park may have been out of this world, but a new exhibition has been accused of making him look as if he comes from another planet.

Experts are outraged that organisers at the Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester have painted a copy of the King's armour white, saying it makes him look like a Star Wars stormtrooper.

Members of the team who helped trace the skeleton have also branded an image of Richard lying in his grave as 'grotesque', saying it shows a lack of respect for the dead.

Annette Carson said she and the Looking for Richard Project team were 'saddened and profoundly disappointed by the exhibition' at the £4m Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester, which opened at the weekend.  Ms Carson, author of 'Richard III: The Maligned King', wrote: 'Other grotesque exhibits include the white-painted depiction of the king's armour resembling a stormtrooper from Star Wars, despite representatives of the council and university having attended the presentation by Dr Tobias Capwell in March 2013 where he described his armour and illustrated its actual probable appearance.

More: Richard III's armour reconstruction causes anger as it looks like a STAR WARS stormtrooper | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2709892/In-museum-far-far-away-Anger-reconstruction-Richard-III-s-armour-looks-like-STAR-WARS-stormtrooper.html)

QuoteRichard III may have struggled with the pressures of being king, polishing off a bottle of wine a day, according to researchers.

Tests on the medieval monarch's bones and teeth show his drinking habits changed dramatically when he became king in 1483.

King Richard's skeleton was found under a Leicester car park in 2012.

Experts believe during he put a heavy toll on his body during the last three years of his life by feasting on exotic meats such as crane and heron, washed down with copious amounts of wine.

Quote from: PrincessOfPeace on August 17, 2014, 04:43:52 AM
Experts say the weight of royal responsibility could be behind a big jump in alcohol consumption in the last years of his life.

QuoteRichard III may have struggled with the pressures of being king, polishing off a bottle of wine a day, according to researchers.

Tests on the medieval monarch's bones and teeth show his drinking habits changed dramatically when he became king in 1483.

King Richard's skeleton was found under a Leicester car park in 2012.

Experts believe during he put a heavy toll on his body during the last three years of his life by feasting on exotic meats such as crane and heron, washed down with copious amounts of wine.

More: Pressures Made Richard III 'Hit The Booze' (http://news.sky.com/story/1319989/pressures-made-richard-iii-hit-the-booze)

QuoteKing Richard 'Was Driven to Drink'

The pressures of power drove King Richard III to drink, according to new evidence uncovered in a documentary about the medieval monarch.  Researchers who carried out tests on his skeleton after it was unearthed from a council car park in Leicester in 2012, were able to reveal details about his diet and even where he lived at different parts of his life.

Analysis of his bones and teeth showed his drinking habits changed significantly around the time he became king in 1483 and that during the last three years of his life he consumed about a bottle of wine a day.  His diet also changed at the same time and included exotic meat including swan, crane, heron and egret.

The study by the British Geological Survey, in association with researchers at the University of Leicester, is published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.  Dr Angela Lamb, isotope geochemist and lead author of the paper, said: "The chemistry of Richard III's teeth and bones reveals fascinating changes in his geographical movements, diet and social status throughout his life.

More: King richard 'was driven to drink' | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-2726916/King-Richard-driven-drink.html)

QuoteLast February when a Channel 4 documentary announced the news that bones unearthed in a Leicester car park belonged to Richard III, 26-year-old Dominic Smee was at home watching the programme with his parents in Tamworth, Staffordshire.
He was amazed as scientists in the film pieced together a pretty accurate reconstruction of the king's crooked spine, disproving theories that the crippled king immortalised by Shakespeare was a myth of Tudor propaganda.
Smee, an unemployed IT teacher, was startled by the resemblance to the curvature in his own back. "I had this feeling," he says. "The hairs stood up on the back of my neck."

QuoteThe pressures of ruling a country must be difficult – so it's perhaps no surprise that King Richard III turned to alcohol to drown his sorrows.
A study of the teeth and bones of Richard III towards the end of his life suggests that he drank around a bottle of wine a day.
The research, by the British Geological Survey and University of Leicester, revealed that the monarch described by Shakespeare as a "poisonous bunchback'd toad" enjoyed an extremely rich diet after ascending to the throne in 1483.

QuoteKing Richard III died from a particularly brutal blow to the skull, scientists believe after a forensic analysis of his skeleton gave clues to his final moments.  The king appears to have been mutilated after his body was slung over a horse

A sword or battleaxe spike was thrust four inches into the deposed monarch's head by King Henry VII's forces and appears to have claimed his life at the Battle of Bosworth, ending the War of the Roses.

He suffered a total of 11 wounds around the time of his death, nine to his skull and two to the rest of his body, according to the analysis.
Scientists have examined every aspect of his remains since they were discovered beneath a council car park in Leicester in 2012.

"A number of injuries consistent with a dagger were identified to the cranium, jaw, cheek bones and tenth rib," said Professor Sarah Hainsworth who led the University of Leicester research.

Experts believe it was one of two blows to his head or an impact to his pelvis that claimed the Plantagenet King's life, although investigators hinted that the pelvis injuries might have been inflicted after death as an act of vindictive battlefield celebration.

More: King Richard III died brutally during Battle - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11098797/King-Richard-III-died-brutally-during-Battle.html)

Quote from: Limabeany on December 02, 2014, 10:21:37 PM
Richard III parking lot skeleton confirmed: Remains show king had blue eyes, infidelity in family. (http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/12/02/richard_iii_parking_lot_skeleton_confirmed_remains_show_king_had_blue_eyes.html?wpsrc=fol_tw)

Quote
DNA analysis has revealed a break in the male line of Richard's family tree. It means one of Richard III's male relatives was cuckolded – leading to his wife to give birth to another man's child.

Researchers also considered genetic material from two female-line descendants of Richard's sister Anne of York - a man named Michael Ibsen and a woman, Wendy Duldig.

They were able to confirm that Ms Duldig is a niece of Richard III, 18 times removed, while Michael Ibsen is Richard III's nephew, 16 times removed.

Depending on who was unfaithful in the family tree, it could have far-reaching consequences. The discovery was made by international researchers trying to prove the skeleton really was Richard III.

They pieced together sections Richard III's family tree, right down to Ms Duldig and Mr Ibsen. The pair are 14th cousins twice removed, and their last common ancestor lived in the 16th century.

Quote from: cate1949 on December 02, 2014, 10:27:17 PM
just fascinating stuff -

Quote600 Members of Public to Attend Reburial of Richard III Alongside Royal Family

Hundreds of members of the public will able to watch the reinterment of King Richard III, it has been announced.

Around 600 people will attend the reburial when the remains of the former monarch are laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral on March 26 next year - with a third of the tickets being made available to the public.

An online public ballot will run from December 12 to 31, with the Cathedral expecting thousands of applications from across the globe.

However, half of the seats will be reserved for people from Leicestershire and Rutland.

More: 600 members of public to attend reburial of Richard III alongside Royal Family - Mirror Online (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/600-members-public-attend-reburial-4755998)

Quote
Richard III's DNA Analysis Reveals Cuckoldry in the Family

Researchers can trace the monarch's maternal lineage to modern relatives, but not the male side

The Y chromosome, passed from father to son, gives researchers a way to trace back family trees for generations. Mitochondrial DNA, genetic material found in the cellular organelles called mitochondria, is likewise passed from mother to daughter. The living relatives of Richard III on the maternal side (descendants of Richard's eldest sister Anne of York) carry mitochondrial DNA that match that of the monarch's remains. But when researchers tried to trace the lineage of the Y chromosome, they didn't find a match.

"That means at least one person along the family tree had a biological father that was different from the father written down on his or her birth certificate," writes Mary Beth Griggs for Popular Science.

The finding means that at some point between Richard III and Henry, Somerset, the 5th Duke of Beaufort (who lived between 1744 and 1803) and whose living descendants provided DNA for the new study, someone was cuckolded.

Quote from: Adrienne on January 21, 2015, 03:25:18 AM
A friend of mine received an invitation to one of the services. Said friend was also able to take a private tour of the excavation site last year, so is very excited.

QuoteRichard III Finally Gets Finally gets a 'Funeral Crown': Hand-Crafted Headpiece Goes on Display in York

His body was buried 600 years ago without any pomp and ceremony befitting of a king.  But now the traditional funeral crown that Richard III never had, has gone on display in York.

The golden headpiece was commissioned for the last king of the House of York by a leading historian who was involved in the archaeological dig that discovered Richard III’s remains beneath a car park in Leicester.

Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, ending the Wars of the Roses and the Plantagenet dynasty.  His body was taken to Leicester by supporters of victorious Henry VII and buried in Greyfriars church, which is now the site of the council car park.

More: Richard III 'funeral crown' on display in York | Daily Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2642997/Richard-III-finally-gets-funeral-crown-Hand-crafted-headpiece-goes-display-York.html)

QuoteRichard III Gets a Lavish Send-Off.... at Last

Toby Capwell, curator of arms and armour at the Wallace Collection in London, has got used to being ahead of the curve. We are in a taxi on the way to the site of the 1485 Battle of Bosworth Field and he is talking eloquently about medieval weaponry when he confesses that, at several junctures in his life, his early enthusiasm for some overlooked area of expertise or interest has been hijacked by a later boom in its popularity.

He grew up in Seattle where, as a teenager, he remembers liking all these unknown local indie bands such as Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. Then he left to go to college, and the indie scene in his home town exploded. Before leaving Seattle, he bought an espresso machine for his college dorm. He got it at a place called Starbucks, a small coffee shop no one outside the city had ever heard of. Then Starbucks became a massive global corporation. The espresso machine broke, Capwell says regretfully, otherwise he’d probably have made a fortune selling it on eBay.

It’s the same thing all over again with Richard III. Capwell has nurtured a lifelong fascination with the Yorkist king who was killed at Bosworth by Henry Tudor’s forces during the Wars of the Roses. As a 15-year-old, he remembers reading Charles Ross’s seminal biography of the late monarch and developing a preoccupation with Richard III, whose body had lain undiscovered for centuries. No one knew exactly how the king had died – contemporary accounts relied on second-hand testimony and were mostly written by foreigners – which just added to the enigma. “When there’s a mystery, it’s galvanising,” Capwell explains. “It’s like the Kennedy assassination.”

More: Richard III gets a ceremonial send-off ? at last | UK news | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/mar/08/richard-the-third-gets-ceremonial-send-off-at-last)

QuoteRichard III Was a Blue-Eyed Blond, Say Scientists

Richard III was a blue-eyed blond, according to a new reconstruction of the slain Plantagenet monarch's head.

An updated model showing a likeness of the king in life has been unveiled at Leicester's King Richard III visitor centre.

A previous likeness had portrayed Richard as having dark hair. Many paintings of the king also show him with dark hair.

However the results of DNA testing carried out by Dr Turi King of University of Leicester in early 2014 showed that Richard's hair was likely to have been blond, at least in childhood, and that he would have blue eyes.

More: Richard III was a blue-eyed blond, say scientists | Leicester Mercury (http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Richard-III-blue-eyed-blond-say-scientists/story-26148440-detail/story.html#l0BTeedJeGW8LD2Y.01) ]/quote]

Cindy

QuoteKing Richard III Church Arches Restored

The King's battle-scarred body was put on public display at the Church of the Annunciation in Leicester following his death at Bosworth in 1485.

The churches two remaining Hawthorn Arches are now the main feature of the centre at De Montfort University.

University archivist Katherine Short said it was great to see the arches restored.

The centre, which opens later, will be free to visit and was designed by students at the university.

More: BBC News - King Richard III church arches restored (http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-31836393)

Quote from: cate1949 on March 20, 2015, 05:04:33 AM
wow - a solar eclipse on the day his wife died and now a solar eclipse close to the date of his re-internment. 

Quote from: Lucy on March 21, 2015, 08:25:33 PM
The King Richards are a fascinating slice of British monarchy history. Many say Richy III was wrongly maligned and I tend to agree, given the scant contemporary history at the time in question. It would be rather like Prince Edward, now Earl of Wessex, doing away with brother Andrew as well as Charles' two sons after Charles chancy demise, to gain the throne for himself.
What a tangled web they wove in the deadly garden of the Red and White Roses. The little  Princes in the Tower will forever haunt it in a way the imprisoned adults can't attain.
Richard III Society | ABOUT US (http://www.richardiii.net/aboutus.php#origins)

QuoteRichard III Reburial: thousands eExpected to Witness king's  Final Journey

The landscape of medieval church spires punctuating low hills, country lanes, and green pasture has changed surprisingly little since the last time the body of Richard III was carried back to Leicester from the site of the battle of Bosworth. On Sunday the circumstances of the slow journey, escorted by knights on horseback, prayed over by a bishop and many priests, greeted by people lining village streets and country lanes, will be very different.

At noon, the cortege is due to leave the University of Leicester, where the archaeologists and academics have studied and guarded the monarch's mortal remains since they were excavated from a council car park in August 2012. The procession has been organised so that Richard Buckley, the lead archaeologist on the project, and the legal guardian of the remains until he hands over responsibility at the door of the cathedral, can keep the coffin in his sight at all times.

The first stop is at Fenn Lane, at the working farm where scatters of bullets and bits of broken horse harness and weaponry finally identified the marshy ground where the last Plantagenet king lost his horse, his helmet and then his life in the last hour of the battle of Bosworth, in August 1485. Regime change began according to legends of the battle when on a hill overlooking the battlefield, Henry Tudor was crowned with the circlet which fell from Richard's dying head.

More: The first stop is at Fenn Lane, at the working farm where scatters of bullets and bits of broken horse harness and weaponry finally identified the marshy ground where the last Plantagenet king lost his horse, his helmet and then his life in the last hour of the battle of Bosworth, in August 1485. Regime change began according to legends of the battle when on a hill overlooking the battlefield, Henry Tudor was crowned with the circlet which fell from Richard's dying head.

QuoteQueen Honours 'Evil' Monarch: Royals Have a Change of Heart over Richard III

Her heartfelt eulogy will form the centrepiece of Thursday's ceremony at Leicester Cathedral when the "evil" king, blamed for the murder of the Princes in the Tower, will finally be laid to rest with honour. His skeleton was found under a council car park in the city in 2012, dumped unceremoniously in an unmarked grave after the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

It is a remarkable U-turn for the 88-year-old monarch, who has deliberately distanced herself from the celebrations.

She has asked the Countess of Wessex to represent her at the ceremony, the first burial of a king since her father George VI's funeral in 1952.

The Queen has chosen instead to spend the day in Kent, unveiling a new Battle of Britain learning centre at Capel-le-Ferne.

The precise contents of the eulogy have not been released but sources have described the Queen's words as "surprising" and "sweet" and say they will call on Britain to recognise the importance of Richard III in our nation's history.

More: The Queens pays tribute to Richard III at burial with heartfelt eulogy for 'evil' monarch | Royal | News | Daily Express (http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/565552/The-Queens-pays-tribute-Richard-III-burial-heartfelt-eulogy-evil-monarch)

QuoteThe reputation of Richard III has finally been restored as the much-maligned monarch was given a tribute fit for a king and even a seal of approval from the Queen.
His remains, which were discovered under a car park in Leicester in 2012, were taken back to Bosworth Field, the site of his fateful last battle, before being moved to Leicester Cathedral where the King will lie in repose until a reinterment service on Thursday.
Although the Queen will not personally attend the service, Buckingham Palace said she had written a tribute in the order of service which acknowledged Richard's importance to British history.

Quote from: cate1949 on March 23, 2015, 05:12:24 AM
H Princess - I'd strongly recommend The Sunne in Splendor by Sharon Kay Penman.  Of course there is the book which started many people's fascination with clearing Richard's name Josephine Tey's famous work "The Daughter of Time" which is a sort of detective mystery not so much a bio.

Curryong - I really do not think the evidence (such as it is) supports Richard knocking off his nephews.  Part of my doubt is that Richard was so devoted to his brother - seems unlikely he would kill his brothers sons.  He was also a pretty devout man - killing your nephews is definitely not devout behavior.  Finally - they were not a threat to him - they had no longer a claim to the throne - it was those Tudors who were the threat.

Viewing the pictures of the proceedings thus far - it is part hokey and part stately moving ceremony.  I am still put off that he is not being buried at York and do have some continued doubts about Anglicans Bishops doing a RC compline at his final internment.  On the other hand there have been some lovely touches to all this - the children making the linen bags, the historian who had  rosary beads put in the coffin, the coffin being made by his descendant.  And it was touching and interesting to see so many people come to the procession with white roses.  The whole thing is rather amazing - that his remains were found at all is amazing.

QuoteBritain Mourns a Monster – Because He Was a King. Richard III's Burial Was Absurd

Pinch yourself, very hard. This must be anti-royalist satire? No, we're wide awake as the nation mourns its most reviled monster of a king. Never was adulation of monarchy taken to such transcendently absurd heights.

Richard III has been buried with pomp in Leicester cathedral by the archbishop of Canterbury, with the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and a black-clad Countess of Wessex as next of kin. Another relative, Benedict Cumberbatch, read a poem by the poet laureate. The Queen's Division and Royal Signals bands saluted the fallen king. York has its own "commemoration" tonight. As they say, you couldn't make it up.

It's comical, but tragic too, as a reminder of the indignity the British accept in their accustomed role as subjects, not citizens. Here are church, royalty and army revering a child-killing, wife-slaughtering tyrant who would be on trial if he weren't 500 years dead. This is the madness of monarchy, where these bones are honoured for their divine royalty, whether by accident of birth or by brutal seizure of the crown. Richard, whose death ended the tribal Wars of the Roses, is a good symbol of the "bloodline" fantasy. Our island story is one of royal usurpage and regicide, with imported French, Dutch and German monarchs who didn't speak English. The puzzle is that this fantasy of anointed genes persists, even unto Kate's unborn babe.

More: Britain mourns a monster ? because he was a king. Richard III?s burial was absurd | Polly Toynbee | Comment is free | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/26/britain-king-richard-iii-tyrant)

Quote from: HistoryGirl on March 27, 2015, 12:28:21 PM
Love the idea and questioning of what exactly the royals and their privilege cost Britain. However, once again, Richard III was not a proven child killer or wife murderer. And his rule is being put into the context of the 21st Century not the 15th.

Quote from: snokitty on March 27, 2015, 01:37:42 PM
^ Well history has recorded him and no new evidence has shown up to clear him. It is the same with other historical figures.

Quote from: TLLK on March 27, 2015, 01:37:53 PM

Quote from: HistoryGirl on March 27, 2015, 12:28:21 PM
Love the idea and questioning of what exactly the royals and their privilege cost Britain. However, once again, Richard III was not a proven child killer or wife murderer. And his rule is being put into the context of the 21st Century not the 15th.

Agreed. The Tudors were constantly looking over their shoulders early in their dynasty because of their ascent. To smear the reputation of the previous monarch was not uncommon during that era. I wouldn't be surprised if Anne had died from ie: tuberculosis or cancer.

Quote from: snokitty on March 27, 2015, 03:53:49 PM
You gals sound like you fell into the romantic novel that the media has turned this burial into.

Quote from: HistoryGirl on March 27, 2015, 04:05:01 PM

Quote from: snokitty on March 27, 2015, 03:53:49 PM
You gals sound like you fell into the romantic novel that the media has turned this burial into.

Actually paying attention to facts instead of impressions or assumptions based on dramatic portrayals is the exact opposite of that. Thinking that Richard III was a murderer and having evidence that he is one are two very different things. The author of that article purposely used words like "child killer" as a way to gain more sympathy for her point; that monarchs should not be treated with such reverence. Her point is quite a valid one, but she did not use facts, she used assumptions. That doesn't mean her argument is invalid, but it is clear baiting and I personally dislike the propagation of myth as reality without adequate proof.

Quote from: snokitty on April 06, 2015, 07:41:19 AM
Richard III Society turns its attention to who killed the princes in the Tower - Home News - UK - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/richard-iii-society-turns-its-attention-to-who-killed-the-princes-in-the-tower-10156394.html)

QuoteHaving finally found their man more than 500 years after he was killed in battle, sleuths at the Richard III Society have turned their attention to another enduring mystery – what really happened to the princes in the Tower?

Most historians believe Richard killed his nephews in the summer of 1483 after their father, Edward IV, died unexpectedly, although there is no hard evidence linking him to the murders.

The boys, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, were 12 and nine respectively when their father died. They were taken one by one to the Tower of London in expectation of Edward V's coronation. This never took place.

Philippa Langley, the historian and screenwriter whose determination led to the 2012 discovery of Richard III's body beneath a car park in Leicester, has vowed to uncover the truth.

Quoteclaims tests done on remains believed to be the princes – known as the 'bones in the urn' – show they are unlikely to have any genetic link to the Plantagenet king

Quote from: LouisFerdinand on April 14, 2017, 11:52:13 PM
Queen Elizabeth Woodville took her second son Richard, Duke of York with her to the safety of Westminster Cathedral.   
How fierce were the threats of Richard, Duke of Gloucester that on June 16, 1483 Queen Elizabeth Woodville let her brother-in-law Richard take her son Prince Richard away?

Quote from: TLLK on January 07, 2018, 01:38:46 AM
@Curryong, @royalanthropologist, @amabel or anyone else interested in Richard III, I had the opportunity to watch this on my PBS station. IMO it was one of the best programs on Richard III as scientists, archeologists and others tackle the question of Richard's physical capabilities in battle in spite of his severe scoliosis. They even find a young man with a nearly identical curvature who is participates in the activities required during a battle. It is truly worth viewing IMHO.

Secrets of the Dead Resurrecting Richard ? - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vXYYI9kvuI)

Quote from: LouisFerdinand on May 28, 2021, 11:30:43 PM

Anne Neville was Queen of England for nearly three years.   
Queen Anne Neville (1456-1485) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifmAodeWqvI)

Quote from: Amabel2 on July 30, 2021, 09:49:34 AM
so what is this about the DNA?  Was Richard III illegitimate?

Quote from: Curryong on July 30, 2021, 11:07:52 AM
This is an article about supposed illegitimacy in the line leading to Richard III.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30281333

The story that Richard may not have been his father?s son has been around for some time hasn?t it? Different physical looks to his older siblings, father Richard Duke of York supposedly away from mother Cecile nine months before his birth. I don?t believe the story myself.

QuoteNot surprisingly because of the window, which is in the Evans chapel, and a tomb with an effigy of John Evans upon it, the intriguing theory has grown that this church could be the final resting place of the disappeared Edward V ? John Evans being Edward incognito. Clues abound including the Sunne  in Splendour, a Yorkist emblem, in a window and wooden bosses.    John who died 1511,  was said to have came from Wales ? thus the name Evans which is Welsh ?  EVans ? Edward V ?  one time Prince of Wales ? get it? ? please keep up at the back dear reader.   It should also be remembered that Ludlow, where Edward spent most of his life up until 1483 was in the Welsh Marches and not Shropshire as it is today.   The effigy is  wearing chainmail under his robe and the story goes that John turned up in Coldridge in 1485 after the battle of Bosworth.  IF he had been Edward he would have been around 15 at that time.   There is however reason to believe  that he had arrived earlier in 1484.   His mother Elizabeth Wydeville had emerged from sanctuary at Westminster accompanied by her daughters on the 1st March of that year.  She had reached an agreement with Richard III and wrote to her son Thomas Grey, Marquess of Dorset, who had owned Coldridge prior to it being confiscated by Richard, but was now in France with Henry Tudor, to return home as Richard would pardon him.   Two days later on the 3 March  a trusted follower of the king, Robert Markenfield was sent from Yorkshire to Coldridge. Was this to keep an eye on the young lad who had been king for such a short time, Edward V, and who had been secreted away at the former property of his half brother, Dorset, a property which was about to returned to him if it had not already been done so?

QuoteLangley started the Missing Princes Project four years ago, and so far has more than 100 lines of inquiry into the fate of the older of the pair of brothers.

Described as a 'Da Vinci Code-style' investigation, the team have been following a trail of medieval documents and clues hidden in an ancient parish church.

'The idea of a missing prince lying low in Devon might appear fanciful at first,' said Dike, 'but the discoveries inside this church in the middle of nowhere are extraordinary'.

Their unexpected discovery suggests that Edward was sent to live out the rest of his life on the land of his half-brother in Devon on the condition he kept quiet.

This was part of a deal between his mother and Richard III, that was upheld by his successor, Henry Tudor, according to Dike. 

'Once you take all the clues together, it does appear that the story of the princes in the Tower may need to be rewritten,' he added.

No conclusive evidence has ever been found that Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury were murdered and some revisionist historians believe it may have been invented as part of a plot to smear Richard III. 

The last time the boys were actually seen was in the summer of 1483, when they were spotted playing by the Tower of London.

The bones found under a staircase in the tower now lie in an urn in Westminster Abbey, and the Queen is said to have refused to allow scientists to analyse them.

However, the team say the paper trail leading to the arrival of Edward V in Devon is strong, with considerable evidence he was John Evans.

Quote from: TLLK on August 02, 2021, 02:47:47 PM
As I recall Duchess Cecile made claims that her older son Edward IV was not legitimate either.

Quote from: Amabel2 on April 04, 2022, 04:01:40 PM
So Why would Cecily say that Edward IV was not legitimate? I dont think that he was.  Was she pressured by Richard?  DID she perhaps feel that a boy King like Edward V was not a good idea and that the boy would be safer if he did not become King and Richard, a strong adult man, ruled?

QuoteWarwick was in the process of negotiating with the French king for the hand of Bona of Savoy for Edward when the king revealed that he had secretly married Elizabeth Woodville, the impoverished widow of a Lancastrian knight in 1464. Cecily was furious while the proud and haughty Warwick simmered at his humiliation. Further frustrated by Edward's social advancement of the Queen's many needy relations, Warwick, and Cecily's son, George, Duke of Clarence, switched their allegiance to the House of Lancaster. Warwick married his elder daughter, Isabel, to George and his other daughter, Anne Neville, to Henry VI's son, Edward, Prince of Wales. A rumour began to circulate that Edward was illegitimate, the son of Duchess Cecily and an archer by the name of Blaybourne with whom it was said, she had indulged in an affair when the Duke of York was stationed at Rouen, which would have made Clarence the rightful King of England. Cecily seems to have said little on the matter in public, but travelled to Sandwich, intending to reconcile her warring sons.

In recent years, research into the issue of Edward's possible illegitimacy has revealed that from 14 July to 21 August 1441, the approximate time of Edward's conception, Richard, Duke of York, was on campaign at Pontoise which was several days' march from Rouen, where Cecily lodged. Adding weight to this theory, the christening celebration of Edmund, Earl of Rutland, the second son of Richard and Cecily, was a lavish affair, while the christening of the couple's firstborn son Edward was a low-key ceremony in a small chapel in Rouen.

Warwick, allied to Margaret of Anjou, invaded England and reinstated Henry VI on the throne for a short period (October 1470 - April 1471) However, Edward regained his throne and Warwick was slain at Barnet in 1471. The festering ill-feeling between Edward and his brother George was never really healed, for, in 1478, George was condemned to death for treason. Cecily appealed to Edward that his execution should not be a public spectacle and he is said to have been drowned in a butt of malmsey wine in the Tower of London in February 1478.

Quote from: LouisFerdinand on June 10, 2022, 10:28:18 PM
After King Edward V was proclaimed king in 1483, why was Earl Rivers arrested?

Quote from: LouisFerdinand on November 30, 2022, 09:31:47 PM

Why was Queen Anne Neville dominated?   
The Powerless Anne Neville Why Was She Dominated? - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOd1_AbFb7E)   
     
:xmas6: :xmas6: :xmas6: :xmas6: :xmas6: :xmas6: :xmas6: :xmas6:

QuoteThe Missing Princes Project

The Missing Princes Project aims to undertake new research into the enduring mystery of the disappearance of the sons of Edward IV, more commonly referred to as the 'Princes in the Tower?. It is currently believed that Edward V (12) and Richard, Duke of York (9) disappeared sometime during 1483-4. The research focus therefore aims to encompass any new historical material that may relate to the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, with particular reference to the reign of King Richard III (1483-5).

You can find out more about this exciting new research project

Quote from: LouisFerdinand on March 19, 2024, 08:16:59 PM

The Coronation of King Henry VI December 1430   
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