ONCE AGAIN ON THE FOOTSTEPS OF RICHARD III - ENGLAND SUMMER 2013

Leicester

My recent journey through England was again partly on the footsteps of Richard III, like two years ago. Today is the anniversary of  King Richard's death in battle at Bosworth , 22nd August 1485,  and I think it is the perfect occasion to share with you some facts and pictures from the interesting sites I visited in July.

Leicester

This time last year (25 August 2012) work began on the excavation of the Greyfriars car park and the remains of King Richard III were finally rediscovered. Screenwriter Philippa Langley inaugurated the search for the king's lost grave as part of her research into the real Richard for a screenplay. 

The University of Leicester and Leicester City Council, with the support of the Richard III Society, excavated the site. During the course of the excavation, the skeleton of an adult male was discovered after just a few days. Surprisingly,  the first human remains found were proved to be, beyond all reasonable doubt, those of King Richard III through radiocarbon dating and DNA tests.

LOOKING FOR RICHARD III - LATEST NEWS AND COLLECTIVE READING OF THE SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR

Great news in the search for King Richard III's resting place. Yesterday the experts of the University of Leicester  officially announced  that the Greyfriars Project, which has attracted extraordinary global media attention over the past three weeks, had to date uncovered fascinating archaeological evidence. Key was the discovery of the lost medieval church of the Grey Friars where Richard is recorded as being buried after his death at the Battle of Bosworth. Moreover University archaeologists confirmed the discovery of human remains at the site (read the official announcement)

RICHARD III - SOME TOUCH OF PITY AND THE SEARCH FOR HIS RESTING PLACE IN LEICESTER

1. Rhoda Edwards, Some Touch of Pity. Book Review

“No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. But I know none, and therefore am no beast.”

(William Shakespeare, Richard III)

Another well written historical fiction novel about Richard III. Although this book is out of print  I managed to get  a used copy through Amazon.com and at a very special price. It is not my first Richard III novel since I started my quest for the real King. It is my fifth novel since, a couple of years ago,  I  joined the many loyal Ricardians who want to wipe off the stained reputation the Tudors stuck on Richard III after his defeat.

In 1976 Rhoda Edwards (author of another Ricardian novel, Fortune's Wheel)  won the Yorkshire Post’s Best First Work Award for this novel, Some Touch of Pity (The Broken Sword in the US edition) which was  her first work of historical fiction about King Richard III.

The peculiarity of Some Touch of Pity is that it  is  presented as a series of first person narrations of the key events in the last two years in the life of Richard III (March 1483 – August 1485)  We follow the compelling accounts of Lady Anne before and after becoming the Queen of England; King Richard himself; the King’s physician, Dr William Hobbes ; Sir Francis  Lovell, Richard’s best friend;   Robert Bolman a clerk in the Privy Seal Office; Lady Elizabeth, daughter of King Edward IV (King Richard’s niece and future wife to  Henry Tudor); George Stanley, Lord Strange; and finally a Squire of Sir William Stanley.