For those seriously interested in King Richard III - this free online video course from the University of Leicester may be of interest - https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/england-of-richard-third-2014 Regards, Marc
Tests on the long-lost skeleton of Richard III reveal the medieval monarch had a taste for rich foods such as peacock, heron and swan, and that his liking for the finer things in life -- including wine -- increased significantly after he became the king of England. http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/18/world/europe/richard-iii-bones-reveal-luxury-lifestyle/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fedition_world+%28RSS%3A+World%29
Richard III died in battle after losing helmet, new research shows Detailed scans of bones show that he sustained 11 wounds at or near the time of his death, nine of them to the skull. http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/16/richard-iii-died-battle-losing-helmet-new-research?CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
Blonde Hair and Blues eyes apparently according to the radio on the way home tonight - Did they search for an early SS uniform
As if it even matters, the Queen may not be legitimate - http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30281333
No surprise about the illegitimacy thing. That has occurred more than once in the Royal line. I am no great fan of Richard III as a king, but the discovery of his body makes a fantastic story. I have been reading Mike Pitts' book, Digging Richard III, which is a terrific read. Go and get it if you haven't already.
Like some on here I'm puzzled about all the excitement over a few bones. I believe there are online battles about it, "handbags at dawn...", similar to the Arnhem debates on here.
I have had the fortune to attend a couple of presentations by the chaps doing the analysis. His assailants are likely to have got him on the ground and someone probably cut his helmet strap off with a knife - there are marks in the right place on the skull. There were then a series of blows to the back of the head, being careful not to disfigure his face - like Gaddaffi. Treason!!!!! Apart from the small matter of ownership of crown lands etc, Richard III attracts a coalition of err "enthusiasts" 1) Yorkshiremen and women who see Richard II and "their monarch" 2) People who see have adopted his cause as a victim of a miscarriage of justice. he attracts the kind of devoted support that leads some women to marry death row convicts. ..
Apart from the small matter of ownership of crown lands etc, Richard III attracts a coalition of err "enthusiasts" 1) Yorkshiremen and women who see Richard II and "their monarch" 2) People who see have adopted his cause as a victim of a miscarriage of justice. he attracts the kind of devoted support that leads some women to marry death row convicts. Or perhaps those people who wonder how England would have developed differently under Richard III rather than Henry VII / Henry VIII
A look at Richard III's statutes finds many are concerned with protecting the public from fraud, injustice and abuse - such as protecting the buyer in land & goods transaction, banning forced "benevolences" to the clergy, prohibiting the seizure of property of accused felons before trial, and a statute that protects the freedom to sell books. Contrast this with the abuses during Henry VIII's reign, the religious intolerance of his daughter "Bloody Mary", and the succession difficulties of the Tudors, and you wonder if England might have been better off with a line of Yorkist kings.
There are some who claim the 'true' King of England (but not the rest of Britain or the Commonwealth), the 15th Earl of Louden, lives a reasonably normal life in Australia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Abney-Hastings,_15th_Earl_of_Loudoun
I didnt catch all of this yesterday but what I did hear was very interesting. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04wv045
Yes caught that on the way home, enjoyed it. A totally unbiased account, it turns out Richard III was a decent bloke and the old enemy, the dastardly Frenchies bankrolled the lying Tudors,
King Richard III will be reinterred at a service in Leicester Cathedral on 26 March and the BBC is launching a WhatsApp service to follow his story. Richard III excavation: Body found at site 'was a woman' The lead coffin was found inside a stone sarcophagus before being examined in a laboratory Continue reading the main story Richard III: Return of the King White roses for Richard III cortege Catholic demand over Richard III Thousands enter Richard III ballot Richard III DNA: Infidelity surprise A coffin-within-a-coffin discovered next to Richard III's remains contained a woman who could have been an early Church benefactor, experts have said. The lead coffin in a stone sarcophagus was found in the same car park as the king and was initially thought to be a knight or head of the Grey Friars. But she was female, may have died in 1250 and possibly founded the friary, the University of Leicester said. Two other graves were also excavated in the former friary, both of women. The team behind the discovery of King Richard III continued an excavation at the site of the former Grey Friars' church in August 2013, finding 10 graves within the medieval complex. Archaeologists were surprised to uncover a lead coffin within the stone casket Four of the grave sites were excavated with one turning out to be the last Plantagenet king, while the other three all contained women. The remaining six were left in place, although the site was extensively disturbed in the 19th Century. The stone casket - the first to be found in Leicester during modern excavations - was unearthed in a prominent position in the church, possibly close to the high altar and normally reserved for wealthy donors. Tests revealed she was an elderly woman and experts believe she could have been an early benefactor of the church as she may have died in 1250, not long after the building was complete. However, radio-carbon dating indicates she could have died as late as 1400 - 85 years before the death of King Richard. Matthew Morris, who directed the dig, said: "It's an important part of the church. It's fairly central, it's probably quite close to the high altar. "[The woman] is probably going to be an important benefactor of the friary, it could even be the founder, so we were really excited about examining this one in greater detail." The other two coffins, both wooden, were found in same area as Richard III - the choir - and again the remains were of women. It took eight archaeologists to lift the lid off the stone sarcophagus, only to reveal another coffin Mr Morris said it might appear unusual for the king to be the only male found at the site, but pointed out there were still hundreds of other burials that have not been touched. "Richard III would certainly not have been the only male buried here during the friary's 300-year history and historic records list at least three other men buried in the church," he said. "What stands out more is the contrast between the care and attention taken with these burials - large, neatly dug graves with coffins - and the crudeness of Richard III's grave. The more we examine it, the clearer it becomes how atypical Richard III's burial really was." Scientists also revealed the women enjoyed varied and expensive diets, including sea fish, meat and game, indicating they were relatively wealthy. The site in Leicester where Richard III was found was a council car park But they also showed signs of hard physical labour, showing they were probably middle-class Leicester residents. Mr Morris said: "[This] might suggest that the friary's main source of donations came from the town's middle classes, merchants and tradespeople, who were probably of more modest means and worked for a living." King Richard III will be reinterred at a service in Leicester Cathedral on 26 March and the BBC is launching a WhatsApp service to follow his story. More on This Story Richard III: Return of the King Top stories White roses for Richard III cortege Catholic demand over Richard III Thousands enter Richard III ballot Richard III DNA: Infidelity surprise Richard III reburial appeal starts Richard III effect 'worth £45m' Richard III 'drank a bottle a day' Richard III tomb design unveiled Richard III reburial court bid fails Experts to sequence Richard III DNA Richard III buried in 'untidy grave' Car park skeleton is Richard III Features Inside the Richard III visitor centre Richard III rows set to rumble on Reconstructed face of Richard III The twisted bones of Richard III Best (archaeological) thing ever? The bloody last moments of a king From cabinet-maker to kingmaker Wanting everyone to like Richard The search for the car park king Background and Analysis The year 2014 in archaeology Who are the Plantagenet Alliance? Tough history of regal remains Hunting a king: Diggers' story Who was the real Richard III? How does DNA testing work? Video and Audio Call for holy place for King's bones Watch The battle for Richard III's bones Watch Court fight on Richard III's remains Watch Car park King hunter turns author Watch Richard III burial plans revealed Watch Tests show Richard III had worms Watch Challenge over burial Watch 'The individual is Richard III' Watch Related Internet links The Search for Richard III by the University of Leicester Leicester City Council Around the BBC BBC - History - Richard III The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites
