Body Of Richard 3rd, Proven!

[diamond cutter]

Just heard that Leicester Cathedral it is to be.

 

[Helm]

I knew that was the favorite place and I believe legally as well it had to be there cheers Pete

Steve

 

[billyturnip]

Steve, did I ever mention I have a nice flat of Richard III?

 

[Helm]

Not as flat as he is I bet

 

[Johan]

Hi Johan yes mate one is ready and waiting for you anytime, we kept one ready for you it might be a bit out of date now though. the pubs the same just the people have got older.
good to hear from you mate been a while. the lads from the white rose send thier regards mate. you will have to get over some time and we will have a good session on the beer.
cheers mate
Ian

Glad to find an old friend here Ian - give the lads from the White Rose (are they all still there ??) a bear hug from me, and tell 'em I still have my Guns 'n Roses badge

 

[Gaudin]

Question frojm my wife for local experts.
Considering that this was the King of England even if killed in battle, WHO left him there. Good guys to have on your side who probably did well while he was living, one arrow or axe or sword and they dump you and leg it.
Would the victor not have been better to keep the body?

Don

I just noticed that your question hasn't been answered and because of all jokes and whimsical humour I was not too sure if I understood correctly and that was a serious question. I thought I'd check that you (or your wife) really want some information. Ignore me if I didn't get it.

 

[baronband]

Richard was kept for a while as proof that he had indeed been killed in battle, Henry needed that evidence but after that he was interred in a place of honour and respect in grey friars abbey (he was actually popular up North). Unfortunately later (my guess Henry viii's time) the abbey was destroyed and everything under it was left and forgotten. That is until a woman from Scotland who leads a Richard iii group worked out where he was.

 

[Gaudin]

Henry needed that evidence but after that he was interred in a place of honour and respect in grey friars abbey

Indeed. That also didn't stop some one stabbing him in the arse even after he was dead.

 

[Johan]

Question frojm my wife for local experts.
Considering that this was the King of England even if killed in battle, WHO left him there. Good guys to have on your side who probably did well while he was living, one arrow or axe or sword and they dump you and leg it.
Would the victor not have been better to keep the body?

Don

Hello Don,

I'm not sure if his body was really "left there". I think I recall it was dragged back from the battlefield into town, and for a while exposed for all to see - I guess that was not just out of malice but it was important for Henry Tudor that all would-be pretenders our troublemakers would see with their own eyes that Richard was truly dead.
The body was then buried without too much ceremony in a greyfriars monastery, I think with something like a marked stone "here lies King Richard etc etc". So, he wasn't really "left there", on the battlefield. As you know Henry Tudors successor, Henry VIII, abandoned Catholic religion a few decades later, and had all monasteries destroyed; hence also the last resting place of Richard III must have been lost and forgotten, until now.

It seems that Richard III was very much a man of the North and they say he himself wished to be buried in York.

 

[baronband]

Indeed. That also didn't stop some one stabbing him in the arse even after he was dead.

Yes apparently a "judas" shot while he was lying naked over a horse, wouldn't want the dagger afterwards!

 

[baronband]

Guinness book of records have just confirmed this! View attachment 116863

 

[Don]

I just noticed that your question hasn't been answered and because of all jokes and whimsical humour I was not too sure if I understood correctly and that was a serious question. I thought I'd check that you (or your wife) really want some information. Ignore me if I didn't get it.

It was a very serious question chaps ( have any of you met my wife, then you would know it was serious.) she has this "thing" now that he was abandoned by his followers but is convinced he would be worth much more treated properly in death than to be "dumped" in a field.

Thanks guys

Don

 

[Gaudin]

convinced he would be worth much more treated properly in death than to be "dumped" in a field.

Kinda true- worth much until every one could see he was dead to end any possibility of some one claiming Richard was alive. after that buried and forgotten, but propaganda machine carried on. The car park was build over place where abbey used to be, the team managed to locate the abbey and found the grave where it was described in old sources, hence they found him in the very first trench they put.

 

[Don]

I have been very interested in this discovery incase I had a chance of being the next king. I did hear that one of the Hendry's (4th I think) may have had a bit of rough, his father actually having been an archer who slipped his arrow into Hendrys mum (the then queen). The king never knew about this, so somewhere in Englands royalty is an archer, father to the king. Now thats an interesting story, anyone knw any more!

Don

 

[billyturnip]

Others still missing,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-21336605

 

[baronband]

Its just been released now that a team have now applied to dig in Winchester for Alfred the Great's remains, now that will be worth following

 

[Johan]

I have been very interested in this discovery incase I had a chance of being the next king. I did hear that one of the Hendry's (4th I think) may have had a bit of rough, his father actually having been an archer who slipped his arrow into Hendrys mum (the then queen). The king never knew about this, so somewhere in Englands royalty is an archer, father to the king. Now thats an interesting story, anyone knw any more!

Don

You're talking about Richard's older brother Edward IV - seems someone recently calculated that his father the Duke of York couldn't be Edward's father as he was nowhere near his mother when Edward was conceived. Edward IV could have been very well premature though, so we'll never know. Also, this was a bit of propaganda that was used by the Lancastrians. I don't know if Duchesses in those days would do it with archers. So I guess Edward IV was simply the duke of York's eldest son.
FYI Edward IV fought at Towton in 1461 I think, a Yorkist victory and the bloodiest battle on british soil, in the snow. Should make a fantastic diorama by Mike Blank.

 

[Don]

Thanks Johan that is the chap! It was also mentioned that he was very tall compared to (kingly) father and brothers. About the Duchess and the archer, archers were with the family most of the time, being their bodyguard and I suppose it had a lot to do with the size of his quiver!

Don

 

[Helm]

There was also the fact that Edward was about 6' odd and blonde while all of his brothers were short (even for the times) and dark but again thats not proof per se but again it was used by his enemies to claim he was illegitimate

 

[baronband]

A bit like one of our ginger princes now?...oops too soon?