ALTHOUGH no will of King Richard III is believed to survive, York Minster preserves an original document endowing a chantry for 100 priests at the Minster. It is unlikely that he would have made this endowment had he not intended to be buried there.

The bodies of other noble Yorkists killed at Bosworth, such as Sir John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, were returned home to their families for honourable burial.

Modern servicemen and women who die in battle are returned home for honourable burial, not conveniently close to where they were killed.

Richard has little or no connection with the Midlands: born in Northamptonshire, he spent nine days in his entire life in Leicester, and did not chose to die in the county nor be buried in Leicester.

The issue has nothing to do with tourism or publicity, as far as York is concerned. It is doubtful whether significantly more people would visit York following Richard's reburial in the Minster. Anyway, in England, monarchs are not buried according to where the local tourist industry might benefit most.

Removing King Richard's remains to York would not be 'changing history', but giving a former king a fitting burial and one he favoured during his lifetime.

Sincere Ricardians wishing to honour the first burial-place of King Richard III have always made their tributes to him at St Martin's in Leicester, regardless of the fact that his body was not there and its whereabouts were unknown.

Once he is reburied in York, they can still do that.

Nic Le Becheur,

Spring Crescent,

Portswood,

Southampton.