Campaign to have Richard III remains reburied in York

8:22am Wednesday 10th October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Kate Liptrot, kate.liptrot@thepress.co.uk

Richard III Richard III

A CAMPAIGN is under way to have the remains of Richard III brought home to York.

Debate is growing over where the presumed remains of the king should finally rest after archaeologists working on a dig in Leicester discovered human remains widely believed to be those of the Plantagenet king.

An online petition called “Richard III: Come Home To York” has been launched by The Richard III Foundation, advocating the reburial of the remains in York.

Richard had planned to be buried at York Minster but he is believed to have been interred in Leicester after his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth by Henry Tudor in 1485.

The site has received supportive comments from across the world and Yorkshire people are being urged to support the cause.

Andy Smith, UK public relations director for the group, said: “York was Richard’s city.

“It is where he belongs, and it is only right that this great Lord of the North should return home to Yorkshire after more than five hundred years’ enforced absence.

“The Richard III Foundation urges the people of Yorkshire to join with us in calling for Richard, our hero and martyr, to be brought home to the city that he loved, and where he is still loved to this day.”

Richard spent much of his youth at Middleham Castle and for 12 years he ruled the North of England on behalf of his elder brother, Edward IV, earning a widespread reputation for fair-mindedness and justice.

After becoming king, he visited York several times and was showered with gifts each time.

His son, Edward, was crowned Prince of Wales while in York. Despite being widely vilified by theories that he had a hand in the murder of his 12-year-old nephew Edward V, one of the Princes in the Tower, Richard III was popular in York both before and after he was king.

On his death, the council made a special entry in the House Book, lamenting his passing and remembering how many good things he had done for York.

Joe Ann Ricca, founder of the foundation, said: “Richard obviously had no choice after he was killed as to where his remains were taken, but today we have the opportunity to right the many wrongs that have been done to this unjustly maligned king, by correcting the distorted picture that has been painted of Richard over the centuries, and by bringing his remains home to Yorkshire, and to York Minster as he wanted.”

 

Village to celebrate links

THE life of Richard III and his connections with North Yorkshire are to be celebrated in a village near York later this month.

On October 20 and 21, St Helen and the Holy Cross Church, at Sheriff Hutton, will hold Richard III At Sheriff Hutton - Revealed!, dedicated to the monarch and his family. The church contains an effigy of Richard’s son, Edward of Middleham.

The celebration will include a concert performance by the York Waits town band on October 20. A series of presentations on Richard III’s life and that of his family will be held the following day as well as a sung service with medieval church music.

There will also be an exploration of the links between the king and the village, and the Towton Battlefield Society and the Frei Companie re-enactors will lead an afternoon procession on October 21.

For details, email jsoak@btinternet.com or phone 01347 878754.

Comments(27)

CHISSY1 says...
8:34am Wed 10 Oct 12

"Shouldn't that read joak@btinternet.com,

they cannot be serious".

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Woody G Mellor says...
9:07am Wed 10 Oct 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
"Shouldn't that read joak@btinternet.com,


they cannot be serious".
What a strange post. Who can't be serious about what?

Report this post »

Fat Harry says...
9:17am Wed 10 Oct 12

hmmm

I'm inclined to agree that if the bones are Richard's, they should be reburied in York, simply because it's known that the city is where he wanted to be buried.

I also think the Tudor/Shakesperean version of events has led to him being unjustly maligned.

However, calling him a "hero and martyr" is ridiculous and will do the campaign no favours.

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CHISSY1 says...
9:52am Wed 10 Oct 12

Woody G Mellor wrote:
CHISSY1 wrote:
"Shouldn't that read joak@btinternet.com,



they cannot be serious".
What a strange post. Who can't be serious about what?
"Doh".

Report this post »

Big Bad Wolf says...
10:36am Wed 10 Oct 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
Woody G Mellor wrote:
CHISSY1 wrote:
"Shouldn't that read joak@btinternet.com,




they cannot be serious".
What a strange post. Who can't be serious about what?
"Doh".
Sorry don't understand.... Why wouldn't people want the body of a king laid to rest in the city he was so well known for supporting?

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Pete the Brickie says...
10:40am Wed 10 Oct 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
Woody G Mellor wrote:
CHISSY1 wrote:
"Shouldn't that read joak@btinternet.com,




they cannot be serious".
What a strange post. Who can't be serious about what?
"Doh".
You're coming over a bit like a cross between Homer Simpson and John McEnroe today CHISSY1, a strange hybrid cartoon character who's incredibly stupid and will argue with anyone over a point however futile.

The kings remains will have to be buried somewhere and a city which history tells us he was fond of is as good a place as any.

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Omega Point says...
11:14am Wed 10 Oct 12

If the bones are his then they should be thrown back into the river Soar in Leicester, to save taking the blue plaque down on the Bow Bridge

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Grumpy Old Man says...
11:47am Wed 10 Oct 12

When Richard's brother, Edward won the Battle of Towton, more than a thousand men of York fought for Lancaster on the losing side. Less than a hundred of Richard's supporters from the city fought at Bosworth. Trying to make out Richard was a hero to counteract Shakespeare's propaganda is nonsensical. Yes Richard benefitted York but he was not greatly loved here: they gave him gifts as they gave any great magnate gifts - because it was politic to do so. His only provable love of the area was for Middleham castle, where he first met his wife, and if he is to be buried anywhere it should be there. PS: his name before he became king was Richard of Gloucester not Richard of York.

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Firedrake says...
12:00pm Wed 10 Oct 12

This is an intriguing story which run and run ... assuming the bones are proven to Richard's.

One small point, though: scholarly opinion is divided concerning the identity of the effigy!

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CHISSY1 says...
12:56pm Wed 10 Oct 12

"Hands up those that are bothered".

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Firedrake says...
12:57pm Wed 10 Oct 12

Sorry - was interrupted mid-post! That's the effigy at Sherriff Hutton.

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R'Marcus says...
4:07pm Wed 10 Oct 12

The remains of Richard III deserves to be buried in York. He was not a bad king, anyway.

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MrsDingledongle says...
5:23pm Wed 10 Oct 12

Leicester want to hang onto him apparently - give him back I say, he should be in the Minster.

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Blancsanglier says...
5:25pm Wed 10 Oct 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
"Hands up those that are bothered".
Actually, there are nearly 500 hands up (in 5 days) on the petition and nearly 300 on a government e-petition asking the same.... so I don't think that is at all bad! Please sign our e-petition if you agree King Richard has been vilified over the last 500 years and this is our one and only chance of trying to make amends.
http://www.thepetiti
onsite.com/369/648/4
60/time-for-king-ric
hard-iii-to-come-hom
e-to-york/

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Blancsanglier says...
5:44pm Wed 10 Oct 12

On October 20 and 21, St Helen and the Holy Cross Church, at Sheriff Hutton, will hold Richard III At Sheriff Hutton - Revealed!, dedicated to the monarch and his family. The church contains an effigy of Richard’s son, Edward of Middleham.

I have always been led to believe by many historians that the church at Sheriff Hutton is NOT where Edward of Middleham was buried, the tomb there is not his as it dates from a different era.

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Seadog says...
6:24pm Wed 10 Oct 12

Grumpy is quite right about Richard's original title: he was indeed Richard of Gloucester. Gloucester Cathedral, however, already has the rather splendid tomb of the (equally maligned - no jokes, please!) Edward II; whereas York Minster's only (official) royal tomb is that of poor little Prince William of Hatfield in the North Quire Aisle.

Gloucester also has a magnificent Great East Window which is almost (if not quite) the rival of York's. So they already have an "embarrassment of riches" down there anyway!

Coincidentally, Leicester Cathedral's current Dean will shortly become York's Dean ... perhaps she could be persuaded to bring the bones with her? Always supposing, of course, that they really ARE Richard's, which is by no means certain yet.

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Woody G Mellor says...
6:51pm Wed 10 Oct 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
"Hands up those that are bothered".
That's both my hands then.

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Pedro says...
7:21pm Wed 10 Oct 12

I think it is fair that his body should reside where he asked them to. That is here. The education level of a king of that time was less than that of a thirteen year old child and any decisions they made should be judged against that. In history all benefactors become perpetrators in the fullness of time. Most of the people who died at the Tower of London were murdered rather than executed.

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morriarty says...
8:10pm Wed 10 Oct 12

After 5 centuries of slander, it would only be right for Richard III to be buried in York when it is known that is where he intended his tomb to be, though Leicester should keep the arrowhead found in his spine.

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ColdAsChristmas says...
10:29pm Wed 10 Oct 12

There is no body in the tomb at Sheriff Hutton. I made enquiries almost thirty years ago and it was understood that the tomb was dismantled during the reformation and later restored. (In the 1600's much of the castle was dismantled and the stone can be seen in many local buildings) It was also understood that Sheriff Hutton was chosen as the location for the tomb because it was about halfway (ish) between Middleham and Nottingham where Richard was believed to have been campaigning at the time of his only Son's death.

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Blancsanglier says...
10:41pm Wed 10 Oct 12

Ah yes, he called Nottingham his 'Castle of Care'. We know not where Edward of Middleham is but I was intigued to hear from a guide at one of the abbeys (Riveaulx, Jervaulx or Byland, sorry I can't remember as it was a very long time ago) there is a small, unmarked stone in front of the alter, possibly a child...could this be him? His Queen, Anne Neville was also in an unmarked grave in Westminster ~ this makes me think he was hoping to move them to York when his Chantry was completed so they could all be together.

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piaggio1 says...
12:05am Thu 11 Oct 12

well considering most of his mob were norman type people ,as in came from that lot.i have no concern where they finally dump his remains,he was not and never will be true englisc,no saxon blood in his veins...............
yes shoot me down

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Blancsanglier says...
12:22am Thu 11 Oct 12

Bang bang! :-)

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Firedrake says...
9:35am Thu 11 Oct 12

piaggio does have a point. After all, however weak Henry ap Tudor's claim to the throne compared with Richard's, he was at least a Welshman - a true Brit - and some might argue that trumps everything!

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Blancsanglier says...
11:51am Thu 11 Oct 12

Richard was English - that's why he is remembered as the last ENGLISH king to die in battle. Both their ancestors were from Edward 111.

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Blancsanglier says...
11:53am Thu 11 Oct 12

...... H7 had been living in France for most of his life, Richard only had brief spells abroad in Flanders.

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morriarty says...
3:49pm Sat 13 Oct 12

After a fatal road accident, the funeral is not held conveniently at the nearest church to the horrible incident; the victim is taken home for burial. The same should be true here; York Minster as an archdiocese is suitable for a state funeral (Bolingbroke and the Black Prince are buried at Canterbury), and is known to be where Richard III wished to be buried. After 5 centuries we are finally in a position to respect that and should indeed do so.

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