Sir William Stanley – Turncoat or Loyalist..

UPDATED POST FROM A MEDIEVAL POTPOURRI @sparkypus.com Sir William Stanley crowning Henry Tudor with the fallen King Richard’s crown in the aftermath of the Battle of Bosworth.  Unknown artist.. It is well documented how, through the treasonable and treacherous actions of Sir William Stanley at Bosworth, Richard III lost his crown and his life. He…

The Death and Burial of Constance of York

(Reblogged from The Yorkist Age.) According to the Tewkesbury Chronicle Constance died in 1417 ( recte November 1416) but was not buried until 1420. This is hard to explain, and may simply be an error. However, given that Constance left no will behind her, there is a good possibility that her death was sudden and unexpected. She…

Why did the Greyfriars of Leicester make such haste to bury Richard III….?

  This link reveals an interesting account of about the discovery and archaeology of Richard’s original resting place in Leicester, and the modern techniques used to find out all that could be learned. I confess I was a little dismayed to hear the Blue Boar described as a “coaching inn”. Really? In 1485? I hoped…

Digging up our monarchs; no, not Richard III this time….!

I’m told that even now, if you purchase a plot of ground in which to put your loved ones to rest, the chances are they’ll only lie in peace for eighty years, at which time they are removed and new occupants move in. Well, for centuries our dead haven’t always been left to enjoy their…

A year of anniversaries

2016 has been the 1000th anniversary of Edund Ironside’s accession and death, also of the death of his father Ethelred Unraed and the double accession of Cnut of Denmark. It has also been the 950th anniverary of the battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings, being the end of the House of Wessex after its interruption.…

After Richard, where’s Wolsey….?

Leicester has more than one ‘lost’ personage, although Richard III has to be the most important, of course. But Cardinal Wolsey has eluded discovery so far, as is revealed in a very interesting article from the Leicester Mercury of 20th April 2015. http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/s-Wolsey-Richard-III-Leicester-starting-looking/story-26359810-detail/story.html

Fascinating details about how Richard may have been lain to rest…..

http://nerdalicious.com.au/history/fit-for-a-king-the-burial-and-reburial-of-richard-iii-with-john-ashdown-hill/ This article brims with interesting information relating to the form Richard’s burial may have taken at Grey Friars, Leicester. It raises more questions in my mind, not least that Richard may indeed have originally been placed in a coffin, as in the accompanying illustration, but that if the grave was too small for him,…

The decision, finally

So, Leicester it is. After all the furore, delay, money spent and suffering (if bones can suffer) of Richard himself, we are back where we started. If it were not for this judicial challenge, he would be buried now and at rest. But, Spring 2015 is when he is to be finally shown the honour,…