A highlight from the quincentenary …

… of Richard’s accession was Channel Four’s 1984 “The Trial Of King Richard The Third”, presided over by Lord Elwyn-Jones. A YouTube poster has sliced it into 22 segments so enjoy the show, particularly part ten, in which a young Starkey implodes. Pollard and Lady Wedgwood (Pamela Tudor-Craig) also feature, as do Anne Sutton and… Continue reading A highlight from the quincentenary …

A documentary to watch only if you believe in Tudor myths about Richard….!

  Oh, indeed, as Captain Bertorelli would have said, “What a mistake-a to make-a!” I certainly made one when I turned to the PBS America channel on TV, and they were showing Who Killed the Princes in the Tower? Well, it might contain one voice of reason (John Ashdown-Hilll) but it also has much more… Continue reading A documentary to watch only if you believe in Tudor myths about Richard….!

NOT AGAIN! THE LATEST FROM A CAIRO DWELLER …

Richard Duke of Gloucester being offered the crown by the Three Estates at Baynards Castle, June 1483.  Painting by Sigismund Goetze at the Royal Exchange…(or according to some.. Richard in the actual act of ‘usurping’ the throne)… I came across this article on a forum devoted to late medieval Britain. Unfortunately I read it..5 minutes from my… Continue reading NOT AGAIN! THE LATEST FROM A CAIRO DWELLER …

SHAKESPEARE’S RICHARD III: HERO OR VILLAIN?

” Never let it be said that fate itself could awe the soul of Richard.            Hence babbling dreams, you threaten here in vain;            Conscience avaunt, Richard’s himself again” (The tragical history of King Richard the Third)[1]   Richard’s himself again: or is he? There is a moment in Olivier’s film of Shakespeare’s play… Continue reading SHAKESPEARE’S RICHARD III: HERO OR VILLAIN?

Ricardian Heavy Metal & Tyrell’s Rotten Rap

RUNNING WILD–BLOODY RED ROSE I came across this heavy metal song from the 1980’s a while back– BLOODY RED ROSE by Running Wild.  It is ‘pro-Richard III’  and here are the lyrics: In the war of the roses, the tragedy source King Edward was bound to die Richard III the new “lord protector” Ruled with… Continue reading Ricardian Heavy Metal & Tyrell’s Rotten Rap

Was Lord Stanley present when Hastings was arrested….?

Tomorrow is the 534th anniversary of the council meeting in the Tower that culminated in the arrest of Hastings. There have always been inconsistencies in accounts of that day, but the one I am concerned with is whether or not that treacherous snake, Thomas Stanley, was present. You see, according to whose version one reads, at… Continue reading Was Lord Stanley present when Hastings was arrested….?

LORD OF THE NORTH

Richard duke of Gloucester: courage, loyalty, lordship and law[1]   “ Men and kings must be judged in the testing moments of their lives Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because, as has been said, it is the quality that guarantees all others.” (Winston Churchill 1931)   Introduction I do not suppose… Continue reading LORD OF THE NORTH

Insurrection: Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell and the Pilgrimage of Grace

An intriguing new book by historian Susan Loughlin is about to be published by The History Press on April 4th of this year (2016) detailing an event in world history that has perhaps gone unnoticed by some historians and those who run with the history blogs and bloggers.       I first “met” Susan Loughlin  on the… Continue reading Insurrection: Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell and the Pilgrimage of Grace

Usurpation, Murder and More

Originally posted on Matt's History Blog:
I read a series of blog posts recently that sought to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Richard III ordered the deaths of his nephews. Whilst I don’t take issue with holding and arguing this viewpoint I found some of the uses of source material dubious, a few…