Richard III Society

Yesterday, we presented to you the Richard III Foundation and interviewed their CEO/President of the Foundation, Ms. Joe Ann Ricca.

Today, we present another research society dedicated to find out more about King Richard III’s time and life,

The Richard III Society

The Richard III Society was founded in the year 1924 by an amateur historian from Liverpool, the surgeon S. Saxon Barton. The original society was named “Fellowship of the White Boar” in reference to the badge of Richard III, showing a white boar.

White Boar of Richard III (Source: wikimedia.org)

In the 50th, the interest in King Richard III reached a peak, due to the filming of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” with Sir Laurence Olivier and the very popular publication “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey, which doubted the negative image of Richard III. (A very interesting article about this author by Robert McCrum in “The Observer”, 31st of July, 2011, can be found here.)

1959 the Society was renamed and took its current name “The Richard III Society”.

1980 Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester became patron of the society. What makes this event so extraordinary is, that King Richard III had been Duke of Gloucester before ascending to the throne and becoming King Richard III of England.

The different branches of the Richard III Society are world spanning. To name a few:

American Branch
Canadian Branch
New Zealand Branch
Australian Branch (Victoria)
German Branch (Website currently under construction)

Contact details:

Richard III Society
23 Ash Rise, Halstead
Essex
CO9 1RD
U.K.
wells4r3@btinternet.com
www.richardiii.net