Reminder:
Today at 9 p.m. is the Channel 4
is the 2nd part of the Richard III documentary
about the researches leading to the discovery of the king!
(More information at the Channel4 website.)

 

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♛ King Richard III ♛

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King Richard’s history is preserved by the University of Leicester.
Therefore the University bought the painting of King Richard III depicting him at the Blue Boar Inn on the eve of the Battle of Bosworth which had been at auction at Gildings in Market Harborough:
 

 
Professor Sir Robert Burgess, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, about the purchase of the painting:

I am delighted that the University of Leicester has been able to acquire this work of art. A picture of Richard III at the Blue Boar Inn was a ‘must have’ for the University, especially as it was painted by a local artist, and is an accurate portrayal of the Inn and links to our world class research. It will be a valuable addition to our art collection.

 
Richard Buckley reveales more background about the importance of the painting:

In my view, Fulleylove has really brought to life the departure of Richard III from the Blue Boar on the morning of 21st August 1485. Although he could not have painted the inn from life, as the building had been demolished 40 years previously, Fulleylove based his picture on engravings by John Flower which are now known to be accurate representations of the building. The picture also shows All Saint’s Church in the background and gives an impression of what the other buildings of Leicester’s medieval High Street may have looked like at this time.

 
The artist John Fulleylove, an English landscape artist and illustrator, was born in Leicester in 1845. He originally trained as an architect.
His work was widely exhibited in England, e.g. at the prestigious London venues like the Royal Academy, Royal Society of British Artists, Fine Art Society, Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.
He died at the age of fifty on 22nd of May 1908.

 

• BBC News Leicester: Richard III Blue Boar painting bought by university (27.02.2013)

 

Further news:

 

• A king might be anything, but boring. To this conclusion comes the following article in
  The Guardian: Richard III – review, by Lyn Gardner (21.02.2013) – Might Shakespeare have helped King Richard III?

 

• The next article is rather – how to be a good journalist and good academic, treating a good/bad/worse/brave king:
  The Guardian: King Richard III was a press man’s dream, but the furore drew criticism, by Ather Mirza (22.02.2013) – Was the presentation of the research and results about King Richard III done in the right way? Position of Ather Mirza, director of the University of Leicester News Centre, who has ably performed the difficult task to bring over 150 journalists from all over the world to come to Leicester for King Richard III.
  I commented on the mentioned ciriticism of the UoL on my fan-blog here.

 

• Daily Mail: The signature of a teenage king in waiting: 550-year-old hand-written book is signed by Richard III and contains his personal motto, by Olivia Williams (22.02.2013) – Manuscript with the handwriting of a young future King Richard III on display.

 

• Express.co.uk: Descendants of King Richard III ruled the free world, by Ian Read (24.02.2013) – Genealogist Anthony Adolph claims, that thousands of relatives of King Richard III are spread around the world and most are yet unaware of their royal ancestry. Before that background a poll might be necessary to come to a majority decision, rather than a letter of 9 relatives, claiming to speak with the voice of King Richard III and demanding York as last burial place for their ancestor.

 

• ITV: Rare book signed by Richard III goes on display (26.02.2013) – See the original signature of the young Richard III, at that time Duke of Gloucester.

 
 

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♛ Battle of the Cities ♛

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The next topic I unfortunately can’t present entirely unbiased. Because for me, the open letter of the relatives opens many more questions than it solves.
Relatives taking a stand in regard to the burial place for King Richard III opens questions and none of them even close to solving the questions about King Richard III himself, but rather what we see as the prerogative of relatives.
In a time, where we discuss, if relatives may decide when to turn off medical machines or take a needed decision at hospital, even when they are close kin like children or spouse, how can a decision by a group of relatives after about 17 generations look like, who could decide, who not, what degree of relation would have the more weight in a decision making process,…
So I rather stick with a poll among all found relatives, while it may take a while to find all.
And that still leaves the question unanswered, if the degree of relation should be taken into account and how it should be weighed in the decision making process.
 
You see, I did not even come to mention King Richard III, as I see the procedure from relatives problematic in itself, especially their statement:

With due humility and affection, we are and will remain his Majesty’s representatives and voice.

 
That is not to say that I am against York or against Leicester or for London or Westminster or Windsor or Middleham or …
Just that the method is not such a straight forward and clear one as the headlines of the newspaper articles make believe.
 

• Daily Mail: Richard III’s descendants demand York burial: Nine of his descendants oppose plans to bury him at Leicester Cathedral next year, by Daily Mail Reporter (25.02.2013)

 

• ITV: Bid to have Richard III buried in York gains momentum (25.02.2013)

 

• ITV: Richard III’s descendants call for York burial (25.02.2013)

 
I even find the whole discussion about the cities problematic, so I want to publish a letter, Roswitha sent out to requests to instrumentalize our website in the fight for York. Roswitha expresses so well, why we don’t take position in the battle of the cities:
 

[…] In the question about the cities, we remain neutral and don’t have any influence on the decision regarding the burial place for King Richard III.
We also don’t want to try to influence the decision, as it is a decision the towns and their citizens must come to terms with, as directly or indirectly they will fund the decision with their tax money.
 
Our initiative and website instead is a worldwide connection of fans of Richard Armitage, who in my opinion do not have a right to take the power of their global network to influence an ‘English’ decision.
 
As far as I know, the decision for Leicester was made early on and its settlement was pre-condition for the University of Leicester to even agree to start the archaeological research. This was at a time when nobody except Philippa Langley even believed in the possibility of really finding the remains of King Richard III.
As King Richard III was a historical aspect most towns so far did not hold too high in their esteem, so e.g. the Richard III museum in York is a privately founded and held museum, it is a strange thing that the towns now are fighting over him. Though I also see the beneficial aspect of it for marketing King Richard III right now.
Tourist streams and the consequential money are the major motivator for most competitors in the fight for the remains of King Richard III, so I would not see that aspect as a possibility to discern between the competitors.
 
I personally am much more interested in a good and well researched presentation of the story of King Richard III in each town, than in the fact whichever town will get the burial place. Eventual research grants to find out more about the town’s story in relation to King Richard III and a good exhibition of the finds would do a great deal to enhance each of the fighting towns’ status as an authority to speak about King Richard III.
So also would a film do much to promote a new view and closer look at the life and times of King Richard III by a wider audience and that is the reason why we try to show our support with our petition to help a film to be made.
 
I hope this can appease a bit your feelings about the towns and their fighting.
 
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