Monthly Archives: March 2013

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A Tomb for King Richard III !

Published March 12, 2013 | By CDoart

 
The next news – I must admit – rather saddens me.
 
Rules and guidelines are made by persons, so if people want to hide behind rules, they find them fitting their opinion, as otherwise they would adjust the guidelines. Especially in an extraordinary and unexpected situation like this – when obviously the previously made guidelines can only cover anticipated situations, while the finding of King Richard III was certainly not among those.
 
 

♛ King Richard III ♛

 

 
You certainly can imagine that I, wanting a film to be made about the king and to bring attention to his time and life, will not be content with hiding the king beneath a floor stone. That is o.k. for a memorial plate, but for his burial, no, absolutely no way. He was beneath a simple floor already for far too long.
 
And the only opinions against the tomb design I encountered when the design was revealed in February 2013, were of the opinion that it was too modest. Even then, the tomb design got the support of 80 % in a poll at ThisIsLeicestershire.co.uk.
 
So, please vote in the poll – tomb or memorial stone – on the website of ThisIsLeicestershire.co.uk.
Thank you !
 
 

Further News:

 

 

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Portraits of a King

Published March 11, 2013 | By fitzg

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♛ Portraits of a King ♛

 

by Fitzg

 
Richard III - Broken Sword portrait NPG 148; King Richard III by Unknown artist
 
There are more than twenty portraits acknowledged to depict the last Plantagenet king of England.
 
These two are particularly of interest, as they are identified as mid- late sixteenth century copies of lost fifteenth century originals.
 
The dating of paintings is both science and art, incorporating history, details of costume, era, characteristics of brush strokes – and forensics, radio-carbon and dendrochronology dating. There is much in common with the identification of the Greyfriars, Leicester skeleton. In fact, it is tempting to surmise that the identification of bones is more exact than the identification of and dating of paint on canvas or wood panels. For one thing, DNA analysis doesn’t pertain to paint/wood/canvas. For another dendrochronolgy + radio-carbon dating are not necessarily exact.
 

Richard III - Broken Sword portrait

Richard III – Broken Sword portrait (Source: Society of Antiquaries of London)


 
This has been dated to anywhere between 1518 and 1550. 1550 is favoured by some, as it was the time of publication of the “Sainted More’s” description of the hunchback with the withered arm. (Thomas More; 14 -15 , martyred by Henry (Tudor) VIII. More’s History of Richard III was influential in Shakespeare’s Richard III.) A broken sword can be interpreted as symbolic of failure; in a regal portrait, as symbolic of prematurely ended reign by violence, battle, deposition and usurpation. Note the narrow eyes, thin lips, deformed hand and somewhat clenched jaw. Obviously, not a trustworthy man….Richard III was an excellent target for Tudor propaganda reducing the usurped line of the Plantagenets to tyrants and debauches.
 
NPG 148; King Richard III by Unknown artist

NPG 148; King Richard III by Unknown artist (Source: National Portrait Gallery)


 
This is my favourite portrait, as it was the inspiration for Josephine Tey’s detective in The Daughter of Time. As a result of Tey’s book, I was an ardent Ricardian for many years. Dendrochronology dates the work to c. 1590. Note the higher right shoulder suggesting some form of deformity in a portrait purportedly of the late Tudor era. (This format does not allow for graphically designing blood dripping from the highlighted name of Tudor….)
 

“There’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face”.

Malcolm, act 1, scene IV MacBeth.

 
Perhaps not. Yet we will all react to immediate expressions in others as indications of their emotions in the moment. We will even designate a face in repose as “pleasant” or “shifty” or “mean”, or “benevolent” etc.
 
One of the contemporary (and considered to be most objective) descriptions of Richard III is that of “an itinerant knight from Silesia”. Niklas von Poppolau provided the following in his 1484 travel diary: “…a high-born prince, three fingers taller than I, but a bit slimmer and not as thickset as I am, and much more lightly-built; he has slender shoulders and thighs.” As with other contemporary descriptions, there is no reference to hunched back or withered arm.
 
Characters in The Daughter of Time react to the NPG portrait in sympathetic ways (to support the author’s thesis) to the question of the detective: what do you think of this face?
 

The Midget: “Liver.” A succinct nurse’s opinion.
The Surgeon: “Poliomyelitis.”
The Matron: “…the most desperately unhappy face that I have ever encountered…”

 
As to stature, the king was generally described as “small”. Professor Jo Appleby of the Leicester University team deduced from bone measurements that, without scoliosis, Richard III would have stood 5’8” (1.72m). The average male height today in North America is 5’8” – 5’10”. The degree of scoliosis reduced a man of good height to 1.61m. Definitely short with the spinal curvature.
As the king was continually described (as prince and king) as a great battle fighter, despite the slender build, also noted by Prof. Appleby, Richard III must have built up muscle, despite the pain of the pain of the disability. (A 15th century sword weighs between five and eight pounds. And both strength and balance must be adapted to the disability. Apparently, Usain Bolt also suffers from scoliosis.)
 
 

NPG 148; King Richard III by Unknown artist

NPG 148; King Richard III by Unknown artist (Source: National Portrait Gallery)
Facial Reconstruction (Caroline)

Richard III; skull reconstruction: Caroline

 
Note the high cheekbones, prominent chin and not dissimilar set of the eyes and brows in these depictions. The nose of the portrait Richard is longer, with a shorter upper lip.
 

Richard Armitage (Robin Hood s3)

Richard Armitage (Robin Hood s3) – (Source: RANet.com)


 
The actor is clearly not a clone of either the portrait or of the reconstructed face. However, there is sufficient resemblance in the high cheekbones, prominent nose and delicately formed mouth for a convincing performance of the king. And many hope for the successful backing and funding for such a production to become a reality.
 
 
The perpetrator of this article descended down several rabbit holes in the process. I was sidetracked by:
 

  • Fingerprint authentication of masterpieces;

    •  

  • Dendrochronology – tree-ring dating….

    •  

  • Questions pertaining to the effects of scoliosis, and the little information so far detailed by the Leicester project scientists…. more please!

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  • Niklas von Poppolau, “itinerant knight” from Silesia; invited to the court of Richard III; who was this man??? How did a foreign mere knight scrounge such an invitation???

 
It was sometimes difficult to remember what I thought was the focus of the article….but it was useful background.
 

 

SOURCES and REFERENCES

 

 
 

This article was created by guest-blogger Fitzg !

 
 

 
 
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– RIII-articles from the year 2012 – complete list of the year 2011 –

 

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Richard Armitage about King Richard & News

Published March 10, 2013 | By CDoart

 

♛ King Richard Armitage ♛

 

Today’s preview for an interview with Richard Armitage about King Richard III on Wednesday, 13.03.2013, at 11 a.m. on BBC Radio Leicester:
 
(I had not expected RANet.com to show such an interest in King Richard III and so had transcribed the Richard Armitage interview preview about the king myself. As the selected passage is a bit different, I still upload my transcription as well.
Here is RANet.com’s version and the uploaded audio-file.)
 
 
Emily Anderson asked RA about what he made about all the Richard III goings on.
 

It’s very exciting. […] The dig was fascinating and I sort of watched every step of the way and seeing the facial reconstruction as well was also fascinating.
But I was named after Richard. My father had a real passion for his story and I was born on the 22nd of August, which is the day that he died at the Battle of Bosworth.
[…] I remember being a little bit cross with my dad for naming me after a hunchback monster, but of course, you know, he was a Ricardian so he believed in something quite different to what Shakespeare was talking about and I have adopted that passion, I suppose.
So yeah, I am kind of interested in his life.

 
Emily Anderson: So it has a special significance for you and as we have heard from the originator of the search, Philippa Langley, I am sure you have heard her speaking quite fondly of Richard III, it looks like history might need to be re-written.
 

Well yeah. I mean, there is not an awful lot there.
Any documentation that really was around at the time of his life was either destroyed or just simply didn’t exists, so we don’t really know an awful lot about him and certainly not any psychology as to why he was perceived in the way that he was. […]
The physical thing aside, you know, with regard to the scoliosis, at the time […] the idea of someone who is physically deformed being a malevolent person was actually quite a normal thing. Obviously we think differently to that today.
It would be interesting to have another look at his life aside from Shakespeares fantastic villain.
But really it is almost a pantomime creation and I am interested in looking at a psychological version of that story, whereby we try to understand […] who he was and why he did the things he did.

 
Emily Anderson: There have been various quotes from you from other people’s suggestion that may be you’d be the perfect person to play Richard III if there were to be a screenplay or film about him.
 

Well, I find that very flattering.
I mean I live in a dream world of may be doing that, but I’m a little bit too tall and perhaps a little bit too old now, but I certainly like to be involved in a production, whether that’s on stage or on film I don’t know.

 
Emily Anderson: Philippa Langley, who was the originator of the search, has told the BBC Radio Leicester, she can’t see past you, Richard Armitage, for the role and she is writing a screenplay at the moment.
 

Yes. I have read her screenplay and I have been in contact with Philippa for a long time and, you know, I was so thrilled that she was able to be such an integral part of that dig and as […] a member of the Richard III Society.
So I just want to offer my congratulations to her for that success.

 
Emily Anderson: Have you been to Leicester yet since the find of Richard III? Because obviously we have got the dig site, we’ve got the visitors’ centre, a brand new
visitors’ center opening next year. Is that may be something you could be tempted to have a look at?
 

Without a doubt. I mean, it’s definitely on my list of things to do.
I think it is a real privilege for Leicester to have that find.
I suppose the idea of a re-burial is now on everyone’s lips.

 
Emily Anderson: Can I ask you your opinion?
 

I think, he should probably stay where he was found.

 
Emily Anderson: In Leicester. So next year, when the re-internment happens, maybe we could see you in Leicester to come along and have a look for yourself?
 

For sure. Without a doubt.

 
Dave Andrews: You heard him. We might expect him here now definitely. […]
Too old, too tall?
One can do marvelous things these days, can’t they, when doing film. I don’t think the age bit.
He looks pretty good for his age and as Philippa Langley who wrote the screenplay or has written the screenplay already, pointed out, you know, in those days back, in Richard III’s day, they didn’t have the moisturizers and all the creams and that sort of things. They probably would have looked older than he actually was.
Anyway, I think he still would be great in that particular part.
 
 

♛ FanstRAvaganza 4 ♛

 
A big Fan-Event is coming up this week in the Richard Armitage Fandom.
It is in the 4th year of its existence and every year more bloggers join in to celebrate Richard Armitage for one week of blogging.
The event takes place on the individual blogs and has a central Facebook page as well, so not to miss anything, watch out for FanstRAvaganza!
 
The KingRichardArmitage website will join in, though the planned schedule might get a bit distracted and side-stepped by the current interview of Richard Armitage on BBC Radio Leicester about King Richard III.
 
The KRA-articles for FanstRAvaganza 4 are marked with this banner and will be available via a similar banner at the right side:
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Can you imagine how curious I had been before today’s interview preview? ;o)
 
 

♛ King Richard III ♛

 

 

♛ Battle of the Cities ♛

 

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Sunday Lunch With King Richard Armitage

Published March 8, 2013 | By CDoart

 
That Richard Armitage wants to dine with King Richard III, we read in one of his first ever short messages on Twitter (@TheHobbitMovie) last Wednesday (06.03.2013):
 


 
Enabled by BBC Radio Leicester, we can have lunch with our king, perhaps a bit a late lunch this coming Sunday, 10.03.2013 at 1 p.m. [U.K. time], and a bit early on Wednesday, 13.03.13 at 11 a.m. [U.K. time]:


 
Listen to the broadcast online on BBC Radio Leicester.
 
 
Ali from RichardArmitageNet.com also asked the interviewer, Ms. Emily Anderson on Twitter about the content of the two radio shows:


 
Sunday in Dave Andrews show will be a preview and Wednesday in the show by Jim Davis the full interview !
 
Mark the dates and re-schedule all other meetings to listen to the live stream:

On BBC Radio Leicester.
 
Sunday, 10.03.2013 at 1 p.m. [U.K. time (GMT)]
 
Wednesday, 13.03.2013 at 11 a.m. [U.K. time (GMT)]

 

Or listen to the later available and downloadable podcasts, which become available about a day or two later under the same link:
BBC Radio Leicester
 

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Richard III – The Human Being behind the Bones

Published March 6, 2013 | By CDoart

 

♛ King Richard Armitage ♛

 
Can it really be true? A dream, to get answers from Mr. Armitage !
 
You surely know what I wanted to know in my question, but to document it, here comes the Twitter-Question:
 


 

♛ King Richard – A Human Being ♛

 
Could Shakespeare’s devilish King Richard III have a human side?

All the articles in newspapers about this topic ask the question, if King Richard III had been a ‘control freak’.
My simple answer to that would be, no. He could not have been, because the word as well as the pattern had not been developed back then.
He could not have been something that was not invented yet.
I would much rather think that in his time, those tendencies would more likely have been judged as caring sovereign or something comparable, especially in contrast to previous not so caring kings.
 
But the psychological analysis Professor Mark Lansdale, Head of the university’s School of Psychology, and forensic psychologist Dr. Julian Boon answered this question with much more attention to detail.
Their analysis gives ‘flesh’ to the found bones and in a way also creates a human image of the king.
They examined the approach to see King Richard III as ‘murdering psychopath’, as he was portrayed by Shakespeare.
Though they dismissed this notion, as no signs of narcissism, deviousness, callousness, recklessness, lack of empathy in close relationships, which would be clear signs for this psychological trait, were reported for King Richard III.
 
Their conclusion of an ‘intolerance to uncertainty’ is much more based on the circumstances in which Richard III grew up, the uneasiness and insecurity of his position and environment.
 
Professor Mark Lansdale explains this conclusion:

This syndrome is associated with a need to seek security following an insecure childhood, as Richard had. In varying degrees, it is associated with a number of positive aspects of personality including a strong sense of right and wrong, piety, loyalty to trusted colleagues, and a belief in legal processes – all exhibited by Richard.
On the negative side it is also associated with fatalism, a tendency to disproportionate responses when loyalty is betrayed and a general sense of ‘control freakery’ that can, in extreme cases, emerge as very authoritarian or possibly priggish. We believe this is an interesting perspective on Richard’s character.
[…]
Overall, we recognise the difficulty of drawing conclusions about people who lived 500 years ago and about whom relatively little is reliably recorded; especially when psychology is a science that is so reliant upon observation.
However, noting that this is the problem historians work with as a matter of routine, we argue that a psychological approach provides a distinct and novel perspective: one which offers a different way of thinking about the human being behind the bones.

 
 

♛ King Richard III ♛

 

  • ThisIsLeicestershire.co.uk: Rare Richard III coin up for sale, by Leicester Mercury (01.03.2013) – Not only about the announced coin, but also quite interesting conclusion about the burial rite for King Richard III, a Catholic, buried in a protestant Cathedral by the Church of England.

    •  

  • ThisIsLeicestershire.co.uk: Richard III: Mayor to recruit duo for project, by Leicester Mercury (01.03.2013) – King Richard III already is treated like a ‘treasure’ in Leicester. The museum project gets money to accommodate the exhibition planned to open its doors early in the year 2014.

    •  

  • The Telegraph: Duke of Gloucester’s concern for Richard III’s ‘dignity’, by Tim Walker (02.03.2013) The Duke of Gloucester met Dr. Philip Stone, chairman of the Richard III Society, to discuss the intended procedures for King Richard III.

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  • ITV: The Choir for King Richard III (02.03.2013) – Embedding of the video with the choir and interview with the choirmaster was not possible, so please follow the link to VIMEO to open the video.

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  • ITV: Richard III: Ceremony to remember Battle of Bosworth fallen (03.03.2013) – White roses in memory of the king and the 1.000 killed with him in the Battle of Bosworth.

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  • Christian Today (Australia): How do they know it is Richard III – or – is that stuff on CSI real, after all?, by Mark Tronson (04.03.2013) – Background about the scientific methods used by the researchers in Leicester.

    •  

  • New Statesman: New evidence: Was Richard III guilty of murdering the Princes in the Tower? By Amy Licence (05.03.2013) – Announcing the publication of her book in April 2013, the author announces to give new evidence to the centuries old mystery of who killed the Princes in the Tower.

    •  

  • ThisIsLeicestershire.co.uk: Richard III: Top archaeology award for University of Leicester team, by Laura Elvin, Leicester Mercury (05.03.2013) – Readers of the magazine “Current Archaeology” voted the Richard III project as the research project of the year.
    The magazine will have a special report about the digging in the next issue, becoming available on Friday, 08.03.2013.
    Mr. Buckley when receiving the price in London:

    I am proud to accept this award for the Grey Friars Project and, in particular, I want to thank Philippa Langley (member of the Richard III Society), who raised the money for the investigation and never doubted for a minute we would find Richard III.

    •  

  • The Millions: Proving a Villain: The Search for Richard III, by Will Glovinsky (06.03.2013) – Can we dismiss Shakespeare’s depiction of King Richard III entirely or what can we learn from it?
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August 22, 2019

10 things you need to know about the battle of Bosworth (by Chris Skidmore, BBC History Extra)

June 16, 2019

Philippa Langley on RIII – Podcast: BBC Interview of 6th January, 2015 (RadioPublic.com)

February 20, 2019

Richard III: Leicester Cathedral £11.3m plans approved (by BBC East Midlands, BBC News)

October 4, 2018

The battle for Bosworth field: Historians react to decision to build on battlefield where Richard III died (by Rachel Dinning, BBC History Extra)

May 23, 2018

Richard III find historian John Ashdown-Hill dies (BBC News)

April 9, 2018

The secret intimacies of Edward IV: multiple marriages and a same-sex affair? (by Dr. John Ashdown-Hill, History Extra)

October 24, 2017

EXCLUSIVE: “Sleepwalker” star Richard Armitage is Living the Dream (by Izumi Hasegawa, What’s Up Hollywood)

September 12, 2017

Was Richard III a loyal brother or murderous tyrant? 60 seconds with Chris Skidmore (by Rachel Dinning, History Extra)

February 24, 2017

Richard III’s Prayer Book Goes Online … and Is That a Personal Note? (by Stephanie Pappas, Live Science)

December 1, 2016

Love, Love, Love’s Richard Armitage on Dancing Like a Teenager Backstage, His Royal Bucket List Role & More (by Broadway.com Staff, The Broadway Channel)

 

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