Happy 561st birthday, King Richard III !

King Richard III’s first birthday after being found !

 
 
Let’s celebrate a king, who, after over 500 years can activate a fierce followership and easily start a – no, what am I talking about – numerous burning controversies.
Who else from history can say that about himself after all that time.
 
 

 
 
Now, how best to celebrate a king?

 

 
Or would you like to celebrate with an audio play?

 
King Richard III must feel right at home in modern times and we have a strange way of making him feel welcome.
But he certainly must see the parallels to his time. Skirmishes everywhere and all ready to do battle.
What a perfect continuation of the Wars of the Roses in its modern form.
I even feel compelled to say that he might be glad, that his duty as king is over and he now can continue as a spectator.
 
But the whole movements are perfect to finally give King Richard III the attention he deserves and even if you don’t agree with the one or other argument, at least they are a perfect marketing way to draw interest to his wishes, which nobody considered (during his life and especially) at and after his death 500 years ago.
 

Want to know more about King Richard III?

 
If you want to learn more about King Richard III and his time and life, the University of Leicester will hold a free online course (distance learning) on the platform FutureLearn.
See the announcement for it on Medievalists.net.
 
The course will be held by Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Ancient History, Deirdre O’Sullivan from the University of Leicester
and will start on 25th of November 2013.
Duration: 6 weeks
Approx. time: 2 hours per week
No previous experiences necessary, so, if interested, join the online course here.
 
 

♛ King Richard III ♛

• HistoryExtra.com: Richard III tomb design unveiled by Leicester Cathedral, by Emma McFarnon (20.09.2013)

 

• TheTablet.co.uk: Finally, the judical review raises hopes of a Catholic burial for Richard III, by Angela Searles, guest contributor (20.09.2013) – With an ePetition for a Catholic church service for King Richard III.

 

• Daily Mail: The caricatured King and I: Why PHILIPPA LANGLEY, the author who located the remains of Richard III, wants to restore his reputation, by Marylin Swan (21.09.2013) – Interesting background article about Philippa Langley and her relentless search for King Richard III.

 

• Las Vegas Review Journal: Admirer of Richard III joins argument over burial site, by Jane Ann Morrison (22.09.2013) – Joe Ann Ricca, a very knowledgeable supporter of King Richard III and contributor to the KRA-website.

 

• LivingWithKingRichard (Blog): Changing Tombs, by Serpentine Black (22.09.2013) – I don’t really agree with that argument against the Richard III Society’s design, but I am certain the historian in me speaks here. As their design tried to get a contemporary sign language onto the tomb for King Richard III, which would be recognizable and honorable for the king himself, while already reducing it to a minimum to please a modern generation used to scarce and minimal designs. This bridging of the time and pleasing two sets of expectations, was really done well and thoughtfully, so I am not astonished about the great support the design by the Richard III Society got. But read the wider argument and see illustrations accompanying it here in this post by new blogger Serpentine Black.

 

• HistoryExtra.com: Richard III Society members withhold donations for king’s tomb in design row, by Emma McFarnon (23.09.2013)

 

• The York Press: Richard III tomb ‘looks like it was designed by Ikea’ (23.09.2013) – From the argument of Vanessa Roe – Richard’s 16th great-niece and part of the Plantagenet Alliance – it seems the design is more for our times and especially an Ikea clientele than for a king of 500 years back.

 

• ThisIsLeicestershire.co.uk: Leicester City urges fans to back Richard III campaign, by Peter Warzynski (23.09.2013)

 

• ThisIsGloucestershire.co.uk: ‘Raiding party’ may bring Richard III home to Gloucester, by The Citizen (23.09.2013)

 

• BBC News: Funds withdrawn in Richard III Leicester tomb row (23.09.2013)

 

• The Independent: Richard III tomb donors withdraw money over design, by Nick Clark (23.09.2013)

 

• Daily Mail: Funds for Richard III’s tomb are pulled because the proposed modern design ‘doesn’t befit a warrior king’, Sarah Griffiths (23.09.2013)

 

• BBC News: Richard III parliamentary petition misses target (24.09.2013) – There will be no Parliamentary Debate about King Richard III, as the petition has failed to gaine the required 100.000 signatures. But over 36.000 signatures is a success in itself.
  There are some further petitions going on, though I lately have the impression that they appear much too liberally. Regarding some, I have sent messages to the initiators to confirm the intent and issuers of King Richard III related petitions, but did not get feedback, so I won’t mention those here.

 

• The Telegraph: A sordid song and dance over Richard III’s bones. The furious arguments about where and how to bury old Crook Back are ultimately pointless. By Christopher Howse (24.09.2013) – Very knowledgeable and informative article about kings burial locations and the dispute about King Richard III.

 

• Leicester Mercury: Richard III: Bosworth flag set to sell for thousands, by David W. Owen (24.09.2013) – Original relic of a defeat or a victory over time?

 

• Leicester Mercury: Richard III: Hundreds have their say on tomb designs (25.09.2013) – Feedback to the new tomb design revealed by Leicester Cathedral. (Feedback to tomb was: 78% No / 22% Yes)

 

• AccessHollywood.com: The White Queen Q&A: Aneurin Barnard Talks Taking On Richard III (28.09.2013)

 

• Leicester Mercury: Leicester’s Chinese twin city backing Richard III campaign, by Peter Warzynski (28.09.2013) – King Richard III does not only cause controversy, but also strong international support.

 

• BBC News: ‘Battle of Bosworth relic’ sells at Derbyshire auction (28.09.2013)

 

• ThisIsLeicestershire.co.uk: Runners backing campaign to keep Richard III in Leicester, by David Owen (30.09.2013) – Wide enthusiasm for the petition for Leicester. A few more days to sign, while the York petition already closed.

 

• ThisIsLeicestershire.co.uk: Kasabian: Richard III’s a Leicester boy and should be buried here, by Leicester Mercury (01.10.2013) – For whom is the publicity? For Leicester, for Kasabian or – eventually – really for King Richard III?

 

• ITV.com: Flag to fly for Richard III (02.10.2013) – On his birthday, King Richard III’s standard is raised over Middleham Castle in his honor.

 

• Twitter.com: Aneourin Barnard Birthday tweet for King Richard III (02.10.2013)
  

  Huge Happy Birthday to Richard The Third!!! pic.twitter.com/k6iIBt63j9

  — aneurin barnard (@aneurinBarnard) October 2, 2013

 

• Leicester Mercury: Richard III: 30,000 people sign petition to keep king in Leicester, by Peter Warzynski (02.10.2013)

 

• Leicester Mercury: Bury the king in the city, says Leicester City’s King (02.10.2013) – Now what have foxes, football and a Mr. King to do with King Richard III? Find out in Leicester…

Due to strange internet connectivity problems, this post unfortunately is very late. Still I hope, King Richard III has/had great 561st birthday celebrations.
My internet connection gets a complete technical check by the provider next Monday and hopefully the source of all the problems will finally be found and eliminated.