Richard III – New Spine Research
Shakespearean truth is theatrical truth, so is crunched, condensed and bended to fit the stage.
The same seems to apply for the spine of King Richard III…
New research confirms the side bending scoliosis and the higher right shoulder, though in combination with the found spiral helix form, King Richard III might have appeared normal to observers and rather un-handicapped in his movements.
This rather limits the potential timeframe of the ‘revealing’ of his ‘deformity’ down to his naked exposure in Leicester after his death. And, via the told and re-told versions of a century, enhanced and sensationalised, the stage version of Shakespeare’s King Richard III comes out.
Published report about the scientific reconstruction of King Richard III’s spine:
Research done by the University of Leicester in co-operation with the University of Cambridge, Loughborough University and the University Hospitals of Leicester.
(Copyright of the included material: University of Leicester)
- The Lancet: The scoliosis of Richard III, last Plantagenet King of England: diagnosis and clinical significance,
Interactive model of the spine here:
(Copyright: University of Leicester)
Explanations and interview with Professor Bruno Morgan and Dr Piers Mitchell about their spine reconstruction here via SoundCloud:
Further background articles on the topic:
- Antiquity: ‘The king in the car park’: new light on the death and burial of Richard III in the Grey Friars church, Leicester, in 1485, by Richard Buckley, Mathew Morris, Jo Appleby, Turi King, Deirdre O’Sullivan and Lin Foxhall (Antiquity, Volume: 87, Number: 336, Page: 519–538)
- Timees Literary Supplement (TLS): Richard Crookback, by Sarah Knight and Mary Ann Lund (06.02.2013)
- Scoliosis Research Society: Idiopathic Scoliosis
We will try to cover the topic in the article news-stream of KRA as usual.
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Defence Costs More Than Dig
With King Richard III, the good and the bad always are so close together.
For Leicester to win the court battle while losing money, much more money than the initial dig for King Richard III had cost, certainly is a truth fully in the tradition of King Richard III’s reign.
- Leicester Mercury: Richard III: High Court battle leaves winners with £250,000 costs, by Peter Warzynski (29.05.2014)
Videos by the University of Leicester about the revelation of the results from the High Court (23.05.2014):
- University of Leicester (YouTube): Richard III – The Judicial Review Decision, UniversityLeicester YouTube Channel (26.05.2014)
- University of Leicester (YouTube): Richard III – The Judicial Review Decision – Press Conference, UniversityLeicester YouTube Channel (25.05.2014)
Richard III in Leicester Cathedral
The results of the High Court hearing in London are in!
The burial license granted to the UoL will not be revoked, allowing now that the started burial procedures in Leicester can continue and a timely burial in Leicester Cathedral can be expected.
High Court judgment: Plantagenet Alliance v Leicester City Council and others. (RIchard III burial)
http://t.co/ZhDpD5eQRT
— Judicial Office (@JudiciaryUK) May 23, 2014
The legal document of the review can be accessed here as a pdf-file and was published on 23 May 2014.
To a burial of King Richard III in dignity and with honour!
Theatre & History & Richard III
First of all, congratulations to Mark Selby, the ‘Jester from Leicester’.
I know, he has nothing to do with King Richard III’s court, though a good jester surely could have been of value there. But I am quite sure King Richard III might have enjoyed the dramatic finale in the Snooker World Championship as well. When two of my favourite Snooker players are in the final competition, unfortunately only one of them can win. Great match, great players, worthy finale!
Now to another delicacy for all readers from and visiting London…
♛ Richard III in London ♛
Custom Practice
is an ambitious theatre company from London, founded in 2010.
Their newest production, Shakespeare’s Richard III, by director Rae McKen uses authentic historical costume, designed by Fraz Roughton.
The pictures from the production already shared on Facebook give an interesting glimps of the time and how King Richard III and his comtemporaries might have looked like.
Facebook Foto-Album (Also visible without Facebook account.)
Richard III
Till 18th of May 2014: in The Cockpit, London
From Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd of June 2014: in the Greenwich Theatre, London
Custom Practice (on Facebook)
Custom Practice (Richard III – website)
