Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Search for Richard III

They still haven't found his body. Unbelievable.
Richard III was crowned at Westminster Abbey in July 1483 and died in August 1485 fighting his enemies led by Henry Tudor. He was the last English king to be killed in battle and the last Plantagenet king. He was followed by the Tudor kings Henry VII and Henry VIII. Richard Buckley, of the University of Leicester archaeology service, said: "The big question for us is determining the whereabouts of the church on the site and also where in the church the body was buried.

"Although in many ways finding the remains of the king is a long shot, it is a challenge we shall undertake enthusiastically."

The team will use ground-penetrating radar to help find the best places to dig. Philippa Langley, of the Richard III Society, said: "Richard III is a charismatic figure who attracts tremendous interest.

"Partly because he has been so much maligned in past centuries and partly because he occupies a pivotal place in English history.

"The continuing interest in Richard means that many fables have grown up around his grave.

"Although local people like Alderman Herrick in 1612 knew precisely where he was buried - and Herrick was able to show visitors a handsome stone pillar marking the king's grave in his garden - nevertheless at the same time unlikely stories were spread of Richard's bones being dug up and thrown into the river Soar.

"Other fables, equally discredited, claimed that his coffin was used as a horse trough." (Read entire post.)
Share

No comments: