{PRESS} Reburial of Richard III

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On these really sad times full of murderers, awful bloody attacks and dangerous stupid gangsters, it is not unusual to bury dead but this 26 March, Britain innovated by a RE-burial. The dead? Richard III.

Historic background:
“The skeleton of King Richard III was discovered in 2012 in the foundations of Greyfriars church, Leicester, 500 years after he was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Richard III’s casket will lie in Leicester Cathedral for public viewing for three days until 26 March when he will be reinterred during a service attended by members of the royal family”. For the little story, this area was at this time, a car park…

Battle for a skeleton:
“The judges rejected the claim of distant relatives from the Plantagenet Alliance that justice secretary Chris Grayling was under a legal duty to set up a wide-ranging consultation over the reburial site.
The alliance, which was set up by the 16th great-nephew of Richard III, who had no direct descendants, favoured reinterment in York Minister, arguing it had been the wish “of the last medieval king of England” who was known as Richard of York.
[…] Dismissing a claim for wide-ranging public consultation, the judges said there was no “legitimate expectation” that Richard III’s “collateral descendants would be consulted after centuries in relation to an exhumed historical figure”. Any public consultation was “not capable of sensible limit” as there were potentially millions of collateral descendants of the king.”

The ceremony:
“The service to mark the reburial of King Richard III has taken place at Leicester Cathedral.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev Justin Welby, presided over the service with local senior clergy and representatives of world faiths.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were among the guests.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, a distant relation of the king, read a poem by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.
During the service, The Rt Rev Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, said: “People have come in their thousands from around the world to this place of honour, not to judge or condemn but to stand humble and reverent.
“From car park to cathedral…Today we come to give this King, and these mortal remains the dignity and honour denied to them in death.”” You can watch the ceremony with this link.

Around the ceremony:
Well, British are quite fond of their monarchies but that cannot really be the only reason to do such a thing about a reburial! So, with the incomparable sense of British costumes, why not doing a week end of medieval festivities?! The week end before the reburial, Leicester was the place of a medieval fair, children activities and other games. To see how big was the eventS, click on this dedicated website.