Archaeology & History

Richard III to be reburied in Leicester

By T.K. Randall
March 23, 2015 ·  8 comments

Portrait of Richard III housed at the National Portrait Gallery, London. Image Credit: PD The much maligned 15th century king suffered a rather tumultuous life mired by physical deformities, a poor reputation and an untimely demise during the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

At the time of his death his remains were buried with little fanfare and the location of his grave would go on to remain a complete mystery for several centuries until researchers discovered his skeleton underneath a Leicester car park in 2012.

This week crowds of people lined the streets across the historic city as Richard was finally given the royal send-off that he deserved. Knights from a re-enactment group and a 21-gun salute completed the scene as his remains were carried along the roads to the beat of a drum."I always hoped there would be a little bit of interest," said Philippa Langley who, more than anyone, was responsible for the discovery of Richard's remains after searching for over ten years.

"I didn't forsee this global phenomenon. Richard's reputation has been returned to him."

The 15th century monarch is set to be interred at Leicester Cathedral on Thursday.

Source: Independent | Comments (8)

Tags: Richard III