Sunday Life, the colour supplement to Sydney’s Sun Herald, recently (3 May 2009) contained a short history of the lipstick.  The author Liz Henderson reports that “Colouring was fashionable for medieval courtiers in Western Europe.  Both men and women wore lip rouge under King Edward IV in the 1460s…”

So we started wondering whether Richard III, as a courtier at Edward IV’s court, would have worn lip colour.  And if so, what shade.  Julia suggested Mellow Middleham or Fotheringhay Frost.  It surely could not have been Lancastrian Red Rose!

We send this fascinating titbit to Lesley Boatwright, who is the contact for the Ricardian Bulletin, who said she would try to find out more about it.  If she is successful we might find out in the September Bulletin.

Tags: Richard III