Many Ricardians from the New South Wales Branch have been inundated inrecent weeks with cuttings from the UK press and guides to websites.  “ Did you know about this?” is a frequent question and we have kindly replied that “Yes, we did” and refrained from pointing out that even in the southern hemisphere we have internet access, over and above the constant stream of information provided by our contacts in the UK.

However, accompanying article titles on the lines of “we had a hunch it was Richard” only emphasised the opinion of the general public who until now have relied on Shakespeare and Sir Thomas as relaying the gospel truth.  So when you find a headline such as “Was Shakespeare right about the Killer King?” and “The Truth about the Bard’s hunchbacked despot” you can’t blame the sinking of the hearts of countless Ricardians.

Happily in this case we have nothing to fear:  In an article in the UK Daily Express dated 13 September  2012, Julie Carpenter kicks off by saying that Richard has always had a bad press and it is all Shakespeare’s fault and, because “ it is a cracker of a play, it is regularly performed”.  Then she does a swift recap of recent productions that revealed him as bleach-blond psychopath, slithery reptilian brute, and limping menace with a metal leg brace.

So she welcomes the news of the dig at Leicester that may shed more light on the real Richard – or at least make people think more carefully about the damning press he has suffered over the centuries.  She has great quotes from those involved who, by coincidence or deliberate care at their christenings by parents with foresight,  are named Richard.  They includeRichard Taylor of the University of Leicester whose archaeologists discovered the skeleton – “The search for King Richard III has taken a dramatic new turn”.

This is followed by a complimentary look at the Richard III Society, whose belief in the need for the King’s reputation to be rehabilitated, backed up by our Patron HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.  Then some great comments from Richard van Allen, the Society’s public relations officer who succinctly sums up the Tudor line of thought,  “Henry Tudor wasnot directly inline and killing a king was a fairly heinous crime  … TheTudors were always very aware that, if you like, they had stolen the throne.”  Hence the anti-Richard propaganda plans.

Richard van Allen also denies that Polydor Vergil’s description of Richard being “little of stature, deformed of body” has no foundation.  “From the age of about 14 he was an active soldier … He was the last warriorking and the lastking of England to lead histroops into battle.”

As for the Princes in the Tower:  “there are many theories but nothing can be proved academically,” says Richard van Allen.  “We don’t actually know what happened to them… Lots of people had a good reason to kill them.”  He also comments on Richard’s concern regarding the laws of the land and his beginning of overhauling them.  “He had the potential to be a very good king”.

He goes on, “Even if the newly unearthed bones are not his, we hope this discovery will attract more interest in Richard and have people asking `what was he like?’  It gives us a chance to say that we have lots of academics of medieval history who overturn the view that he was a villainous murderer.”

That said, it is such a shame that the main illustration for this article is of Kevin Spacey lurching villainously across the stage epitomising the ill-informed general opinion of the last Plantagenet king.  The portrait of Richard, the one with which all Ricardians are so familiar, is a small inset.  I longed to see that someone had selected a picture of the statue in Leicester’s Castle Gardens that shows Richard III as a splendid soldier and upright king.

Loyaulte me lie

PS Perhaps I am too harsh about Killer King and Hunchbacked Despot headlines! A career on countless magazines from high gloss fashion to celebrity gossip has seen me write similar headlines and intros to attract unsuspecting readers and draw their attention to the excellent informative main story.  Let’s hope it works here and introduces more people to the Man Behind the Myth.

Tags: Leicester, Leicester Greyfriars Dig, Richard III