The big problem for the coming weekend is to decide which party to attend.  There is the barbecue in honour of Richard III’s birthday in the Southern Highlands hosted by the NSW Branch of the Richard III Society.  However, if you can’t make this, you might consider the party at the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre.

The Bosworth party in honour of Richard’s 559th birthday will take place from 11h00 to 15h00 on Sunday 2 October 2011.  The highlight will be at 12h00, when King Richard III dressed in full battle armour will tour the courtyard with his ‘men at arms’.

David Sprason, Leicestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities, said:

This is a great opportunity to celebrate what would have been Richard III’s 559th Birthday! The Battle of Bosworth was a defining moment in British history and had King Richard lived, the Country may have been on a completely different course. The celebrations at the Battlefield will take visitors back to medieval times and will be a great day out for the whole family.

More info:  ‘You are cordially invited to King Richard III’s Birthday Party!’, In Loughborough

Illustration:  © Andrew Jamieson, www.http://www.jamiesongallery.com

Tags: Bosworth, Richard III

Last Sunday saw a select band of members and friends of the New South Wales Branch attend morning service at beautiful Mary’s Anglican Church in Waverley, to remember King Richard III and all who fell with him at the battle on August 22, 1485.

We were warmly welcomed at the beginning of the service and, just before the end, wishes were expressed that we had found the service rewarding, as indeed we did. And at morning tea with the Parish afterwards we made more friends – and handed out brochures about why the Society exists and some explanations about why we feel it is so important to champion a maligned king. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Bosworth, Church, NSW Branch, Richard III

While I sit here writing this, it is just past 14h30 – that is here in Sydney, where – at least when it comes to time – we are ahead of most of the rest of the world.  In about 9 hours, when it is 14h30 in the UK, a new walking trail will be officially opened at the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre.

The new trail takes the recent discoveries about the actual site of the battle into consideration.  It runs in a loop around Ambion Hill with views across the relocated battlefield at two points.  Along the way there is information on the lead up to the battle, an introduction of the main protagonists for the casual sight-seer (Ricardians visit because of one of the protagonists) and an explanation of the events of 22 August 1485 including reconstructed images of what the battlefield may have looked like on the day.

This trail is the final element of developments at the battlefield funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.   And of course we all voted for the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre in the recent National Lottery Awards, though it seems that it did not make it to the finalists.

The new trail is open all year round and entry is free.

The opening of the new trail was announced on About My Area.  You can find the results of the National Lottery Awards here.

Illustration of Richard III:  © Andrew Jamieson, www.jamiesongallery.com

Tags: Books, Bosworth, Ricardian Authors

The Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485 was fought between King Richard III and the invading army of Henry Tudor, ending with the death of Richard.  Last year, an archaeological survey finally established the actual site of the battlefield, which on subsequent maps had moved further and further eastwards from its depiction on the earliest map (Saxton 1575).

For the visitor to Bosworth the interactive visitors’ centre is a must, showing information on the battle and its consequences.  It also showcases the archaeological finds made during the survey, including the largest collection of 15th century cannonballs from any battlefield in Europe.  You can walk the new Battle of Bosworth Trail around Ambion Hill, which also includes two interpreted views across the actual battlefield site. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Battles, Bosworth

With thanks to Karen, who brought this to my attention.

The 2010 Winners of Leicestershire’s favourite museum objects have just been announced.  These objects were chosen by public vote from the top 100 items on the ‘Leicestershire Revealed’ website which showcases the county’s finest museum objects.

There were two joint winners:  the silver boar badge which one of Richard III’s supporters lost at Bosworth over 500 years ago and the British toy Action Man, which was designed and produced in Coalville.  The boar can be seen at Leicestershire County Council’s Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre and the Action Man at Snibston Discovery Museum.

For the Ricardian, the boar badge is obviously the more interesting winner.  I can easily identify with the reason given by a woman who voted for the Bosworth Boar: “It conveys as strong a message now as it must have done when its owner wore it into battle.”

However, the reason given by a man for voting for the Action man, “Action Man is still popular – he has his own army of collectors!”, can easily be made to suit Richard as well:  “Richard III is still popular – he has his own Society of fans!”

David Sprason, Leicestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities, sums it up:

Both of these items reflect Leicestershire’s true history and identity and show just how wide and vast the county’s history is. On the one hand we have a truly remarkable badge which tells us so much about the battle that was pivotal in shaping the future of England and on the other; we have one of last century’s most iconic toys that was enjoyed by people all over the world.

It is great to see that finally after more than 500 years Richard’s badge is victorious and enjoys the support it deserves!

You can read the full article here, there are also pictures of winners.

Tags: Bosworth, Richard III

This is the title of a ‘Special Interest Weekend to re-evaluate an historically neglected but pivotal English conflict’ which will be held from 24 to 27 March 2011 at Christ Church in Oxford in association with Holts Battlefield Tours and The Richard III Society.  To a Ricardian the description of a “neglected” conflict is hardly appropriate, as it is essential to our period of interest.

Special Interest Weekends are offered every spring by Christ Church, offering sound scholarship by distinguished speakers to their visitors.  Participants will stay on campus and enjoy college life.  The social highlight of the weekend will be the Gala Banquet on Saturday night.

This weekend promises to take the participant through one of the most complex narratives of English History and to explore the debates surrounding the parts played, not just by the king but by the aristocracy.  The talks include:

•    The Origins of the Wars of the Roses
•    The Role of Margaret of Anjou
•    Edward IV and the Establishment of the House of York
•    Richard III:  Reputation and Reality
•    The Army of Richard III
•    Alice Duchess of Suffolk and the Wars of the Roses – this will take place at Ewelme Church, where she is buried
•    The Battle of Bosworth – Dr Glenn Foard, who led the team that discovered the real battle site, will talk about their research.

What a pity that we are so far away, the weekend does promise to be fascinating!  It would be good if we could find out whether the talks might be published in book format after the weekend.  This would allow people, who live too far away and haven’t got the means to just pop over to Oxford for weekend, can enjoy some of it.

For a copy of the programme and a booking form click here.

Tags: Bosworth, Oxfordshire, Richard III, Wars of the Roses

A review of John Ashdown-Hill’s latest book, The Last Days of Richard III, is now available on our website.  You can find it in the “Must Read” section on our Book Shelf or click here.

Tags: Anne Neville, Books, Bosworth, Henry Tudor, Medieval Life, Ricardian Authors, Richard III

This is the title of an exhibition which opens on 17 May at Lambeth Palace’s Great Hall.  It celebrates the 400 years since the library’s beginning in 1610.  However, also much older documents will be exhibited.

The library owns its origins to Richard Bancroft, an Archbishop of Canterbury, who bequeathed his extensive collection of books, both printed and manuscripts, to his successors forever.  Lambeth Palace is the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are:

• A Gutenberg Bible (Mainz, 1455), the first book printed in Western Europe from movable metal type

• The 12th century Lambeth Bible, regarded as one of the monuments of Romanesque art

• The 9th century Macdurnan Gospelbook, manufactured in Ireland during the early Middle Ages and owned by King Athelstan of Wessex (reigned 924-939), a masterpiece of Insular book production

• Some unique witchcraft tracts

• A letter issued by Pope Leo X in 1516 for the rebuilding of St Peter’s in Rome

• A copy of the warrant for the execution of Mary Queen of Scots and an accompanying letter from the Privy Council

• Papers relating to the divorce of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon

However, the most fascinating exhibit for Ricardians will be King Richard III’s Book of Hours, a 15th century manuscript, which was in his tent at the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485.

If you find yourself anywhere near London during the period 17 May to 23 July 2010, this is a must-see exhibition.  It is a great pity that London is a bit too far for a casual outing for us from down-under, as this event would fit in perfectly as a follow-on to our mini-conference on 15 May, the topic of which will be ‘Books and Bookmakers’.

For further information click here and here.

Illustration: Queen © Andrew Jamieson, www.medieval-arts.co.uk

Tags: Books, Bosworth, Richard III

Not much on the face of it, that’s why an article mentioning both aroused my curiosity.  It’s on a blog called Conservative History Journal.  The blogger’s political convictions do not come into this article, so any Ricardian, irrespective of  your own political sympathies, can enjoy its message on King Richard III.

The blogger, who calls himself Tory Historian, tells us that he went a while ago to Leicester to visit an exhibition of German Expressionist works and also explored the city.  While we know that the city of York remembered with “great heaviness” “our good king Richard [who was] piteously slain and murdered”, we learn that King Richard III also enjoys a lot of loyal following in the city where his body was taken after the Battle of Bosworth.   We don’t know where the body ended up after the dissolution of the monasteries and it might have been “thrown into the ditch just outside [the city] in the charming way those Tudors behaved”.  Ricardians can surely share that sentiment towards the Tudors! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Art, Bosworth, Henry Tudor, Richard III