Richard III - reburial in York Minster

[Colyngbourne]

I am posting this here, as a regular poster on Mumsnet but also on behalf of ?The Petition to bring Richard III back to Yorkshire?, a Facebook page which is working directly with the Plantagenet Alliance. We believe that the remains of Richard III should be returned to York Minster for re-burial.

King Richard's special relationship with the north of England, and York in particular, demonstrates that he planned to be buried in the Minster. In fact the surviving evidence has convinced many eminent historians that these were indeed Richard's wishes. Known as ?Lord of the North?, Richard spent much of his life in Yorkshire and was loved by its people, and in his letters to York he referred to impending visits as a 'homecoming'. After his death on Bosworth Field the city mourned him, stating, '"King Richard late mercifully reigning upon us was, through great treason ...piteously slain and murdered, to the great heaviness of this city". He especially chose York Minster for the grandest occasion on his Royal Progress after his coronation, and his young son was invested as Prince of Wales at York. It is also quite likely that this same son was buried at York Minster the following year, although no record survives of the burial. Whilst he was king, Richard endowed the Minster with a massive sum of money (the equivalent of millions today) to create a Collegiate foundation of 100 priests: work had begun on this by Bosworth, including six altars at which masses were already being said. Leicester would never have been Richard's choice for his burial - this is acknowledged by academic historians of his life - and even over 500 years later, this should be respected.

A Judicial Review of the interment licence currently held by Leicester University has been granted by Judge Haddon-Cave, although he has heavily advised Leicester University that an independently drawn-up panel should decide the location. Whilst York Minster have understandably not yet publicly declared an interest, it cannot be doubted that they would welcome King Richard's remains. They are named as the Second Interested Party in the High Court Ruling.

In granting a judicial review Mr Justice Haddon-Cave argued that public opinion should be one of the factors that decides where Richard should be buried. The ?Burial in York Minster? e-petition closes on 24 September (three weeks' time).

I am encouraging everyone I know everywhere, if they wish to, to vote for York Minster. Just today we have heard that Dame Judi Dench has given her official support and best wishes to the York campaign and petition.

The government e-petition is at
epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38772

Anyone with a UK address and email address can sign this - ie. different members of one household.

Friends who are in the UK or overseas can sign this petition:
www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/university-of-leicester-to-return-king-richard-iii-for-ceremonial-burial-in-york

Facebook Petition page:
www.facebook.com/PetitionToBringRichardIiiBackToYorkshire?fref=ts

Plantagenet Alliance website: kingrichardcampaign.org.uk/r3wp/

Thank you for your support and please share this email and its links with anyone else who may be inclined to vote for York, and encourage them to do the same. Anyone who does Twitter, can share the link via twitter.com/Richardtoyork

Thank you!

[Deathbyladybirds]

I think he should be buried in Leicester.

[MirandaWest]

I also think he should be buried in Leicester (and I live in York).

[ParsingFancy]

[Mama1980]

I work as a archaeologist/historian , I don't believe we can second guess what Richard iii may or may not have wished and to try to do so is a mistake. His remains should be treated with same respect forwarded to all exhumed bones and he should be returned to the nearest suitable consecrated ground to where he was found. Given that he was a king that would mean Leicester cathedral.

Tbh I find all this very distasteful.

[GobbySadcase]

Yep. Consecrated ground in Leicester is what is right and proper.

[Colyngbourne]

As an archaeologist you may then be familiar with both the national guidelines - "Guidance for best practice for treatment of human remains excavated from Christian burial grounds in England", and the internationally agreed Vermilion Accord - both of which recommend that if a "known individual" is identified, the likely wishes of the deceased, even long-deceased, should be taken into account; and furthermore, the wishes of surviving members of familial descent are to be seriously considered. Most Ricardian experts are agreed that York would have been his mausoleum.

And it doesn't matter where any of us live. My parents-in-law live in the West Midlands and are vehement that Richard belongs in York.

The current licence allows Richard's remains to be re-interred in any consecrated ground.