Poor Richard III! Shakespeare’s play portrays him as a villain and a murderer. Killed in battle 500 years ago, his remains were discovered in 2012 under a parking lot in Leister, England. Another battle ensued about where to bury him. The Government had granted a burial license to the City of Leister, which planned to enshrine his bones in City’s cathedral. However, His 16th great-nephew and a group called the Plantagenet Society wanted him buried in the City of York, to which he had strong ties. A panel of three judges of Britain’s High Court called the case “unique and exceptional”, and with British understatement, commented that there was “no direct evidence of any definitive wishes expressed by Richard III as to his place of burial.” They noted that Richard III has an estimated number of descendents of between one and ten million. The judges concluded that there was no reason to overturn the Government’s decision, stating “It is time for Richard III to be given a dignified reburial and finally laid to rest.”
The Queen (on application of Plantagenet Alliance Ltd) and Secretary of State for Justice et al, [2014] EWHC 1662
About Teresa Mitchell
