Monday, 4 February 2013

Richard III and the glory of science

Well it appears to be settled, the disinterred remains in a Leicester car park ARE those of Richard III!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21063882

Setting aside the moral dilemmas of where he should be laid to rest this is fabulously exciting. Particularly so because it will hopefully engage people with one of the less well regarded figures of our history.

Perhaps people will reassess his legacy now less from Shakespeare's propaganda, (let us not forget he wrote under the lead of the usurping family Tudor who could not afford to have the last Yorkist well remembered), and more from the perspective of the times he lived in where every man seized their opportunities and fought a bloody battle to the top and to stay there. Even if he did all the things he is accused of (doing away with the princes in the tower etc, and much of the evidence is circumstantial if strongly so, then one would contend he was no worse than his contemporaries.

Alongside this we can record a victory for science. 500+ years have passed and yet we can still find, identify and confirm this to be Richard. Historians and archaeologists alike who have collaborated on this should take a well deserved bow.

People in the media have argued about the import of this and where we should go from her. For one, i am just happy that this is a subject that can arouse interest proving once again the attractions and passions that our history can arouse.

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