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Author Anne Easter Smith |
So now
we know! It was Richard III under the car park in Leicester, and the exciting
announcement on February 4th made me cry. Now all of us who are Richard fans
will have somewhere to go and pay our respects. It appears Leicester has won
out in the re-interment battle between there and York Minster. A ceremony is
being planned for early 2014, I understand.
The discovery
of a skeleton beneath a municipal parking lot in Leicester last September sent
a shiver of excitement through the history world and especially several
thousand fans of England’s much maligned king, Richard III.
When I heard
that an archeological dig was being considered to find the last remains of my
favorite king, I quickly opened my wallet and donated to the attempt. How could
I refuse? After all, Richard is the only crowned king of England whose grave
has remained shrouded in as much mystery as his life has. And he is featured in
all of my books!
Portrait of Richard III |
I happened to
be in England when they first began to dig on August 25th, so I was privy to
more media coverage than perhaps was first given in the US. The Society had
approached the BBC about including the dig in its popular “Time Team” program
that documents archeological digs all over Britain. They refused at first, but
a barrage of emails from Ricardians and enthusiasts all over the world got
their attention, and when artifacts from a well-endowed building were uncovered
in two trenches, they changed their minds. You can be sure they were doubly
glad when, on September 12th, a skeleton was unearthed in a third trench that
had uncovered the nave and its shallow burial crypt beneath.
Statue of Richard III in Leicester
|
But why only
now? It seems history forgot Richard after the Tudors sowed their damning seeds
about the last Plantagenet king to shore up their own feeble claim to the
throne. Henry Tudor, earl of Richmond, who became Henry VII, chose to date his
reign from the day BEFORE the battle of Bosworth, thus making it possible to
proclaim Richard’s supporters traitors, and Richard’s body to be treated with
despicable irreverence.
After the
battle, with a halter around its neck, Richard’s naked, battered body was
thrown ignominiously over the back of a horse and taken back into the city of
Leicester and given over to the monks of Greyfriars to lay out for public
viewing. After two days, the monks were given permission by the king to bury
him somewhere within the monastery walls.
Stained glass window installed in St James Church, Sutton Cheney by John Taylor (CC-BY-2.0), via Wikimedia Commons |
In 1611, John
Speed (of map fame) wrote a history of Great Britain based on his travels
around the country. He writes that a mayor of Leicester owned the now secular
Greyfriars monastery as a pleasant residence, and the alabaster monument was
still in what was now the garden, albeit covered in nettles and weeds. A
traveler in the 18th century also wrote in his journal that he had seen the
same monument, but since then the old house has disappeared and the land was
subsumed by the city of Leicester. At the time of the dig last year, it had
been a parking lot for many years; the city allowed the excavation to take
place before the lot is built on yet again.
Is the
skeleton Richard’s? Scientists are using DNA from a descendant of Richard’s
sister, Anne, to try and ascertain that. Other tests like carbon dating should
also help, and a reconstruction of Richard’s face can be done with the latest
technology, which will be exciting. By the time you read this, we should know,
and I for one wish I could be on hand to witness a more fitting re-burial for
this unfortunate, misunderstood king.
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About the Author: Anne Easter Smith is an award-winning historical novelist whose research and writing concentrates on England in the 15th century. Meticulous historical research, rich period detail, and compelling female protagonists combine to provide the reader with a sweeping portrait of England in the time of the Wars of the Roses. Her critically acclaimed first book, A Rose for the Crown, debuted in 2006, and her third, The King’s Grace, was the recipient of a Romantic Times Review Best Biography award in 2009. A Queen by Right has been nominated by Romantic Times Review for the Best Historical Fiction award, 2011.
About the Book: From the author of A Rose for the Crown and Daughter of York comes another engrossing historical novel of the York family in the Wars of the Roses, telling the fascinating story of the rise and fall of the final and favorite mistress of Edward IV. Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore—but her heart belongs to another. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane Shore from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain and friend, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows his King will find her irresistible. Edward IV has everything: power, majestic bearing, superior military leadership, a sensual nature, and charisma. And with Jane as his mistress, he also finds true happiness. But when his hedonistic tendencies get in the way of being the strong leader England needs, his life, as well as that of Jane Shore and Will Hastings, hang in the balance. This dramatic tale has been an inspiration to poets and playwrights for 500 years, and told through the unique perspective of a woman plucked from obscurity and thrust into a life of notoriety, Royal Mistress is sure to enthrall today’s historical fiction lovers as well.
About the Book: From the author of A Rose for the Crown and Daughter of York comes another engrossing historical novel of the York family in the Wars of the Roses, telling the fascinating story of the rise and fall of the final and favorite mistress of Edward IV. Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore—but her heart belongs to another. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane Shore from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain and friend, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows his King will find her irresistible. Edward IV has everything: power, majestic bearing, superior military leadership, a sensual nature, and charisma. And with Jane as his mistress, he also finds true happiness. But when his hedonistic tendencies get in the way of being the strong leader England needs, his life, as well as that of Jane Shore and Will Hastings, hang in the balance. This dramatic tale has been an inspiration to poets and playwrights for 500 years, and told through the unique perspective of a woman plucked from obscurity and thrust into a life of notoriety, Royal Mistress is sure to enthrall today’s historical fiction lovers as well.
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2 comments:
Thanks so much for hosting me today! Anne
Glad to Anne. Thank you for sharing with us!
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