Just in case, we can now be found at
@RichardIIISociety
@mstdn
.social. Not much there yet but do follow if you are so inclined. We can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, and our website, www. .
There's his signature! This is the royal seal used by Richard of England discovered in Dresden. It’s stunning, isn’t it? Incredibly well preserved. The question it begs is whether a boy from Tournai could convince people he was entitled to use a royal seal. ML
#PitT
Here we go! Worth bearing in mind:
@robbierinder
is a criminal barrister, but his degree is in HISTORY. During lockdown, he taught HISTORY. If you gonna say he’s not a historian, don’t bother, because he is. And a fairly hard line traditionalist, too. ML
#PitT
#PrincesInTheTower
22 August 1485. The Battle of Bosworth. King Richard III dies, the last king to do so in battle. His death is recorded in the Beaufort Hours. Royal MS 2 A XVIII, f. 31v, owned by Margaret Beaufort.
Hi! It’s
@MattLewisAuthor
here. I’ll be on this account this evening as we in the UK enjoy the
@Channel4
documentary with Philippa Langley &
@RobbieRinder
. I’ll talk you through it if you’re watching, & hope it’s a good thing, not rubbing your nose in it, if you can’t yet.
Exciting news! As a result of Philippa Langley's long search in UK, American and European archives into the fate of the missing Princes, new archival discoveries have been uncovered. The Princes in The Tower will be published in November 2023.
10 years ago today it was announced that the remains found in a Leicester car park were those of Richard III. The Looking for Richard team's hard work had paid off.
26 June,1483. Richard, Duke of Gloucester accepts the crown offered to him the day before by an assembly of lords and commons. The reign of Richard III officially began on that day.
22 August 1485 The death of Richard III in battle at Bosworth.The next day this entry was made in the York Civic Records: It was shewed by diverse personnes …that King Richard, late lawfully reigning over us,…was piteously slane and murderd, to the grete hevyness of this Citie
22 August 1485. The battle of Bosworth. King Richard III dies, the last king to do so in battle. His death is recorded in the Beaufort Hours. Royal MS 2 A XVIII, f. 31v, owned by Margaret Beaufort. More on the battle:
From Richard Armitage: We are proud of our connection to King Richard in Leicestershire, what a pity it would be to destroy this important part of our heritage. Who knows what is still waiting to be discovered there? Please preserve this important site for future generations.
22 August 1485, the death of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. This is recorded in the Beaufort Hours. Royal MS 2 A XVIII, f. 31v, owned by Margaret Beaufort.
3 May 1446, Margaret of York was born to Cecily Neville. It has been suggested that this coronet, known to be hers, was originally made for her to wear at her brother, Edward IV's coronation. For more, see
#Coronation
The Richard III Society is delighted to announce our new Chairman is Matthew Lewis.We will have more information following the 1st meeting of our new Board in March.Matt said:‘I am looking forward to repaying the faith the Board of the Society & its membership have shown in me’
30 Dec 1460 Battle of Wakefield. Richard duke of York leaves the safety of Sandal Castle to fight the Lancastrian army. It was a crushing defeat.York & his son Edmund are killed. His brother in law, the earl of Salisbury was executed the next day. (Image:BL Royal 2 B XIV f. 6v)
Nathalie Nijman-Bliekendaal is behind a couple of the new finds. She’s a great example of the democratisation of history this project engendered. Citizen historians exploring local archives. What a great story. Thank you, Nathalie, for your years of searching. ML
#PitT
One of the best documented medieval coronations was that of Elizabeth of York, a woman some believed had a better claim to the throne than her husband, Henry VII. Discover more @
A documentary to accompany Philippa Langley’s upcoming book ‘Solving History’s Greatest Cold Case’ will be shown on Channel 4 later this year. ‘The Lost Princes’ will feature Philippa and criminal barrister
@RobbieRinder
crossing the continent to find the truth 1/
Channel 4 TV & Philippa's publishers The History Press, have broken their months-long silence about her 'Princes in the Tower' book and documentary (8.00pm Saturday). Viewers & readers can at last see for themselves the newly published documents that have convinced 1/4
The thing with Margaret, for me, is this. She didn’t simply want to cause trouble for Henry VII. She aimed to restore the legitimate House of York. She didn’t achieve that by championing a random boy from Oxford, then another one from Tournai. ML
#PitT
#PrincesInTheTower
The most significant thing I think this evidence does is shift the weight of evidence along the scales toward the survival of the Princes in the Tower. Philippa’s book offers a comprehensive survey of the evidence for this. ML
#PitT
2 October 1452, the birth of Richard Plantagenet to Cecily Neville and Richard Duke of York.Written into the calendar is a note of Richard's birth -"Hac die natus est Ricardus Rex Anglie tertus Apud Foderingay Anno domini mlccclii”."
24 May 1487 a young man (or boy) was crowned in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin as King Edward. We still don't know who this person was, or was even supposed to be. Edward V? Edward, Earl of Warwick? Was he in fact Lambert Simnel as Henry VII said?
28 June, 1461. Edward Plantagenet is crowned King Edward IV. He rules till he is temporarily deposed in 1470, & then until his death in 1483. His 2 younger brothers are made George, Duke of Clarence & Richard, Duke of Gloucester that same day in June.
Yesterday, Richard III's birthday was marked by a member of our Society from Wiltshire laying a wreath of white roses, and prayers being said by the tomb.
Pathé today released the first image from THE LOST KING, starring Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winning actress Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Blue Jasmine, Happy-Go-Lucky) in the lead role of Philippa Langley.
Margaret’s reputation on the continent is in stark comparison to the way Henry VII sought to portray her. Who was right? Those who knew her well and saw her in action, or a man who perceived her as a threat and sought to demean her? ML
#PitT
#PrincesInTheTower
In case you missed it:
The Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence will be shown in the UK on Channel 4 Saturday, 18th November at 8pm.
Join Philippa Langley & Rob Rinder as they travel Europe to seek the truth about what really happened to the Princes in the Tower.
11th June 1456, the birth of Anne Neville, daughter of Anne Beauchamp & Richard earl of Warwick. She was married at the age of 14 to Edward of Lancaster, son of Henry VI & then to Richard duke of Gloucester in 1472/73.They had one son who predeceased her.
It is with tremendous sadness that we have learned today of the death of Dr John Ashdown-Hill. We would like to send our condolences to his family and friends. God Bless you John - we will miss you. Rest in Peace.
30 Dec 1460, the Battle of Wakefield. Richard, Duke of York left the safety of Sandal Castle & in the ensuring battle with the Lancastrians, was killed along with the Earl of Salisbury & York's 2nd son, the Earl of Rutland. The ms image lists York's death (BL Royal 2 B XIV f. 6v)
Philippa Langley had updated her website to answer some of the many questions that have been raised since her book, The Princes in the Tower, was published, and the documentary shown. You can find the FAQs here.
16 March 1485, the death of Queen Anne Neville after some months of illness. There was a great eclipse on the day of her death. She was 28. Her arms from Royal 18 A XII f. 49
Richard of England, as he called himself, always claimed to have 3 physical marks that would positively identify him to people who knew Richard, Duke of York. The marks were never clear, until now. ML
#PitT
#PrincesInTheTower
2 October 1452. At Fotheringhay, the birth of Richard, to Cecily Neville and Richard, duke of York. Handwritten entry in Richard's Book of Hours says says "Oct. 2. hac die natus erat Ricardus Rex anglie III(us) apud ffoderingay a. d. mcccc lij°. MS N.24 7v
6th July 1483, Richard and Anne crowned King and Queen of England. For the first time, the king's vows were spoken in English. For more about the coronation, see The Coronation of Richard III: the extant Documents.
It was a joy to meet
@RobbieRinder
for the filming of the documentary. He’s a genuinely lovely man who signed copy of his book The Trial for my wife, and has tolerated me pestering him since the filming. ML
NOT GUILTY!
At a trial of Shakespeare’s Richard III held at the Novello Theatre, London, last night - Richard was found Not Guilty of the murders of his brother Clarence and his nephews the ‘Princes in the Tower’.
At the coronation banquet in 1483, during the 2nd course, the Knight’s champion, Sir Robert Dymock rode in on his horse while a herald proclaimed why he had come, with the Champion offering to fight anyone who doubted Richard’s right to the throne.
Huge congratulations to our Patron, Francis Dymoke the King’s Champion, who will be carrying the Royal Standard at the Coronation! Although he won’t be in full armour challenging anyone it is wonderful to continue this 1,000 year tradition linked to the Manor of Scrivelsby
Tonight! The Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence will be shown in the UK on Channel 4 tonight, 18th November at 8pm.
Join Philippa Langley & Rob Rinder as they travel Europe to seek the truth about what really happened to the Princes in the Tower.
9 April 1483 the death of Edward IV after a short illness. He was 40 years old. For an article about the laments for his death see the June 1999 Ricardian - pp 506-524 (pdf)
Our thanks to
@carsonannette
and Philippa Langley for excellent talks on the Bones in the Urn, and of course, Philippa's new book, The Princes in the Tower. There was a lot of audience engagement! A recording of the talk will be made available to members.
2 October 1452 - The birth of Richard Plantagenet at Fotheringhay to Cecily Neville and Richard, Duke of York. At the top of the image from Richard III's Book of Hours can be seen an entry, added by Richard himself, noting his birth.
Lambeth MS 474 f.7v
Checking the veracity of these new discoveries is vital before we work out how much reliance can be placed on them. Understanding whether they are genuine is important before we think further about what they mean for the story of the Princes in the Tower. ML
#PitT
30 May 1445 Margaret of Anjou is crowned Queen of England. She was 15 years old and had married Henry VI in April of that year. In the coming years she fought hard to keep her husband on the throne and ensure her son would inherit.
During the Coronation ceremony, Richard III & his wife Anne walked barefoot on a ribbon of red cloth from Westminster Hall to the Abbey. (That's Richard III in the middle from BL King's MS 395 f. 33)
#Coronation
During the reign of Henry VIII, in 1526, a paper was presented to the king on the state of Ireland. The 1487 invasion is described as being in favour of ‘one of King Edward’s sons’. Add the Lille receipt. Surely this deserves more consideration than it usually gets? ML
#PitT
30 Dec 1460 The Battle of Wakefield. Richard duke of York leaves the safety of Sandal Castle to fight the Lancastrian army. It was a crushing defeat.York was killed as was his son Edmund. His brother in law, the earl of Salisbury was executed the next day. BL Royal 2 B XIV f. 6v
In just ten days, in the summer of 1483, a sumptuous double coronation was arranged for Richard III & his queen, Anne Neville. One of the editors of the surviving coronation documents, Anne Sutton, revealed Londoners' varied roles in the event @
2 October 1452, Richard, son of Cecily Neville and Richard, duke of York, is born in Fotheringhay. Image is from his Book of Hours where his birth can be seen added to the calendar. LPL MS 474
Philippa Langley is going on tour to promote her new book The Princes in the Tower - Solving History’s Greatest Cold Case, which is published a week today! See below for dates and venues.
Tudor chronicler Polydore Virgil wrote that the 1487 plot was an attempt to restore Edward to his throne. The only Edward who could be RESTORED was Edward V, if he was still alive. This aligns with the Lille receipt; a son of Edward IV, expelled from his realm. ML
#PitT
The Richard III Society is delighted to announce that it has been entrusted a significant legacy by the estate of the late author Sharon Penman. The collection includes handwritten manuscripts, galley proofs, research notes, & other pieces of Sharon Penman’s Plantagenet series.
A young Richard, Duke of Gloucester attended this banquet in 1465. He was about to turn 13. George Neville was brother to the Kingmaker with whom Richard had been living.
28 Sept 1461: George Neville enthroned as Archbishop of
#York
at Cawood
#otd
in the presence of 6 bishops, 6 abbots, 4 Earls, 5 barons. He then threw a feast for 6,000 people (BL)
18 November 2023 Channel 4 shows The Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence at 8pm in the UK. Philippa Langley and
@RobbieRinder
explore the story of the Princes in the Tower as it is changed by extraordinary new evidence.
22 August 1485. The death of Richard III in battle at Bosworth.The next day this entry was made in the York Civic Records: It was shewed by diverse personnes …that King Richard, late lawfully reigning over us,…was piteously slane and murderd, to the grete hevyness of this Citie
6 July 1483, Richard duke of Gloucester is crowned King Richard III, alongside his wife Anne, at Westminster Abbey.The Coronation of Richard III, edited by Anne Sutton & P.W. Hammond has all known documents about this event. It is available to members through the Barton Library.
More support has reached us today from the Oscar, BAFTA, Olivier and Tony Award winning actor Sir Mark Rylance, who asked to be included in our list of supporters.
22 May 1455, 1st Battle of St. Albans. More a skirmish than a battle, it seems that Richard, Duke of York's main intent was to get rid of the Duke of Somerset. By the end, Somerset was killed as were Northumberland & Clifford.
14 April 1471 The Battle of Barnet. Edward IV wins the fight against his former ally Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, who dies while trying to escape. Richard duke of Gloucester fights in his first battle at the age of 18 and is slightly wounded.
6 July 1483, Richard III is crowned along with his wife. Anne Neville. It was the first dual coronation in well over 100 years. Read more about the event here:
Image from
@NPGLondon
On 25 Aug 1485 Richard III was laid to rest in Greyfriars Abbey, in a position of honour in the choir.
On 25 Aug 2012, his remains were found thanks to the dedicated work of Philippa Langley & the Looking for Richard Team,
@ULASarchaeology
&
@uniofleicester
30 December 1460. The Battle of Wakefield. Richard Duke of York, his son Edmund, Earl of Rutland and other Yorkists killed. The Earl of Salisbury was killed the next day. York, Rutland & Salisbury's heads were displayed on Micklegate Bar in York.
21 October 1449, the birth of George Plantagenet to Cecily Neville and Richard Duke of York, in Dublin. George, later Duke of Clarence,was the 3rd of their 4 sons to survive to adulthood.
The fact that John de la Pole watched the coronation & supported the anointed king speaks volumes to me. John had the senior Yorkist claim after the death of Richard III. The only better claims were those of the re-legitimised Edward V & Richard, DoY. ML
#PitT
#PrincesInTheTower