A historic week

This week I have been steeped in the story of Richard III.

Since reading Josephine Tey's book A Daughter of Time many years ago, I have always been convinced that Richard III was not the black-hearted villain painted by Shakespeare. Not that one can altogether blame Shakespeare. After all he was writing in Tudor times, when the Tudors were securely on the throne, and it would not have been prudent to show a Tudor enemy as a hero.

I have been following the story of the discovery of the skeleton for some time, as Amanda was involved with the launch of the new King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester.  The tussle between Leicester and York in the High Court was exciting.

On Sunday, the cortege, the simple coffin (made by the direct descendant of Richard III), the black horses and the outriders dressed as mounted medieval knights in armour processing through the streets of Leicester was a sight to behold.  The service which followed the handing over of the remains from Leicester University to the Cathedral clergy was long and impressive.  The sermon by Roman Catholic Cardinal Nicholls was well said, as at the time of Richard's death all England was Roman Catholic.

Yesterday I watched the ceremony of reinterment at Leicester Cathedral. It was a very moving service. The Bishop of Leicester and the Archbishop of Canterbury officiated, and a poem written for the occasion by the Poet Laureate was beautifully read by Benedict Cumberbatch. There were interviews with all the people who had been instrumental in bringing about this momentous event.

Over 20,000 people had queued up to see the coffin in the Cathedral during the week, and once again crowds of people had lined the streets to watch yesterday morning's proceedings. We really do ceremonies well in Britain.

There have always been power struggles over the Monarchy. Even in my lifetime, there was the abdication of Edward VIII, the talk of conspiracy theory over the death of Princess Diana, and now whether Prince Charles should be King on his mother's demise.  I suppose there always will be contentious opinions around people in power.