Neither saint nor devil | The Hindu

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Opinion Editorial
Published: March 16, 2013 01:00 IST | Updated: March 16, 2013 01:00 IST

Neither saint nor devil

As in his life, s in his death, and n ! e"en in his redisc "er#, $ichard III %enerates speculati n, in"esti%ati n, and c ntr "ers#& A research tea' c 'prisin% hist rians, %eneticists, and archae l %ists at the Uni"ersit# f (eicester has ann unced that a s)elet n f und n the site f !hat used t be *re#friars Pri r# in (eicester is that f the last Planta%enet )in% f +n%land and the last +n%lish )in% , s far , t die in battle, in $ichard III-s case at . s! rth /ield in 1012& That $ichard III is, perhaps deliberatel#, "ilified thr u%h ut 3illia' Sha)espeare-s ep n#' us tra%ed# is !ell en u%h )n !n, and the s)elet n sh !s the sc li sis f r !hich he !as n ted, th u%h the c nditi n !as less seri us than the pla# and ther d cu'ents su%%est it !as& This Planta%enet, h !e"er, certainl# attracted c nsiderable ppr briu' in his insecure and bl d4s a)ed ti'es, and !as all but accused f usurpin% the cr !n after the death f his elder br ther, +d!ard I5& In additi n, he pr babl# 'ade #et ' re ene'ies b# bein% a capable ad'inistrat r and la!%i"er !h tried t clean up fficial c rrupti n& $ichard III !as )illed b# a "i lent halberd bl ! behind his left ear, and his b d# !as treated !ith c nte'pt b# the ar'# f 6enr# Tud r, the "ict r at . s! rth, !h then beca'e 7in% 6enr# 5II8 b# s 'e acc unts, $ichard !as stripped na)ed& The b nes als re"eal ! unds inflicted after his death, ne a stab in his butt c)s8 his hands and feet !ere tied, and, 9sprin)led in 'ire and bl d:, he !as thr !n acr ss the bac) f a h rse f r transp rtati n t his burial& Alth u%h he !as interred in a pri r#, the hu'iliati ns c ntinued8 there is si%n neither f c ffin n r shr ud, and he 'a# ha"e been buried na)ed& +"en his %ra"e !as n t l n% en u%h, and his head !as f rced side!a#s a%ainst ne end f it& The c ntr "ers# ar und hi', ne"ertheless, d es n t cease& (eicester ; uncil has pened an e<hibiti n and plans a "isit rs- centre after he is reburied in (eicester ;athedral& The Ministr# f =ustice e<hu'ati n licence re>uires l cal reburial, but as $ichard %re! up in !hat is n ! ? rth @ r)shire, @ r) ; uncil !ants hi' bac)8 e<pected t uris' re"enues are pr babl# part f the thin)in% n b th sides& +"en the reburial c uld raise a the l %ical pr ble'8 there !ill pr babl# be an An%lican cere' n#, but $ichard III died nearl# 20 #ears bef re the ;hurch f +n%land !as f unded, and nearl# A0 #ears bef re the An%lican and ;ath lic churches separated& In additi n, t urist re"enues 'i%ht ha"e t % t !ards a %i%antic par)in% fine, as su%%ested n T!itter, because the re'ains !ere f und underneath a car par) in (eicester& The late )in% stirs up tr uble, and p ssibl# e"en farce, fr ' be# nd his cra'ped %ra"e& 7e#! rds: $ichard III, *re#friars Pri r#, last Planta%enet )in% f +n%land, . s! rth /ield
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