Richard the Third

[Nick Armstrong]

Was the piece sung at the start of the service the first part of Sheppard's Media Vita ? I recognised it but couldn't quite
identify it.

[Honoured Guest]

It didn't help that Leicester Cathedral is relatively small; on TV it looked positively claustrophobic and not much bigger than our local Parish Church.

I have refrained from commenting on this observation.

[Petrushka]

I have refrained from commenting on this observation.

Why? I don't mind, go right ahead.

[Anna]

If they going to do a job properly, then they should do it brilliantly. All looked as though it was done on a budget. A more senior member of the Royal Family should have been there, imo. I like the service, but omg! He was a king of England for goodness sakes!!!(rant over!)

But it was only receiving him into the Cathedral so he could lie in repose and people can pay their respects, the real ceremony comes on Thursday when all sorts of Very Important People will be there! (Not The Queen of course but she's written something nice about him for someone else to read)

I watched until the end of the service but switched back on around 7.45pm when it was revealed, via a family tree chart, that John and Peter Snow are also related to John of Gaunt therefore it follows that BBM is also related to them!

I also thought that C4 presenters could have brushed up on their history re Catholic v Roman Catholic v Anglican v CofE and the Reformation as they did get muddled and I liked the fact that Rev. Richard Cole had to swat them down on one occasion on who was Head of the Church!

[Nick Armstrong]

Was the piece sung at the start of the service the first part of Sheppard's Media Vita ? I recognised it but couldn't quite identify it.

And what more perfect piece could there be than Howells's Take Him Earth For Cherishing - a stunning piece at any time, and the high point of the proceedings, well sung and particularly moving in this context.

Good job C4 got back to the service in time for that...

[Ferretfancy]

Agreed with ard'n'Anna - silly programme really, and the idea of getting a Hollywood defence lawyer along to claim he could get a jury verdict in Richard's favour rather misses the point - it's hardly a compelling argument for His Late Majesty's innocence...

Buckingham with his shapeless green hat was especially ridiculous, wasn't he? In close up, he looked like a depressed Benny from Crossroads

It's a pity that Orson Welles didn't live long enough to take part in the programme. He would have made a nice Buckingham along with all those other grade two performers slinking by the fireplaces. It was rather enjoyable though.

Incidentally, the landscape around Bosworth Field is really rather lovely and the Visitor Centre is quite interesting, but there now seems to be a great dispute about where the battle really was fought, The site of Richard's death has a small memorial and is quite close to a heritage railway for those who like choo choos, and if you make it a day's outing Twycross Zoo is not far away.

[Nick Armstrong]

[mercia]

I think the commentary told us that the Duke of Gloucester (in particular) attended the ceremonies because Richard III had been Duke of Gloucester

[P. G. Tipps]

I watched until the end of the service but switched back on around 7.45pm when it was revealed, via a family tree chart, that John and Peter Snow are also related to John of Gaunt therefore it follows that BBM is also related to them!

It was also revealed that the rather plain-looking coffin containing the royal remains was manufactured by none other than a curiously unnamed descendent of Richard himself.

Now, I quite naturally hesitate to jump to silly conclusions or even speculate as to who this secretive, identity-shy descendent could possibly be, but .... ? :

[BBMmk2]

C'mon Bbm, he went to war with the peace-loving Scots and we are all one United Kingdom now, aren't we ...?

Furthermore, he wasn't really a proper English king as he was one of those frightful pre-Reformation types, wasn't he, so no wonder our current Majesties and Highnesses kept well away!

He was a Plantagenet, as I am descended from one!

[BBMmk2]

It was also revealed that the rather plain-looking coffin containing the royal remains was manufactured by none other than a curiously unnamed descendent of Richard himself.

Now, I quite naturally hesitate to jump to silly conclusions or even speculate as to who this secretive, identity-shy descendent could possibly be, but .... ? :

the unnamed person you speak of is one Michael Ibsen, who made a rather good simple coffin.

[BBMmk2]

I think the commentary told us that the Duke of Gloucester (in particular) attended the ceremonies because Richard III had been Duke of Gloucester

Uncanny that the present Duke of Gloucester is called Richard, as well?

[Flosshilde]

I have refrained from commenting on this observation.

No you haven't.

[Anna]

Uncanny that the present Duke of Gloucester is called Richard, as well?

And, even more uncanny, he is Patron of the Richard III Society! So he probably attended more in that capacity rather than a member of the Royal Family? (I think he's around 23rd in line)

I see there's a bit of a row brewing over the proceedings yesterday with the various Ricardian societies over the village fete and fancy dress atmosphere at the Bosworth site - in particularly the flying of the Tudor flag rather than the Plantagenet one
(Does anyone know who organised the whole event, was it Leicester Council or Phillipa Langley and Leics Uni?)

[BBMmk2]

And, even more uncanny, he is Patron of the Richard III Society! So he probably attended more in that capacity rather than a member of the Royal Family? (I think he's around 23rd in line)

I see there's a bit of a row brewing over the proceedings yesterday with the various Ricardian societies over the village fete and fancy dress atmosphere at the Bosworth site - in particularly the flying of the Tudor flag rather than the Plantagenet one
(Does anyone know who organised the whole event, was it Leicester Council or Phillipa Langley and Leics Uni?)

I saw that and thought gah! What on earth. I thought the whole thing, apart from the service, was rather tawdry. I am sure that York or London(more neutral), would have done a better job. St Paul's Cathedral or Westminster Abbey, perhaps?