The sensational
archaeological find in a Leicester car park, which unearthed the bones of
Richard III has sparked an Almighty row about where the remains should be
interred. There are three locations in
the running: London’s Westminster Abbey - the parochial home of the Monarchy,
York Minster - the ancestral burial place of the Dukes of York (Richard iii was
also the Duke of York) and finally Leicester – famous for its car parks!
My post on the day they confirmed the bones were Royal:
http://getwd50.blogspot.com/2013/02/now-is-winter-of-our-discontent.html
My post on the day they confirmed the bones were Royal:
http://getwd50.blogspot.com/2013/02/now-is-winter-of-our-discontent.html
York Minster |
Legally
the University of Leicester, which discovered and exhumed the remains have the responsibility,
as holder of the licence, to decide where King Richard III remains are finally
laid to rest. Interestingly the Dean of
York the Very Rev Vivienne Faull, has unilaterally and weirdly decided to
support Leicester’s case and this has created an up-roar of biblical
proportions. The unwise Dean has
received a number of threatening letters and emails and these toxic messages are
now being investigated the Police. There is also more civilised support from 25,000
people of York who signed a petition and the 9 living descendants of Richard
all of whom insist that the crooked bones of the ‘Tyrant King’ should be laid
to rest in York.
Leicester Car Park |
Hugh
Bayley, the Labour MP for York Central said , “I would say to everybody - calm
down. Let's all respect the memory of a former king of our country. “Let's discuss where his remains should be
put to rest in a dignified and sober way. We don't want to reignite the Wars of
the Roses.” However, Jeremy Wright of
Leicester University said the decision was up to the University. He added “It is also right I think to point
out that the default position of the Church of England... which is that the
remains should be interred at the nearest Christian church and that of course
is in this case indeed Leicester Cathedral.”
So why should
the Dean go out on a limb against this well organised opposition in York,
particularly as the Minster, for which she is responsible, would benefit
financial from the additional tourist trade the Kings bones would bring. The
answer is in her recent history, before becoming the Dean of York Minster Dean
Faull was the Dean of Leicester, and it has been suggested by opponents that
she is bias because of her previous links to Leicester Cathedral. Perhaps and more interestingly maybe she has
left some skeletons in the cupboard from her time in Leicester and needs to
call in a favour!
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