King Richard III's bones spark custody battle

The remains of King Richard III, where they were discovered underneath a parking lot in Leicester, England. / University of Leicester

LONDON The discovery of King Richard III under a parking lot in the English city of Leicester thrilled history buffs around the world. But the news meant a winter of discontent for the rival city of York, and now the two are doing battle over the royal bones.

Officials in Leicester say the monarch, who was unceremoniously buried without a coffin 528 years ago, will be re-interred with kingly dignity in the city's cathedral.

"The decision has already been made," said Leicester mayor Peter Soulsby. "All the permissions have been granted and the various authorities involved have agreed that the interment will take place in Leicester."

Not so fast, says York, a city 100 miles to the north that claims the late monarch as its own.

"Every taxi driver I talk to, every shopkeeper I talk to, they are very excited about it — they want Richard back in York," said Michael Ormrod, professor of medieval history at the University of York. "There is a view that he is a king for York."

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King Richard III's mystery comes to a close

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King Richard III skeleton found in parking lot

York City Council said Wednesday it is petitioning the government and Queen Elizabeth II, arguing that "one of the city's most famous and cherished sons" — who grew up in the region and was once known as Richard of York — should be buried in the northern city.

The two cities have launched rival petitions to the government. As of Wednesday, York had the edge, with more than 5,700 signatures on a petition calling for Richard to be re-interred there. Leicester's petition had more than 2,000 names.

Yorkists hope the queen will intervene on behalf of her 15th-century predecessor, though Buckingham Palace says it is not getting involved.

Richard had few links to Leicester, apart from dying in battle nearby in 1485. Historians agree he had strong ties to York.

He belonged to the House of York, one of two branches of the ruling Plantagenet dynasty. William Shakespeare's play "Richard III" opens with the lines: "Now is the winter of our discontent/ made glorious summer by this son of York" — a punning reference to Richard's brother, King Edward IV.

Richard spent much of his childhood in the county of Yorkshire. As an adult, he ran northern England during his brother's reign, and he is sometimes called the country's last northern king.

Ormrod says there is evidence Richard wanted to be buried in York Minster, the city's medieval cathedral.

York has not always made a noise about its ties to a king who for centuries was Britain's most reviled monarch. Richard was defeated at the Battle of Bosworth Field by the forces of Henry Tudor, who took the throne as King Henry VII, ending a bloody tussle over the crown known as the Wars of the Roses.

Tudor historians painted Richard as a villainous usurper and accused him of multiple crimes — most famously, the murder of his two nephews, the "Princes in the Tower."

Richard's supporters hope the discovery of the king's remains will lead to a reappraisal of his reputation.

For those in York who have been keeping Richard's flame alive, this is a bittersweet time.

Mike Bennett, who runs York's small Richard III Museum, said he had been circulating a petition for months — since the reports of the skeleton's identity emerged — "but it's only since the bones have been declared to be him that others have jumped on the bandwagon."

Still, Bennett will be delighted if Richard comes home to York. It would give a boost to his small museum tucked into a gatehouse in the city walls, where visitors are invited to act as jury in an imaginary trial of Richard for the murder of the Princes in the Tower.

For now, the battle over the royal bones remains civilized. There's no new outbreak of the Wars of the Roses — yet.

"I have many good friends in Leicester," Ormrod stressed.

The professor would not go so far as to call burial in Leicester an insult — but he said it would, at least, be an irony.

"Leicester was a very big stronghold of the house of Lancaster, Richard's rivals for the throne," he said. "He was buried almost in enemy territory in Leicester."

[Oberrill]

You people do realize this is just an old skeleton? Don't you? Maybe not. I keep seeing references to "he". A skeleton is not a he. A skeleton is an it. An it that could not care less where it is buried or what silly religious rites are performed in its vicinity.
All of you can continue arguing about where the skeleton will reside for maybe another 500 years. The skeleton is not aware of your arguing and if it were, it would know the argument is really about your own pride and dreams of tourist money.

[Penbardd]

Ever since August of 2012, the Richard III Foundation, Inc. has set up a petiton. It contacted every MP and MEP in Parliament, sent letters to the royal family and Ministry of Justice, wrote to the City Council and Mayor. Despite the recent announcement, the Foundation continues to fight for the right of King Richard III to rest in York where he personally expressed his desire to go.

Whether a person is dead over 550 years ago or now, doesn't their request on where they should be buried mean anything anymore? Is this all about money and economical gain? I'm sure York will use him just like Leicester, but his remains deserve to go back home where he himself wanted. WHere is his justice?http://www.thepetitionsite.com/961/861/672/return-king-richard-iii-to-yorkshire/#sign

[Penbardd]

Ever since August of 2012, the Richard III Foundation, Inc. has set up a petiton. It contacted every MP and MEP in Parliament, sent letters to the royal family and Ministry of Justice, wrote to the City Council and Mayor. Despite the recent announcement, the Foundation continues to fight for the right of King Richard III to rest in York where he personally expressed his desire to go.

Whether a person is dead over 550 years ago or now, doesn't their request on where they should be buried mean anything anymore? Is this all about money and economical gain? I'm sure York will use him just like Leicester, but his remains deserve to go back home where he himself wanted. WHere is his justice?

[PaulS99]

They should put him right back where they found him--under the car park. In fact, that would be a fitting tradition to start for the burial of all future monarchs as well.

[Blancsanglier]

When the story broke last August, we in the Richard lll Foundation immediately started a petition for Richard to be bought home to York (if the bones were his) our CEO bombarded the Yorkshire MP's, gave interviews on Yorkshire radio stations and was in several Yorkshire newspapers asking the people of Yorkshire to write to the Government and the Palace and The Ministry of Justice. What happened? Nothing. The membership of the RlllF were very vociferous in their requests and we very soon reached our target of 1,000 + there were signatures from all over the world. It soon became clear that before even a shovel was lifted, that it was a 'done deal' from the start - forms had to be completed stating where any bones found would be buried. Being as the law was that they should be buried in the nearest consecrated ground, Leicester was stated on the forms. Over time as the 'dig' came to it's breathtaking end, it was very obvious that Leicester were spending a lot of money on a 'Richard lll Tourist Trail' with all sorts of claims being made about "Richard lll this and Richard lll that...." From York there was silence. On Monday after the Press Release it was stated that King Richard lll would be buried in Leicester Cathedral. On Tuesday, lo and behold we have York Council on every news channel stating that they want Richard to be buried in York - why have they left it so late?? They MUST know that it is all signed and sealed? This has made us all so very angry as we petitioned for this from Day One because it is unthinkable for Richard to be buried anywhere else, he planned and it was commenced, a chantry chapel in York Minster, he wished to be buried there. He lived in Middleham rarely leaving it to travel to London. His son Edward was invested Prince of Wales at York, he lived in the North as 'Lord of the North' for 12 years ruling it for his brother, KIng Edward. He was very much loved and admired there. His only association with Leicester was that was where he met up with Henry Tudor, that was where he was betrayed and killed, that was where he was left naked and on display in the Market Place for 3 days, that was where he was flung into a hole that was obviously too small for his body and that was where he lay for the next 527 years until a lady from North Yorkshire (Philippa Langley) decided she was going to find her king. All I have heard from Leicester is how 'he will make money for the city' and how they are cashing in on all the hype. King Richard SHOULD be taken home to his Yorkshire home so he can 'Requiescat In Pace'. Shame on York for leaving it too late.
After discussions today, we have decided to re-open the Petition for Richard to go home to York. We will not rest until King Richard is at rest. If you would like to sign it - and share it - please do so:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/961/861/672/return-king-richard-iii-to-yorkshire/#sign

[Blancsanglier]

If the link to the Petition does not work, you can try this link to the Facebook page and you will find it on there:

https://www.facebook.com/KingRichardlll

[Ojay58]

Lets see - allow the decendants of the family that killed this man for the throne - and still hold the throne - decide where Richard 111 will be oficially buried . Makes perfect sense to me ??? Perhaps he should have remained where he was originally buried that in his day was a religious site.

[Bojax39]

"Lets see - allow the decendants of the family that killed this man for the throne - and still hold the throne ......."

The present monarch is of the house of Windsor and it was the Tudors who wrested the throne from Richard III. The last Tudor monarch was Elizabeth I who is not related to the present ruling family at all by direct decent since she had no children.

Though the two queens happen to share a first name and are first cousins, 14 times removed, the reigning monarch is also distantly related to Richard II as well.

[p_syrus]

For five hundred years the body of Richard has lain in Leicester ignominiously hidden from the world by his enemies so as to disparage his memory and kingship. Leicester seeks to hold his corpse for its reasons of notoriety and financial gain.

It seems more fitting that Richard's body, having been restored once more to the historical record, be permitted to be returned to his own beloved City of York; a place where he lived and loved in life, a city which held him dear and proved loyal to him, not only merely in his life but even unto this day.

His enemies have profited enough from his death. Allow his friends to extend to him at last the final resting home and honor to which he was entitled.

[roseofyork]

This poor young man deserves to be buried as he specified in York Minster.
It is the Church he knew.
The church he worshipped in and the church he loved.
He has always been valued by the people of York and rightly we want him home.
He was Lord of the North before he became king and spent most of his short life in York and Yorkshire itself.
Sadly in Leicester, where they openly admit he is to be a 'tourist attraction' it is planned to bury him in a 1920s church in a rather muslim neighbourhood.
He was a devout catholic yet the service is to be a multi culti 'christian led ecumenical service' whatever that is.
We in York wish to give him a state funeral as befits a monarch, a loved monarch wiith catholic rites included.
Please help bring him home and sign this petition.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/961/861/672/return-king-richard-iii-to-yorkshire/#sign

[Scimajor]

Both cities have strong arguments in their favour. The Queen and/or the parliament should step and make a ruling.

My vote would go to York.