The Richard III Society
Promoting research into the life and times of Richard III since 1924
Patron: HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO
Richard III by Andrew Jamieson,
© Richard III Society.
Welcome to the website of the Richard III Society. We have been working since 1924 to secure a more balanced assessment of the king and to support research into his life and times. The rediscovery of his remains and their re-interment in Leicester Cathedral have raised the king’s profile and provided us with new opportunities to make the case for a reappraisal of his life and role in English history.
In the belief that many features of the traditional accounts of the character and career of Richard III are neither supported by sufficient evidence nor reasonably tenable, the Society aims to promote, in every possible way, research into the life and times of Richard III, and to secure a reassessment of the material relating to this period, and of the role of this monarch in English history.
"… the purpose—and indeed the strength—of the Richard III Society derives from the belief that the truth is more powerful than lies; a faith that even after all these centuries the truth is important. It is proof of our sense of civilised values that something as esoteric and as fragile as reputation is worth campaigning for." Our Patron - the present Richard, Duke of Gloucester. more …
Visit the membership section to learn more about how to join the Society. Membership starts from as little as £12 per year.
The Ricardian is the academic journal of the Richard III Society. Since 2002 it has been published as an annual journal. Many of the editions and articles are now available online through the Ricardian Online website.
Introductory Reading list.
The Society's shop contains books, postcards, prints and much much more. To see what is available to buy please view our catalogue.
The Barton Library contains hundreds of titles, both non-fiction and fiction that are available for members to borrow. For more information click here.
The Society has a Privacy Policy and you can view it here.
We will sometimes send out emails with the latest news, or information about events we think may be of interest to you. Any member wishing to join, or re-join, our mailing list should e-mail our Web Content Manager, Katie Dungate confirming their wish to be added to the list and providing their Membership Number details. Please note that the mailing list is available to Society members only, and your contact details will not be provided to any third parties.
Following the information in the March Bulletin about the need for all members to re-register their Society membership as we change to a Company Limited by Guarantee, I can now confirm that an explanatory letter and form for re-registration will be sent out to all members in a few days. I would urge everyone to complete and return the form in the pre-paid envelope provided to ensure that your membership continues after September.
Sue Wells
Membership Officer
'A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with the University of Leicester regarding the appropriate use of the images of King Richard’s remains has been obtained. Following a meeting with the University on 29th July 2016 to discuss the use of images, Philippa and I are pleased to announce that the MoU between our two organisations has now been signed and is published here.'
Phil Stone, Society Chairman.
Read full statement.
We have previously advised members of the sad news that our Chairman, Dr Phil Stone, passed away shortly before Christmas.
The funeral will be held on Thursday 21 January at 2.45pm. The Society will be represented though it will be appreciated attendance at the funeral is extremely limited. There will be a live stream of the service (available for a further 28 days) for which we will send out the link.
The family have requested that no flowers are sent; donations to MacMillan Cancer.
The third in our regular series of Zoom lectures will be given on Thursday 18 March 2021. As before, this event will be free to Society members. More …
We are delighted to announce that this presentation will be given by Christina Smee.
Subject: The Barber Surgeon
Time: 14:00 (GMT)
Date: 18 March 2021
The postponed 2020 Annual General Meetings of the unincorporated Society and of the new Limited Company will be held on Saturday 20 February 2021, starting at 15:00 GMT.
Due to current restrictions in the UK, the AGMs will be held online via Zoom. The link for the Zoom meeting will be sent to those on the RIII mailings list.
To go on the mailing list please write to our Web Content Manager with your membership number and confirmation of the e-mail address you would like us to use. Please also confirm whether or not you would like to remain on the mailing list after the AGM.
AGM papers are being mailed to members in mid-January, including voting papers for motions and the elections for board directors and Executive Committee members. Voting will be managed by Civica (formerly Electoral Reform Services) and can be by post or online.
John Whiting, Acting Chairman and Treasurer
Three Board members (Dave Wells, Sue Wells and Sally Henshaw) have recently resigned their Directorships. Marlene Arnese and Sandra Pendlington have been co-opted to serve until a new Board is elected at the delayed 2020 AGM.
This key Society role, which has been advertised previously, is still vacant. After further discussion about the amount and nature of the work required, the EC/Board has determined the role should become a paid one. We are therefore re-advertising it on that basis. Further information is available here.
We have received some notifications of entries for this new essay prize and have capacity for more so we are happy to receive notifications to submit essays to education@richardiii.net stating the student’s name, their school or college name and the proposed essay title, up to the end of January 2021 for submission in the summer of 2021.
So far all the essay titles notified focus on Richard III, but we also welcome titles which focus on his brothers or his parents or other significant personalities such as Margaret Beaufort or Henry Stafford and their relationships with Richard. Broader themes such as the relationship between Church and state, international relations, legitimacy and kingship are all acceptable.
Iain Farrell, Education Officer
The second in our regular series of Zoom lectures will be given on Friday 5 February 2021 and we are delighted to announce that this presentation will be given by Yvonne Morley-Chisholm of the 'A Voice for Richard' project. More …
Subject: A Voice for Richard
Time: 14:00 (GMT)
Date: 5 February 2021
The Richard III Society is offering a prize of £200 for the best essay on a topic relevant to The Life and Times of Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Richard III) 1452-85 submitted either as coursework or an EPQ to an awarding body by the end of May 2021.
There will be second prize of £100 and a third prize of £50. All entries judged to be of at least grade A quality will qualify for one year’s free membership of the Richard III Society.
An intention to submit an essay should be sent by 31st October 2020 to education@richardiii.net stating the student’s name, their school or college name and the proposed essay title. The judges will be a panel of published authors on 15th century history. The deadline for sending entries will be dependent on the state of play of exams in 2021 and will be posted on the Richard III Society website. This deadline will be no earlier than the end of May 2021. Entrants must be under the age of 19 by 1st September 2021 and attending a school or college in the United Kingdom. Prize winners will be notified by 30th September 2021.
Iain Farrell, Education Officer
See all What's New items.
Question: What took three years, untold amounts of grit and graft, and produced a glittering result?
Answer: Philippa Langley's quest for the lost grave of Richard III.
Many, including academics and archaeologists – not to mention the media – are still reeling from a success that can only be called stunning!
Philippa Langley next to the grave.
Philippa Langley knew King Richard III had been 'piteously slain' at Bosworth Field. And she knew the Franciscan Friars of Leicester had laid him to rest in a simple grave. But where to look? Was he still there? And would they let her try to find him?
On 25 August 2012 Philippa Langley's quest for the lost grave of Richard III finally came to fruition!
Find out more …
The Looking for Richard team have compiled some frequently asked questions about the project that found King Richard's final resting place in 2012.
Learn more about Philippa’s exciting new research project, and how you can help.
Read the Reburial Diary and Events held by the Society during the historic week in March 2015 and first anniversary in March 2016.
Updated versions of some of John's Powerpoint presentations are available on his web site where you can download them.
We are extremely disappointed that Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council have decided to take the very short-sighted decision to grant permission for Horiba Mira to build on part of the registered battlefield of Bosworth, putting financial concerns above the history and heritage of this country. We will be consulting with our friends and colleagues in the Battlefields Trust over the next few days to decide on our next course of action. In the meantime, we would like to express our gratitude to the many hundreds of people who have supported us in our campaign to save the battlefield. Thank you!
The open letter written to the Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Planning Committee is available to view here.
Article on the will of Cardinal John Morton
The June issue of the Ricardian Bulletin includes an article by Dr Betty Knott on the will of Cardinal John Morton, based on her transcription and translation of his original Latin will. This article originated from Philippa Langley's The Missing Princes Project.
Space restrictions in the Bulletin meant we were unable to include with the article the full will in both its Latin and English form. However, as we stated in the Bulletin, these are being made available online both here (Latin version and English translation) and on the website of The Missing Princes Project.
The Ricardian Bulletin, the Society’s quarterly members’ magazine, publishes a number of historical articles in each issue. The current selection can be accessed here.
Please visit our 
page.
The Society’s long-awaited education website on the life and times of Richard III, entitled ‘Wars of the Roses’ is now live. The website has been developed by Iain Farrell, the Society’s Education Officer, with the support of the Society’s Research Officer, Joanna Laynesmith.
The content of the website has been guided by the needs of teachers and exam providers to develop in pupils and students the critical analysis of sources and differing interpretations to reach a considered view of events in the distant past. More …
• 5 February 2021: Yvonne Morley-Chisholm A Voice for Richard Zoom talk
• 20 February 2021: Society 2020/21 AGM on Zoom
• 18 March 2021: The Barber Surgeon by Christina Smee on Zoom
Find out more about events organised by Society Branches and Groups in your local area and beyond.
The list of venues which offer discounted entry rates for holders of a Richard III Society membership card.