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. For more information click here.
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 Communications Manager, Amanda Geary. Please note that the mailing list is available to Society members only.
'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.
I have received the following from our Patron’s Private Secretary at Kensington Palace: 'His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester has asked me to convey his best wishes to all your members, staff and volunteers while we enter this unprecedented period of uncertainty and worry. He is very much aware of the concerns that your people will have at the moment as this pandemic develops and would want you to know that you are all very much in his mind'.
With all best wishes to you all. Stay safe and stay well.
Dr P T Stone, Chairman
Everyone will be aware of the present situation relating to the COVID-19 virus and the ever-changing Government restrictions being placed upon us all. Many of us are over 70 and now in some form of purdah or another. This is to let you all know that we will try to keep as much as possible active - The Bulletin and the website especially. Sadly, however, we have had to postpone the Exeter study weekend and most Branches and Groups are cancelling their meetings until further notice. The events in Leicester to commemorate the Fifth Anniversary of King Richard’s Reinterment have been another casualty, of course. I would ask you to remember that members of the Executive Committee as well as Branch and Group organisers are all volunteers and they are all doing their best to stay on top of things in a difficult and rapidly changing situation. I wish you all well and ask you all to stay safe. Let us get rid of this damned disease as quickly as possible so that life may return to normal again.
With the very best of wishes
Dr P T Stone, Chairman
All events at Leicester Cathedral and the Visitor Centre for the weekend of 27 - 29 March 2020 have been cancelled following government advice. Members who had booked for Christian Steer’s talk on Friday 27 March will have their money refunded by the Visitor Centre. The cathedral hopes to be able to reschedule events at a later date. Please refer to their website for further information.
We have received several queries regarding the recent marketing survey for members, sent out with the latest issue of The Ricardian Bulletin. To clarify, this is not the main membership survey which was agreed at the last AGM. This is a basic membership survey so that we can understand who our membership and core audience is, and consists of one page. There is more information on this survey on pages 6-7 of the latest Bulletin. The more comprehensive membership survey will take a little time to compile and will follow at a later date.
Contrary to what it states on page 6 of the Bulletin - the survey is for all members, both overseas and UK based. We apologise for any confusion.
If anyone wishes to scan their completed survey form and e-mail it to us, please send it to comms@richardiii.net.
We hope this answers any questions you may have, but if we can help with anything else, please do not hesitate to contact our Communications Manager, Amanda Geary, at the above e-mail address.
It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the death in America of Society Vice-President Jonathan Hayes.
An obituary and remembrance of Jonathan will appear in the June Bulletin. Meanwhile, we send our condolences to Susan and his family, as well as members of the American Branch, of which Jonathan was a former Chairman.
The Richard III Society have recently been made aware of two potential developments which are likely to impact on Bosworth Battlefield.
The first is a proposal to construct a large solar farm on land adjacent to the registered battlefield. Obviously anything that helps promote more renewable energy is to be welcomed, and as this is not actually on the battlefield there are no grounds on which to object. However, we have contacted Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council to request that if this development goes ahead, then a proper archaeological survey is undertaken prior to work commencing. We have also requested adequate screening of the solar farm to limit its impact on the battlefield.
The second development is at Stoke Golding, where Tudor was crowned after the battle. This proposal would see six houses built behind The White Swan pub, a plan which would encroach onto the registered battlefield. As the area has already met its target for building new homes, and none of these proposed houses classify as 'affordable housing', the Society is against this development and have written to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
Obviously, these applications do appear to be a worrying trend, coming just a year after the plans by Horiba Mira to build a driverless car test track on part of the registered battlefield were approved by the council. The Richard III Society hopes to work with our colleagues at the Battlefields Trust and the Henry Tudor Society over the coming year and beyond to try to prevent any further development of this important historic site.
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.
• 3 - 5 April: Annual Conference in Exeter "The South West during the Wars of the Roses" **Cancelled**
• 22 - 23 August: Bosworth Medieval Festival
• 3 October: Society AGM and Member's Day - York
• 12 December: Christmas at Fotheringhay
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.