
Well, I don’t know if the above heading is hopeful or not. If you go to this link https://royalcentral.co.uk/royal-news/did-buckingham-palace-just-give-the-thumbs-up-to-a-very-difficult-duke-203309/ you’ll find that its heading is Did Buckingham Palace just give the thumbs up to a very difficult duke? Said difficult duke is, of course, our fifteenth-century Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
The present day Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is patron of the Richard III Society, attended the king’s reinterment and has visited the Richard III Visitor Centre. He’s done right by his namesake, who’s had a relentlessly lousy time of it since Bosworth. The condemnation has been constant and cruel….and all without any proof that Richard III did anything wrong or evil at all! He’s been blamed for child murder without any evidence that the two boys were ever done away with. But that’s another story, of course.
Many of us were dismayed that Queen Elizabeth herself didn’t attend the reinterment, or at least send the then Prince of Wales. We’re also still disappointed that the contents of that pesky urn in Westminster Abbey aren’t permitted to be re-examined with today’s forensic advantages. That would certainly pinpoint whose remains they certainly weren’t!

If the Royal Central article’s conjecture proves to be right, it won’t be before time. But I have to wonder if now, after all that his good name and honour have suffered, Richard will deign to be approved. He should be the one considering whether or not any acceptance takes place, and let’s face it, after all they haven’t done to support him, his opinion of his royal successors probably isn’t very flattering.
But I think he’d shake hands with his present-day namesake.
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