The New Murrey and Blue blog

Richard III

The awful modern disguising of a genuine medieval building….!

Sep 11, 2023

buildings, Science

“Tudors”, Bottesford, dendrochronology, Henry VII, Leicester Mercury, Red Lion, Richard III, terraces, What the “Tudors” did for us

I was intrigued to read this article, but then rather annoyed. The Tudors have nothing whatsoever to do with the building in question, so why is it necessary to mention them? They even seem to be a selling point! The building is apparently older than the reign of Henry VII, the first of the Tudor…
From child marriages to a royal murder in Calais….

Sep 8, 2023

anniversaries, buildings, law, religion, sources

Anne Mowbray, Ashmolean Museum, child marriage, Eleanor de Bohun, Henry IV, Henry V, Humphrey de Bohun, Illustrations of Ancient State and Chivalry Preserved in the Ashmolean Museum, murder, Oxford, Philippa de Coucy, Richard II, Richard III, Richard of Shrewsbury, Robert de Vere Earl of Oxford, St. Stephen’s Westminster, Thomas of woodstock, William Henry Black

While seeking information that might help with the child marriage of Robert de Vere, 9th Earl of Oxford and Philippa de Coucy, granddaughter of King Edward III, I came upon this link which is from Illustrations of Ancient State and Chivalry, From Manuscripts Preserved In The Ashmolean Museum, edited by William Henry Black and…
The top ten English castles….?

Sep 6, 2023

archaeology, buildings, Uncategorized

Arundel Castle, Beeston Castle, Bolsover Castle, Carisbroke castle, castles, Dover Castle, Dunstanburgh Castle, Edward IV, Kenilworth Castle, Middleham Castle, Portchester Castle, Reader’s Digest, Richard II, Richard III, Richard of Warwick, Tintagel Castle, Warkworth Castle

My two favourite kings, Richards II and III, get a mention in this article Top 10 castles in England (readersdigest.co.uk). All ten castles are splendidly impressive, but there are so many more, equally splendid and impressive, that are omitted. As witness Arundel above. But if you’re selecting your own top 10 in England, these are…
The Earl of Warwick popped back from the hereafter to fight at Tewkesbury….?

Sep 5, 2023

anniversaries, battles, buildings, The play’s the thing

Barnet, Churchdown, Edward of Lancaster, Gloucestershire, hills, Richard III, Richard of Warwick, Shakespeare, Tewkesbury

The above illustration is from In search of Shakespeare in Gloucestershire The article states that “Shakespeare takes liberties with Tewkesbury” (and calls Richard III a scallywag!) and then lists all the things that are wrong in the Bard’s accounts. But it doesn’t notice the glaring error in the above illustration’s caption. I’d like to…
What is the truth behind Shakespeare’s Richard II and Richard III….?

Sep 1, 2023

anniversaries, archaeology, buildings, genealogy, Science, The play’s the thing

childlessness, Elizabeth I, kyphosis, Perspective Magazine, Pontefract Castle, propaganda, Richard II, Richard III, Robert Cecil, Robert Devereux Earl of Essex, satire, scoliosis, sedition, Shakespeare, succession

Here’s an interesting take on Shakespeare‘s Richard II. Please note, NOT Richard III. There is a myth that this play was written to flatter the Tudor queen Elizabeth, and yet one scene came so close to the bone, so to speak, that she had it excised from every performance! Amused she was not. The scene…
Catherine Parr was violent with Henry VIII….?

Aug 30, 2023

anniversaries, films, The play’s the thing

Henry VIII, Jude Law, Katherine Parr, prosthetics, Richard III, The Lost King, violence

According to this article skinny Jude Law is to play Fat Henry as he was at the time of his marriage to Catherine Parr. The makeup department is sure going to be working overtime+!!! I’m going to spend my time examining his closeups for where the prosthetics end and Jude himself begins. But hey, rewriting…
The 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio….

Aug 28, 2023

Book Reviews, Events

exhibitions, First Folio, Richard III, Shakespeare

I didn’t know how perilously close Shakespeare’s great work came to complete and utter obscurity, if not to say oblivion. But it seems that this year is the First Folio’s 400th anniversary. And if you read here 400 Years of the First Folio (shakespeare.org.uk) you’ll find the story of its miraculous survival….although I imagine the…
The mysterious coffin found immediately after Richard was discovered….

Aug 27, 2023

archaeology, buildings, religion, Science

human remains, lead coffins, Leicester Greyfriars, Leicester University, Matthew Morris, missing feet, Richard III, University of Leicester Archaeological Services, video

We all know that an unidentified medieval stone sarcophagus containing a lead coffin was discovered close to Richard’s last resting place in Leicester. And, probably, that it proved to be that of an elderly woman. Now there is a video of what happened when it was opened. When they first examined the remains inside…
Buy the home of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester? No, not THAT duke, the present one….!

Aug 26, 2023

anniversaries, buildings, genealogy, law, religion

architecture, Barnwell Castle, Barnwell House, Berenger le Moyne, Dissolution, English Heritage At Risk register, Nene, Northamptonshire, Oundle, planning, Ramsey Abbey, Richard Duke of Gloucester, Richard III, Royal Academy, ruins, Sir Albert Richardson

Yes, of course I’ve heard of the present Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Funnily enough I seem to recall a past Richard, Duke of Gloucester too. However, I hadn’t heard of Barnwell Manor, which has until recently been the home of the present duke and duchess. It’s in Northamptonshire, half a mile north of the…
An interview with Jeff Pope, writer of “The Lost King”….

Aug 22, 2023

anniversaries, battles, buildings, films, genealogy, law, religion, Science

“Tudors”, dictators, Harry Lloyd, Henry VII, Jeff Pope, Leicester University, Philippa Langley, presumption of innocence, Richard III, Steve Coogan, The Lost King

There has been a lot of publicity about the splendid The Lost King, but until happening upon this article I hadn’t read anything about the thoughts of the writer, Jeff Pope. What had his opinion of Richard III been before the advent of Philippa Langley and her almost miraculous discovery of Richard’s remains? One…