Richard III
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by Ian Wilson Why do the Wars of the Roses feel like endless vendettas? At first glance, because the language of honour hadn’t changed: nobles still cried, “My blood has been offended,” or “My lineage must be avenged.” That patina of chivalry, though, concealed something very different. The talk set out to understand why so…
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Here is a new song about Richard III’s visit to Exeter – have a listen! It has a very nice melody and some great mediaeval vibes. Click here! If you like it, here is the link to buy it for just 50p: Here These are the lyrics of the song: After leaving Salisbury he headed…
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The link below just cropped up in my Facebook feed, alleging that, because Richard III’s Y-DNA didn’t match the modern supposed bearers of the Y chromosome, it would cause a royal scandal regarding who is the rightful monarch of the UK. Also it states that the ‘false paternity’ occurred between Edward III and Richard III,…
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“….Back during this time [1381] King Richard III was on the throne….” Quote taken from https://tinyurl.com/3558yumz. It would seem that the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, during which the famous rebel leader Wat Tyler was murdered, has become somewhat fashionable. Articles about it are frequently dropping into my in-box and there is even to be a…
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By Maria Leotta It was 2017 when I first heard of a film about the life of Philippa Langley. I immediately called her to congratulate her but I knew nothing specific about the film. I followed every update, I read every article and I waited in trepidation for the trailer. When the cast was revealed,…
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If you read this link—https://www.tatler.com/article/is-the-duke-of-york-title-cursed-prince-andrew—you’ll find this statement: “….Following its first creation in 1385, the Dukedom of York has never been inherited: its holders have either died without male heirs or been crowned king….” Not true! Edmund of Langley, son of Edward III, was the 1st Duke of York, and his son, Edward of Norwich,…
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I have written recently about Jo Harkin’s new book, The Pretender, (https://murreyandblue.co.uk/2025/05/05/the-pretender-takes-the-same-old-attitude-to-richard-iii/) which tells the story of Lambert Simnel, who claimed to be Edward, Earl of Warwick, for whom the Yorkists fought (and lost) the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487. You can read about the earl here https://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/plantagenet_25.html. And about Lambert Simnel here https://richardiii.net/faqs/richard-and-his-world/aftermath/lambert-simnel-and-the-king-from-dublin/…
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Mabel was the daughter of the notoriously cruel, William I Talvas and the heiress of her father’s estates, inheriting on his death in 1060. She also inherited the remainder of the Bellême honour in 1070 at the death of her uncle Yves, Bishop of Séez and Lord of Bellême. When her father was exiled she…
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An international group of scientists, including Prof. Turi King of Leicester University, has investigated the dental plaque (calculus) of King Richard III and concluded that it was basically the same as both other contemporary remains examined (including those from different social levels), and also modern populations! This is their conclusion: The dental calculus of King…
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10+ misunderstood historical figures, including Richard III….
Well, if there’s a list of historical figures on-line, you can be virtually certain that Richard III will crop up somewhere….usually as the bad guy. Well, thanks to Henry VII, Thomas More, John Morton, Shakespeare and just about any dumb historian since then. If ever there was a flock of sheep, historians of Richard III…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 