Richard, the last Plantagenet

Today is the first day of a momentous week of events in Leicestershire surrounding the re-internment of King Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England, and the last monarch of the House of York.

I decided to cycle over to the village of Sutton Cheney which is located close to the Bosworth Battlefield where Richard was defeated and killed. Sutton Cheney was going to host a small service as the cortege passed through. The village was chosen for a service as it is believed that King Richard took his final Mass at St James' church on the eve of the battle.

It was a lovely day for a ride and for the event, I was accompanied by a chorus of Skylarks. I managed to get a spot right outside the church, so I was able to see the Knights in armour, the hand bell ringing group, and the actual service.

I have chosen this picture as it shows the hearse carrying Richard's coffin (which was made by the male decendent, Michael Ibsen, who's DNA was used to verify that the remains were indeed Richard) past a guard of honour of soldiers in armour on towards the Bosworth Battlefield Centre for another service, before the cortege moved on towards Leicester where the coffin was transferred to a horse drawn gun carriage for the last trip to the cathedral.

On top of the coffin you can see a wreath of white roses which were placed on the coffin during the service at Sutton Cheney.

There are some more pictures from the day here

Finally, some fun entertainment for the evening