Reinterment Ceremony of King Richard III Announced

Richard III Photo: National Portrait Gallery, London

The University of Leicester has announced details of the reinterment of King Richard III of England, Art Daily has reported. The monarch will be reburied in Leicester Cathedral on March 26, 2015 in one of three services following a week of events honoring his memory. “Our cathedral has been consistently committed to providing a fitting, dignified and memorable ceremony for the reinterment of king Richard,” the Bishop of Leicester Tim Stevens told Art Daily.

Before being laid to rest, the king’s coffin will be taken on a tour of villages ending at the site of the Battle of Bosworth where his life came to an end. Richard’s remains will then be taken to the Cathedral on March 22 where his remains will lie in repose for three days.

Richard, the last English king to die in battle was killed in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth, ending the War of the Roses and giving rise to the Tudor dynasty.

In 2012 Richard’s remains were discovered underneath a car park in Leicester, but a drawn out legal challenge delayed the reinterment. The King’s descendants fought for his remains to be buried in York, the city that Richard’s royal house was named after, while the city of Leicester fought for the remains to stay in the city where they were discovered. A high court ruling decided that there was no reason for Richard’s remains to leave Leicester.

The service of reinterment will be broadcast live on Britain’s Channel 4 television.


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.