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We were made aware of the dig in Leicester when it was still in the planning stage. We were commissioned to produce a promotional video of the original tomb design before there was even a skeleton. On the basis of the still images and video, thousands of people donated money towards the tomb. At that time, we spoke with some of the architects of the project and knew what plans they had made to preserve the dignity of any remains that were discovered in Leicester - chiefly that one polaroid would be taken and only shared with academics who had sufficient reason to look. All this, like so much, went out of the window when the tourist bus drove into Leicester.

We were never part of the Looking for Richard team and while for some years we fought their corner, loyalty did not bind them to us any more than it did to Richard III. But the truth matters more. Not just the truth about Richard III, but religious truth, which alone gives us a window through which to see and understand all of history.

Lost but not Found: The Truth about Richard III

By John L. Fox

Everyone knows that Richard III was buried in Leicester; every one knows that Richard III had a deformed body; everyone knows he had a twisted spine; everyone knows that one of his shoulders was higher than the other; because that was what Rous said. Before ever they carried out any of their "tests", before another "expert" examined the remains, those pseudo-scientists had had all their previous "knowledge" about Richard confirmed. From that first glance, it was a foregone conclusion that they would have the "results" to confirm their initial judgment. That's how science works in the Twenty First Century. The body in the car park had to be him, because that body showed evidence of scoliosis. ... But the Leicester grave-diggers have not the bones of the King, because the King did not have a twisted spine.

~ from Lost but not Found: The Truth about Richard III

 

A dig in a Leicester car park in 2013 claimed to have uncovered the remains of Richard III. Every argument concerned with historical documents, portraits and witnesses of his character were overruled by the presentation of the skeleton. Every prejudice of modern historians and malfeasance by King Richard's enemies such as John Rous and Thomas More was confirmed by this pathetically distorted and weak little figure. It was a moment of "I told you so." And in the face of this, Ricardians surrendered all they had ever believed.

Ricardians seemed at a loss to know what to say. On the one hand, everything they had ever said in Richard III's defence had been denied in such a way that mocked their loyalty as misguided; but on the other hand, their area of special interest was becoming popular, even trendy! Given the option of being thought a stubborn fool in solitude or an informed person in a crowd of temporary interest, most chose the latter. A debate took place on the Richard III Society facebook page (something which would not be suffered today). The record of this exchange is on this website in a semi-anonymised form, providing a record of how Ricardians reacted. There were many points, back and forth, on which they could be persuaded. In the end, most chose to believe the skeleton in Leicester was Richard III on the basis of DNA alone. You can read the full Debate here.

Meanwhile, since Lost in Castles had produced popular DVDs on Middleham Castle and Sandal Castle, both of which encouraged a favourable view of Richard III, there was a blog on that site that offered more considered reaction to the Leicester pronouncements. For the sake of completeness, the 2013 Blog is archived as "Richard III & Leicester".

But it is not about a skeleton in Leicester. Or rather it never should have been about a skeleton in Leicester. Lost but not Found: The Truth about Richard III is about a man who was King - a man who was a Christian King.