Ricardian (Richard III) facts for kids
Ricardians are people who believe that King Richard III of England (who ruled from 1483 to 1485) was not as bad as history often says. Many stories, especially Shakespeare's play Richard III, show him as a villain. In the play, he is shown as someone who killed his young nephews to become king. Ricardians think these stories are not true. They believe these ideas were spread by the Tudor family who took over the throne after Richard.
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What Ricardians Believe
Ricardians agree on some key facts. They know that young King Edward V was put under the care of his uncle, Richard III. They also know that Richard III then became the new king instead of Edward V. And they know that the young king disappeared and was never seen again.
However, Ricardians do not believe that Richard III was the one who made Edward V disappear or killed him. They think that many people wrongly blamed Richard III for these events.
Richard III was king for only two years. His rule ended violently on August 22, 1485, at the Battle of Bosworth. This was the last big battle of the War of the Roses. After the battle, Richard III's body was not given a proper funeral. People even forgot where he was buried for a long time. Ricardians say that the ideas about Richard III's actions were not based on facts from that time. They believe these ideas were probably spread by the kings who came after him.
Two main groups of Ricardians are the Richard III Society and the Richard III Foundation, Inc. In 2012, the Richard III Society helped find Richard III's lost remains. They were found under a car park in Leicester. This discovery made many people interested in this part of history. It also led to new studies and books about Richard's time as king. After being studied, Richard III's remains were reburied inside Leicester Cathedral on March 26, 2015. This was a very important event with many ceremonies.
The Richard III Society
The Richard III Society started in 1924. A surgeon from Liverpool, Samuel Saxon Barton, created it. It was first called "The Fellowship of the White Boar." The white boar was Richard's special symbol and a sign of the Yorkist army in the Wars of the Roses. At first, it was a small group of history fans. Their goal was to help people see Richard III in a new, fairer way.
The society became less active during World War Two. But in 1951, a book called The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey came out. This book looked at Richard's guilt and made people doubt it. In 1955, Laurence Olivier released his film of Shakespeare's Richard III. The film even said that the play was based on old stories. Also, a kind and detailed book about Richard was written by Paul Murray Kendall. All these things helped the society become active again.
The Fellowship of the White Boar changed its name to The Richard III Society in 1959.
In 1980, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, became a special supporter of the society. Richard III was also the Duke of Gloucester before he became king.
In 1986, the society started the Richard III and Yorkist History Trust. This group is a charity. It helps with research and books about England in the late Middle Ages.
The society also publishes a history magazine called The Ricardian.
Finding Richard III's Remains
In 2012, the society worked with the University of Leicester and Leicester City Council. They dug up a skeleton at the old Greyfriars Church. Later, it was confirmed that this was the skeleton of King Richard III.
Philippa Langley, who was part of the Scottish branch of the society, started the search for Richard's lost grave. She did this as part of her own research into the king. Her project was the first time anyone had ever searched for the grave of an English king. In 2013, a TV show called Richard III: King In A Car Park was made about this amazing discovery.
Philippa Langley and John Ashdown-Hill were given special awards (MBE) for their work. They were honored for finding and identifying Richard III. In 2022, a movie called The Lost King was made about Philippa Langley's story and the discovery of Richard III.
The Richard III Foundation, Inc.
This group is an educational organization in the United States. Its goal is to study, share, and create interest in the life of King Richard III and the Wars of the Roses.
Their website says that the Foundation wants to show a different view of King Richard III. They use careful research to prove that the facts of Richard's life are very different from the way Shakespeare showed him.
They also aim to find and translate old documents and writings. These texts can give new information about this important time in history.
