Is this country completely crackers?

Richards death in battle was certainly a pivotal moment in our history. And to be fair he wasn't really buried first time around, more chucked in a hole once his identity was confirmed.

 

But other things are important as well, how boring it would be if all we deemed as important was paying out 'benefits'.
He was a King and this is what we do in this County, I actually thought it was brilliant that they went to all this trouble to give him a final resting place.
People turn out to these events as a break from the mundane events of their daily lives.
Great stuff and long may it continue!!

 

I found the programmes about how the skeleton was excavated and identified quite interesting and of course once you've dug it up you have to do something with it. I wouldn't put money in a collecting tin to pay for it but I don't have an objection if some tax payers money was used, there are loads of other things I'd prefer my tax money wasn't used for which cost far more.

Richard III was interesting because he was so vilified by Shakespeare that although he didn't reign for long, most of us know something (the negative bits) of his story through the plays. I remember reading many years ago that Shakespeare first and foremost had to write what the then government (and Royals) would be pleased with and as the Tudors were in power the Plantaganets had to be the bad guys... as they say it's the victors who write the history.

 

And supposedly a hunchback (now disproved) and supposedly had a withered arm (now disproved) and allegedly killed the princes in the tower (yet no proof). And that is what made him such an interesting character. Equally, longk is right in how Richard III altered our laws (for the better and, often, for the poor).
His supporters have long tried to reverse the traditionally held Shakespearean view of Richard III. The discovery of his skeleton has begun to unravel some truths from fiction.
But there is another historical moment of importance which seems to be overlooked in this topic: his is the first ancient skeleton to have his genome sequenced. This is quite amazing stuff! This is where the technology of today meets medieval England.
And, let's not forget that his burial is causing just as much controversy as his Tudor reputation. Where *should* his final resting place have been? Should it be in an Anglican cathedral when CofE didn't even exist? And so on.
And finally - when a country is in the doldrums - a bit of pomp and ceremony can lift spirits and join hearts and minds. People have travelled worldwide for this event and if that means a bit of ker-ching for our coffers: then the question isn't "why" ... but, why *not*
RIP Richard III - I've found it all fascinating - and it's lifted the pages out of the history books and into my world for that final chapter. Fab!

 

Well said "M" I agree with every word.

 

As this thread is titled Is this Country completely crackers I just can't resist adding that taking a look inside the Tate Modern convinces me that it is!!!

 

Most artists of the time (be they writers, composers or painters etc) were dependent upon the patronage of the wealthy and/or the ruling elite.

However thanks to the efforts of a couple of Victorian builders he was footless when they found him. Had they dug a couple of metres further out he may have been lost forever.

 

Crikey, you were the posh end!
All us peasants got was a manky egg on a spoon and told to race with it! And worse ...

.... I couldn't even get *that* right!

 

@wiseowl Phew! Thought for a moment there I may have been hob-nobbing with knight in shining armour

 

I totally agree Val A right miserable bunch we have here It's all part of our heritage as far as I'm concerned, and you can't put a price on that!