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The Edinburghs

Countess of Wessex to join The Gloucesters at reinterment of King Richard III

The Countess of Wessex will join The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at the reinterment service of former King, Richard III, Leicester Cathedral has announced this week.

The reburial of the last Plantagenet English monarch will take place on the 26th March at Leicester Cathedral, following the discovery of the King’s bones underneath a city car park in 2012.

Speaking of the modern Royal attendance, The Dean of Leicester, The Very Revd David Monteith said:

“We are highly delighted and honoured to receive three members of the Royal Family to the reinterment of King Richard.

“I know that our city and county will offer a very warm welcome to our principal guests.”

The reinterment service is part of a number of events taking place during the week and is expected to draw hundreds of visitors to Leicester. Prayer services are to be held before a cortège carrying the bones will pass through the county.

King Richard’s remains, which are currently being held at the University of Leicester, will depart on the 22nd March passing through a number of key sites including Sutton Cheeney Parish Church and Fenn Lane Farm. Sutton Cheeney is thought to be the place where the Richard took his final mass before heading into the Battle of Bosworth, where he was slain – reportedly on the site of Fenn Lane Farm.

Tickets for the service went go out to a public ballot in December. It is expected two hundred members of the public will attend the reinterment in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd and Rt Hon Justin Welby.

Alongside the reinterment service, The Duke of Gloucester will attend a service of reception on the 22nd August at Leicester Cathedral. He will attend both events in his capacity as Patron of the Richard III Society.

King Richard’s remains were discovered underneath a car park in Leicester in late 2012. The city’s University confirmed in February 2013 that carbon dating and rigorous academic study placed the bones in the 1455 – 1540 period, and they did indeed belong to Richard. Revealed as those of a man in his late 20s or early 30s, they linked to Richard’s age of 32 when he died along with the exhibited damage to his skull.

Debate began on the burial location following the announcement with rival online petitions supporting burials in York and Leicester. October 2013 saw the end of petitions with 34,300 people supporting burial in Leicester Cathedral compared with 31,260 for that in York Minster.

Featured Image Credit: Paul Ratcliffe

About author

James is Royal Central's Director of Broadcasting and Communications. He's a recognised royal commentator and correspondent and has experience with numerous TV and radio networks including the BBC, ITV, Sky, CNN and MSNBC among others.