Richard III: Leicester's Search for a King

Richard III Events      Reconstructing King Richard III

Richard III: Leicester’s Search for a King
Exhibition open now until 2014
The Guildhall  

The Guildhall, in the shadow of Leicester Cathedral, hosts a major exhibition telling the story of King Richard III, his life and times and the search for his lost remains.

In the summer of 2012, archaeologists from the University of Leicester, working with Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society, unearthed the ruins of the lost medieval Grey Friars church and within the ruins, the grave of a battle-scarred warrior.

Richard III: Leicester's Search for a King offers visitors an explanation of the findings of the 2012 Grey Friars excavation and details the evidence that proves the skeleton found belonged to King Richard III. The story is told by four narrators, all from the team of experts at the University of Leicester who undertook the work.

The Historian – examines the historical context. Who was Richard III, what do we know from the historical sources about his life and death and how he came to be buried in Leicester after his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

The Archaeologist – what happened during the excavation. How the church of the Grey Friars was discovered and human remains that were likely to belong to King Richard III were found.

The Bio-archaeologist – what clues were revealed by studying the actual bones. Examines the injuries inflicted around the time of death as well as more information about the curvature of the spine. It is also explained how this evidence matches up with the contemporary source material.

The Scientist – the results of the scientific tests that the skeleton underwent and how they finally confirm it was that of King Richard III. These tests included radiocarbon dating, calculus analysis and environmental sampling as well as the DNA evidence.

The exhibition features unique touchscreen interactives, including a detailed examination of the various key pathologies that the skeleton has. Also, on loan from Loughborough University, is a model of King Richard's skull, made from the CT scan of the skeleton made at Leicester Royal Infirmary and 3D printed using a technique called laser sintering.

Objects on display also include a case of items from the Grey Friars excavation, including decorated floor tiles, a silver penny of Richard's brother, Edward IV, and a section of carved stone frieze from the wall of the Grey Friars church. There is also an accurate model of the Blue Boar Inn, the building in Leicester where Richard spent the night before leaving for Bosworth.

Please note:
We are expecting a high degree of interest and visitors to the exhibition so queuing may be required, particularly during the facial reconstruction of King Richard III display.

At peak times, we recommend taking the Richard III walking trail which is available to download for free at the bottom of this page, or from the Guildhall, priced 50p. The trail, which can take anything from 45 – 60 minutes, provides an opportunity for you to visit the sites associated with Richard III within the Old Town area of the city while waiting to view the exhibition.

Please note that other parts of The Guildhall may be closed for private hire bookings during the course of the exhibition. If travelling some distance, please check before visiting.

Free admission

The Guildhall, Guildhall Lane, Leicester, LE1 5FQ

The facial reconstruction of King Richard III, as seen on the Channel 4 documentary, ‘The King in the Car Park,’ is to go on a national tour, beginning at The Guildhall. The model was commissioned by the Richard III Society and made by Professor Caroline Wilkinson and the forensic art team at the University of Dundee.

It was made using a 3D printing technique called stereolithography. Finishing details like the style and colour of Richard's hair and hat were taken from near contemporary portraits of the King.

Don't miss your chance to come face-to-face with one of English history's most controversial Kings.

Tour Dates

The Guildhall, Leicester: 18th May - 9th June 2013
Bosworth Battlefield: 11th June – 16th July 2013
Yorkshire Museum: 19th July – 13th October 2013
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery: 19th October – 5th January 2014
British Museum: 11th January 2014 – 16th March 2014

For specific display dates check with each venue. When the tour is complete, the model will return to Leicester for permanent display in the new King Richard III visitor centre. The tour was organised by Leicester Arts and Museums Service and the model has been kindly loaned for display by the Richard III Society.

Find out more about the tour venues on their websites:

Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre & Country Park

Yorkshire Museum

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery

British Museum

To find out more about the Richard III exhibition, associated events, activities and images of the Greyfriars dig, visit the Richard III website. 

Visit the University of Leicester’s The Search for Richard III website.

Keep in touch on facebook and twitter:

www.facebook.com/kingrichardleicester  

www.twitter.com/RichardIIILeics  

* Please note that parts of The Guildhall may be closed for private hire bookings during the course of the exhibition. If travelling some distance, please check with the Guildhall prior to visiting.

The Loveliest Leicestershire White Rose
Deadline: Saturday 6th July
Competition to find the most beautiful locally grown white rose. The winner will receive £100 gardening vouchers, be a guest of honour at the Cathedral memorial service on 22 August and be invited that day to lay their blooms on Richard’s memorial stone. For details and an application form please contact claire.recordon@leccofe.org

Richard lll - The Leicester Connection
Blue Badge Guided Walks
25th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th & 31st May, 29th June & 27th July
11.00am
Meet outside Leicester Cathedral
A guided walk around Leicester looking at significant sites including the Bow Bridge, the Newarke, the site of the Blue Boar Inn, the recent excavation site and the new Richard lll Exhibition at the Guildhall. Booking essential. £3.50 / £3.00 concessions. T: 0116 299 4444

May

Leicester Book Festival Presents: Sarah Gristwood
Friday 17th May
7.30pm
The Guildhall
Sarah Gristwood will be talking about her new book Blood Sisters, an account of the women involved in The War of The Roses, one of whom was Anne Neville, wife of Richard III. For more details on the event visit www.book-fest.com

To book tickets, please contact The Guildhall on 0116 253 2569, £10.00 / £8.00

Richard lll Gravesite Tours
Blue Badge Guide
25th & 26th May, 1st & 2nd June
10.00am – 4.00pm
Meet at New Street car park, opposite Leicester Cathedral
A rare opportunity to view King Richard lll’s gravesite, the resting place of the King for over 500 years. Tours every 30 minutes, first tour 10am and then every half hour. Free.

Richard lll Documentaries
25th& 29th May, 2nd, 5th & 9th June
The Guildhall

11.30am – Richard lll Press Launch: the official announcement of the discovery of Richard lll

1.00pm – Richard lll: The King in the Car Park 

3.00pm – Richard lll: The Unseen Story

A chance to revisit the press launch of the Richard lll discovery and to view the two Channel 4 documentaries. See all the behind-the-scenes action from the only team allowed to follow the scientists every step of the way. Free, drop-in event.

Evening Talk with Richard Buckley, University of Leicester Archaeological Service (ULAS)
Medieval Leicester and the Search for Richard III
Saturday 25th May
7.00pm
The Guildhall
Richard Buckley speaks about the Richard III project, from how they worked out where to look, through the excavation and what they found, to how the team were able to identify the skeleton as Richard III and work out how he died. Tea & coffee provided. Booking essential. £3.50. T: 0116 253 2569 

Afternoon Talk with Mathew Morris, ULAS
Sunday 26th May
1.00pm
The Guildhall
Mathew Morris is the Greyfriars Project’s fieldwork director and the archaeologist who first found Richard III. He looks at the whole Richard III project, from how they worked out where to look, through the excavation and what they found, to how the team were able to identify the skeleton as Richard III and work out how he died. His talk has a particular focus on the archaeological and osteological evidence from the dig. Booking essential. £3.50. T: 0116 253 2569

Knights & Princesses
Wednesday 29th May
11.00am – 3.00pm
The Guildhall
Come along and make a helmet, shield & sword, or create your own beautiful princess hat and accessories. Wear your best knight or princess costume! £2.50, drop-in event. T: 0116 253 2569

Castles & Clay
Thursday 30^th May
11.00am – 3.00pm
Wygston’s House
Half term fun for all the family! Create castles with clay and lots more including trails & face painting. Also a great chance to see Wygston’s House, one of Leicester’s oldest timber framed buildings. Only 5 minutes walk from the Guildhall & Richard lll exhibition. £2.50 for children. T: 0116 253 2569

Richard lll Performance with Jadis Shadows
Now is the Winter of our Discontent (The Rise and Fall of The White Boar)
Friday 31st May
7.30pm
The Guildhall
“Now is the winter of his discontent”… Richard Plantagenet has become a creature of legendary evil and corruption in the minds of public opinion; a hunchback of murderous ambition. Yet while the propaganda of Shakespeare’s dramatic creation has become readily accepted as fact, the gentler truth about this skilled warrior, polished courtier and able statesman is often overlooked.

In this new, specially commissioned play another side of Richard III is examined.
England is in bloody turmoil, brother turning against brother, father against son. A rampant battle for power rages as an audience is invited to revaluate Richard through the eyes of the strong and determined women who surrounded him; his wife, Anne Neville; the sensual dowager Queen, Elizabeth Woodville and the indomitable Margaret Beaufort, mother of the future Henry VII, matriarch of the dawning Tudor dynasty. Tickets £12.50 (£10.50 concession). Please book by calling: 0116 253 2569.

June

Richard lll Performance with Jadis Shadows
Now is the Winter of our Discontent (The Rise and Fall of The White Boar)
Saturday 1st June
7.30pm
The Guildhall
“Now is the winter of his discontent”… Richard Plantagenet has become a creature of legendary evil and corruption in the minds of public opinion; a hunchback of murderous ambition. Yet while the propaganda of Shakespeare’s dramatic creation has become readily accepted as fact, the gentler truth about this skilled warrior, polished courtier and able statesman is often overlooked.

In this new, specially commissioned play another side of Richard III is examined.
England is in bloody turmoil, brother turning against brother, father against son. A rampant battle for power rages as an audience is invited to revaluate Richard through the eyes of the strong and determined women who surrounded him; his wife, Anne Neville; the sensual dowager Queen, Elizabeth Woodville and the indomitable Margaret Beaufort, mother of the future Henry VII, matriarch of the dawning Tudor dynasty. Tickets £12.50 (£10.50 concession). Please book by calling: 0116 253 2569.

Conflict 1485 …Prepare for Battle!
Sunday 2nd June
11.00am - 3.00pm
The Guildhall
Come and meet the soldiers of King Richard lll.  See the amazing arms and armour the soldiers wore as they marched to fight the usurper Henry Tudor on Bosworth Battlefield.  This was the decisive battle of the War of the Roses known to some as the Fields of Treason. Try your hand at bill drill both young and old prepare to defend your King and his crown !! £1 entry drop in.  Fo enquiries, call 0116 253 2569. 

Richard lll Society at the Guildhall
Sunday 2nd June
11.00am – 4.00pm
The Guildhall
The Richard llI society have been working since 1924 to secure a more balanced assessment of the king and to support research into his life and times. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the king and fifteenth-century history. A chance to find out more about the society and Richard lll. Free.

Book Signing with Richard lll Author David Baldwin
Sunday 2nd June
12noon – 3.00pm
The Guildhall
A great opportunity to get a signed copy of Richard lll, meet local author David Baldwin who taught for many years at the Universities of Leicester and Nottingham. He has long been fascinated by the enigma of Richard lll and the many interpretations of his life and reign.  Free event. T: 0116 253 2569

Afternoon Talk with Turi King
Sunday 2nd June
4.00pm
The Guildhall
Dr Turi King is a lecturer with the University of Leicester in Genetics and Archaeology.  She looks at the whole Richard III project, from how they worked out where to look, through the excavation and what they found, to how the team were able to identify the skeleton as Richard III and work out how he died.  Her talk has a particular focus on the role of genetics and DNA in the project. Booking essential. £3.50. T: 0116 253 2569

Dean’s Discussions: Richard Buckley
Tuesday 4th June
7.00pm – 8.30pm
Leicester Cathedral
Leicester Cathedral’s series of discussions with leading figures at the University of Leicester begins with Richard Buckley, Lead Archaeologist of the dig which made the discovery of Richard III. £5.00 / £3.00 concessions.

Evening Talk with Dr Jo Appleby – School of Archaeology and Ancient History
Tuesday 4th June
7.00pm
The Guildhall
Dr Jo Appleby is a Lecturer in Bioarchaeology in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History.  She looks at the whole Richard III project, from how they worked out where to look, through the excavation and what they found, to how the team were able to identify the skeleton as Richard III and work out how he died. Her talk has a particular emphasis on the battle trauma and identifying traces of violence on the skeleton.  Booking essential. £3.50. T: 0116 253 2569

Dean’s Discussions: Dr Turi King and Professor Kevin Schürer
Tuesday 11th June
7.00pm – 8.30pm
Leicester Cathedral
Leicester Cathedral’s series of discussions with leading figures at the University of Leicester continues with Dr Turi King from the Department of Genetics and Professor Kevin Schürer, Pro Vice Chancellor. £5.00 / £3.00 concessions.

Dean’s Discussions: Dr Sarah Knight and Dr Mary Ann Lund
Tuesday 18th June
7.00pm – 8.30pm
Leicester Cathedral
Leicester Cathedral’s series of discussions with leading figures at the University of Leicester continues with Dr Sarah Knight, Senior Lecturer in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature, and Dr Mary Ann Lund from the Department of English. £5.00 / £3.00 concessions.

Dean’s Discussions: Dr Jo Appleby
Tuesday 25th June
7.00pm – 8.30pm
Leicester Cathedral
Leicester Cathedral’s series of discussions with leading figures at the University of Leicester concludes with Dr Jo Appleby, Lecturer in Human Bioarchaeology. £5.00 / £3.00 concessions.

Summer Reunion & Richard III Open Day
Saturday 29th June
10.00am – 4.00pm
University of Leicester
Come and join us on Saturday 29th June on campus for a day of social events, lectures, workshops and activities for all the family. Highlights include: Richard III open day - lectures from members of the Richard III project team, workshops, displays and demos; departmental anniversaries; students' union 90th celebration; social and family events such as a BBQ on the lawn, children's magic show, teddy bear hospital, rides and face-painters and academic involvement. Free to attend, please see the website to indicate your interest, pre- booking is required for some talks. www.le.ac.uk

Conflict 1485 Bosworth    Present…Wounds, Weapons and Warfare!
Sunday 7th July
11.00am - 3.00pm
The Guildhall
Visit the 15th century soldiers and campaigners at Leicester’s Guildhall as they demonstrate the devastating wounds and injuries delivered by their swords and  pole arms.  Set your eyes upon the surgeons table wares as he shows various procedures used on those injured in battle during the times of the War of the Roses. £1 entry, drop in. For enquiries, call 0116 253 2569.

R-3: Hunchback or Hero?
2 shows daily from Monday 15th July to Sunday 4th August at 1.30pm & 4.30pm, with some exceptions as follows: evening performance at 7.30pm only on 20th & 27th July and 2nd & 3rd August; no performances on 18th, 25th & 26th July and 1st August
The Guildhall
Following the discovery of the body of Richard III in a car park, Centre Five Productions’ new play seeks to unearth the mind of the man. This one man show uses some of Shakespeare’s text, but also challenges Shakespeare’s interpretation. Running time 55 minutes approx. Tickets £7 for adults, £4 for students, over 65’s and under 12’s. T: 0116 253 2569

Festival of Archaeology: Search for the King in the Car Park!
Thursday 18th July
11.00am – 3.00pm
The Guildhall
Find out more about Richard III at our family fun day as part of the Festival of Archaeology! We will have archaeologist Matthew Morris from ULAS talking all about the discovering Richard lll in the car park, you will be able to make your own bones and tiles using the finds for inspiration. There will also be a chance for the adults to have a go at their very own craft session, creating a beautiful white rose out of tights. Children’s crafts £2.50 / Adult crafts £2.00 T: 0116 253 2569

Manike Music presents… Richard the lll - How do you bury a King? Manike Music might have the answer!
Sunday 28th July & 4th August, 12.30pm
Wednesday August 7th 11.30am & 1.30pm
The Guildhall
This signed Leicester based brother and sister team have been writing historic music for the Richard III Festival and a new album titled, “The Last Plantagenet.” For more information on Manike music, please visit their website www.manikemusic.com Free drop-in event

Thursday 1st August
11.00am – 3.00pm
The Guildhall
Bill Brookman is planning to unleash his Richard III puppet play on an unsuspecting audience. But be prepared! Maybe he has forgotten the puppets… or the plot? ...he will need plenty of help from children in the audience! There will be lots of crafts and quizzes and the opportunity to help us create a giant boar, the emblem of Richard III. £2.50, drop-in event. T: 0116 253 2569

Mediaeval funday: Knights, Castles and Princesses
Thursday 15th August
11.00am – 3.00pm
The Guildhall
Come down to the Museum and get ready for battle! We’ll be making swords and shields so you can defend us against the opposition and create crowns and princess hats so you’ll be dressed the part too. There will be quizzes and trails and a face painter too. Get inspiration from our Richard lll exhibition & come dressed in your best princess and knight costume! £2.50, drop-in event. T: 0116 253 2569

Talk by Robert Gregory (Blue Badge Guide): Leicester and King Richard III
Sunday August 18th
2.00pm
Newarke Houses Museum
Come along to a talk at Newarke Houses Museum and discover more about Richard III’s connections with Leicester, both in life and death. Refreshments included. Booking essential. Charge £3.00 per person. T: 0116 225 4980

Richard III Family Afternoon
Thursday 22 August
3.00pm – 5.00pm
Leicester Cathedral precincts
A family afternoon, to include entertainment by puppeteer Bill Brookman and medieval recorder players.

Choral Evensong Commemorating Richard III
Thursday 22 August
5.30pm
Leicester Cathedral
A service of commemoration for King Richard III, on the anniversary of his death at Bosworth Battlefield in 1485.

September

Richard III Coach Tour
Tuesday 10th September
9.30am – 2.00pm approximately
Meet at St. Margaret’s Bus Station
The Richard III Tour is a coach trip devised and led by Blue Badge Guide Colin Crosby. The coach will follow a route close to the one Richard took from Leicester to Bosworth Battlefield.
£13.00
> Find out more information on the Crosby Heritage Website

Flower Festival 'Loyalty Binds Me'
Friday 13th - Monday 16th September
Leicester Cathedral
A feast for the eyes on a theme that borrows the motto of Richard III looking at monarchy, friendship, justice and injustice.
For further information contact claire.recordon@leccofe.org 

Download the Richard III Walking Trail below: