From car park to cathedral, Richard III is finally at peace

23 March 2015 by Catherine Holdsworth in Authentic leadership, Business and finance, Current events

What were the odds that the first trench dug in a car park in Leicester would reveal the final resting place of a notorious king of England. Only a few years ago, it was revealed that King Richard III had been hastily buried in a church (now a car park) after he lost his life at the battle of Bosworth Fields.

Richard III is a notorious historical figure, most famously portrayed as the eponymous character of the Shakespeare play. History has written him off as an evil king, one who usurped his brother for the crown, a hunchback who was bitter and cruel. One thing was proven when his body was found and that was that he did in fact have a hunchback due to scoliosis. However, should we be quick to write him off as the bad king?

Richard III ascended the crown after his brother, Edward IV died suddenly and was said to be responsible for the death of the two princes in the tower. Nevertheless, we cannot know what really happened back then. There are many who believe that it was Henry Tudor’s mother who ordered the boys killed so that her son’s claim to the throne was legitimate. If you’ve seen the BBC’s recent adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen, then you may be of this opinion as well.

During Richard III’s reign, the War of the Roses was still prevalent and, as a son of the House of York, the Lancasters were a threat to his rule. It is unlikely that Richard III experienced much peacetime during his reign and, as a disabled man, leading from the front on a battlefield would have been incredibly difficult.

Today, after many years of contention between the city of York and Leicester, the king will finally be laid to rest in Leicester cathedral, a proper burial for a proper king. Richard’s leadership skills will be contested, no doubt, for many years to come, today however, is a celebration of a king who was unfortunate enough to rule in one of the most bloody wars in British history.

Bas Blekking’s Authentic leadership helps you gain the tools to become an excellent leader, whether that be as a monarch or a CEO.