Funeral Fit for a King

KING RICHARD III is to be reburied at Leicester Cathedral on March 26 next year, having been exhumed two years ago by the University of Leicester, more than 500 years after his death at the battle of Bosworth.

The last king of England to die in battle will receive an unofficial state funeral. His cortege will tour the local area from Leicester to Bosworth before lying in state for three days inside Leicester Cathedral, where he will finally be reinterred.

The Rt Revd Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, said: “Our cathedral has been consistently committed to providing a fitting, dignified and memorable ceremony for the reburial of King Richard III.

“We can now see how this works out in detail and our city and county look forward to all the events of next spring.”

Although not technically a state funeral, his remains will at last receive some of the pageantry denied to the king at the time of his death. The estimated cost of the ceremony could reach £2.5 million, and will be broadcast on national television.

So far, almost £1 million of the money needed has been collected, with hopes that the remaining funds will be raised in time for the reburial.

The monarch was unearthed in a car park by archeologists from the University of Leicester two years ago. There followed a struggle between the university and descendents of the king, who wanted him to be laid to rest in York Minster.  

Earlier this year High Court judges ruled that he would finally be laid to rest in Leicester.