MyBroughtonAstley: Broughton Astley Heritage Society

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Broughton Astley Heritage Society - back to heritage soc main page Richard III - 5th Feb 2008 Most people think that King Richard III was an evil tyrant with a hunched back and ruthless appetite for power who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Diana Courtney gave a more balanced view of this English monarch in her talk to Broughton Astley Heritage Society 5 February 2008. His rise was indeed meteoric but it was in a time of great battles for power. Richard's reputation for evil was only started after his death and is probably caused by Tudor “spin” with most of the bad press coming from Tudor propagandists, including Thomas More and William Shakespeare. It was Tudor artists who gave Richard a hunchback, a withered arm and a limp in pictures painted long after his death whilst earlier portraits show no signs of deformities. Richard’s infamy grew with the murder of the Princes in the Tower but some historians believe that, once Richard had been crowned and his nephews declared as bastards, the young princes were no longer a threat. However the accusations of murder still linger. During his own lifetime, Richard's enjoyed a good reputation. He successfully defended England against the Scots, introduced many reforms and improved the living standards & freedom of the common people. Even the site of the Battle of Bosworth Field is not certain. Despite the location of the visitor centre and battlefield trail, it seems strange that he would cram his troops into a small hilltop in full view of the enemy. A new theory suggests that the battle site is not here but some eight miles away near Atherstone on the Warwickshire. - back to heritage soc main page	Contact us To get in touch with us contact the chairman, Cynthia Thomas, on 01455 282622, or come along to one of our meetings. We hold a meeting on the first Tuesday of every month in Broughton Astley Village Hall in the Alan Talbott Room. Meetings generally open at 7.00 pm to view the archives with Talks starting at 7.30 pm. Prices are £2.00 for Members,and £4.00 for Non Members (£3.00 for concessions).Membership £5.00 Diary There are no calendar entries at the moment; if you have information you would like to add, please contact us.

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