Wikipedia:
Ricardian(Richard III) |
Ricardian is a term used to describe a person who is interested in rehabilitating the posthumous
reputation of Richard III, King of
England (reigned 1483-1485), seeking to correct the image of Richard which had been popularised
by writers such as
Ricardian historiography includes works by Horace Walpole and Sir George Buck. Modern historians such as Charles Ross and Michael Hicks who write relatively favourably about Richard may broadly be referred to as Ricardians. Ricardian fiction includes Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time and Sharon Kay Penman's The Sunne in Splendour.
There are two notable societies of Ricardians, The Richard III Society and The Society of Friends of King Richard III.
Richard III Society
The Richard III Society was founded in 1924 by Liverpool surgeon S. Saxon Barton as The Fellowship of the White Boar, Richard's badge and a symbol of the Yorkist army in the Wars of the Roses. Its membership was originally a small group of interested amateur historians whose aim was to bring about a re-assessment of the reputation of Richard III.
The society became moribund during the Second World War. In the 1950s Josephine Tey published her detective novel The Daughter of Time, in which Richard’s guilt is examined and doubted, Laurence Olivier released the film of Shakespeare's Richard III and a sympathetic, detailed biography of Richard was published by Paul Murray Kendall, all of which went some way towards re-invigorating the society.
The Fellowship of the White Boar was re-named The Richard III Society in 1959. In 1980, the Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester became the society’s Patron. (Richard III was Duke of Gloucester before ascending the throne.)
The Society of Friends of King Richard III
The Society of Friends of King Richard III was created in 1978 to exonerate and promote the life and memory of Richard III. The Society is based in York, Richard's own city, and meets every month at Jacob's Well, an old building in ancient medieval York. The Society organises trips to places of Ricardian interest, lectures, medieval feasts and raises funds for a range of Ricardian purposes. It has a considerable database of books and documentary material and issues a quarterly bulletin to every member.
External links
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- Richard III Society American Branch
- Richard III Society Canadian Branch
- Richard III Society New South Wales Branch
- Richard III Society
New Zealand Branch - Richard III Society Queensland Branch
- Richard III Society Western Australian Branch
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