Leicester and Leicestershire will be celebrating three key anniversaries relating to King Richard III this summer.
The King Richard III Visitor Centre will mark its 10-year anniversary in July this year. It is organising a 10th anniversary party on 27 July, celebrating with cocktails from 33 Cank Street and Gelato Village (both also celebrating their 10th anniversaries).
The centre will also be hosting a series of presentations and events. These include award-winning author, Annie Garthwaite, who is publishing her second book ‘The King’s Mother’ (to follow her first book, the highly acclaimed ‘Cecily’), all about the medieval women of the Wars of the Roses.
Philippa Langley – author and historian (The Lost King and The Princes in the Tower) will also be in conversation with Matthew Lewis – author, presenter (Loyalty Lie, Richard III Fact or Fiction, The Missing Princes, History Hits, Gone Medieval) and chair of the Richard III Society. They will be discussing the Looking for Richard Project (The Lost King) – The Most Incredible Archaeological Detective Story Ever Told… and the Missing Princes – World’s Greatest Cold Case who both have released/re-released their books in 2023/2024. All three authors will be doing a Q&A, meet & greet and book signings afterwards.
Phil Hackett, General Manager at King Richard III Visitor Centre, said: “This year is not only the 10th anniversary of the King Richard III Visitor Centre opening, but also the 50th anniversary of the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre opening and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Fellowship of the White Boar, the former name of the Richard III Society. We are delighted to be sharing those celebrations with people this July.”
The Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a range of events throughout the year, including Living History weekends until August, the Bosworth Medieval Festival on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 August, themed children’s trails during school holidays throughout the year, a display of memorabilia from the site’s 50 years during school summer holidays and a Heritage Open Day in September, when the Heritage Centre was officially opened in 1974.
Leicestershire County Council leader, Nick Rushton, said: “Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre has been a popular pilgrimage for anyone interested in the Wars of the Roses for 50 years, welcoming tens of thousands of people every year including local schoolchildren and international visitors who want to learn the history of two kings in one day.
“We’re looking forward to hosting our upcoming events, headlined by the Bosworth Medieval Festival in August, to mark the centre’s half century.”
The Richard III Society – which was founded in 1924 in Liverpool – will also be turning 100 years old in 2024. The society has grown over the years and now has over 30 local and overseas branches and groups which invite members and non-members to participate in meetings and events and learn more about the story of the former King. The Leicester branch played a key role in the search for King Richard III and was heavily involved in his reinterment in Leicester Cathedral in 2015.
In addition to these three anniversaries, Leicester Cathedral also reopened last November after being closed for two years for refurbishments and is welcoming guests to see the tomb where the former King has been reinterred.
Visitors to Leicester can also discover more about the history of King Richard III in the city with the new walking trail – ‘King Richard III – from car park to Cathedral – a King’s journey that took 530 years’. The King Richard III trail is available online for free at www.visitleicester.info/ideas-and-inspiration/trails/king-richard-iii or printed copies of the trail are available to purchase at a small cost from the Visit Leicester Information Centre, 4A St. Martins, Leicester LE1 5DB. They can also be requested by contacting info@visitleicester.info or calling 0116 299 4444.
