A Royal Cortege

Today is the cortege for King Richard III on his way through Bosworth Battlefield to Leicester Cathedral. It is to be a very solemn occasion with a slow procession on a horse-drawn coach from Bow Bridge, the place where he rode out to battle, to the Cathedral.

On our way to see the cortege, we stopped by for a photo of the Richard III pub. I don't know how good the food is, but it is quaint.

Here I am in front of the King Richard III Pub

Then it was off to find a good spot to watch the cortege. People were already starting to line the streets. We decided to try for the spot by St. Nicholas Church where the coffin would be transferred from a regular hearse to the horse-drawn carriage. Of course, it was already crowded, but people were in joyful spirits and really nice.

While we were waiting we had a lovely chat with a man and his daughter who we met there. People are so welcoming in Leicester!

Then the cortege arrived. I was greatly impressed how wonderfully understated yet regal it was, maybe very like what Richard would have had in his time. The coffin was made by the descendant who helped identify him. I was quite moved by that when I found out.

Here is an article about the coffin.

In the cortege, there were ten horses! Two of them were in full armour,  with riders also in armour. The coffin was decorated with a fairly simple wreath of greenery and white roses.

What impressed me almost as much as the cortege, which more moving than I ever imagined, was the respect of the crowds. Although there were nearly 35,000 people there, they were all very respectful and you could feel the real desire to honour the King.

I will post some pictures soon for you to see. But here is a story by NBC News with some good shots of the cortege and the crowds!

Here is a video taken from the opposite side of the street from where I was standing. If you look closely, you can see me!