Huh. It's going to be January before we know whether they're Richard III's bones.

[LadyDamerel]

Just spotted this on the BBC website.

I think it's about time they borrowed some of those super-fast scanners and testing thingummies from CSI and put us out of our misery!

And in other news, there's a big list on the Richard III society website of various Richard III fictions, most of which are on Amazon or eBay (you'll need to click on the yellow Richard III tab on the left, then on Ricardian fiction to see the list).

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Thanks for the update.

[LadyDamerel]

S'ok.

Isn't it going to be gutting if, after all the waiting, they turn out not to be Richard's after all?

[AnyaKnowIt]

But all the signs are looking good tho!

[LadyDamerel]

True, and there's been so much research up to this point, looking at the information on the Richard III Society site, that they must be fairly confident it is him.

The team working on this must be on tenterhooks.

[MrsJREwing]

There was another article in DM today regarding this.

[CatPussRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

here

[Mirage]

I'm sure that they are pretty confident,my spy tells me that the council have already purchased a building next to the site in preparation for a museum.They wouldn't be doing that if they were in any doubt.

[MrsFiddymont]

All will be revealed on 4 February!

[AnyaKnowIt]

Oohh

[DamnDeDoubtance]

Exciting stuff.

[TheDoctrineOfSciAndNatureClub]

I AM OUT! Harumph. But I have programmed the Humax.

Is now the right time to plug lovely new Science and Nature Club topic, as there will be both science and history inthe analysis of the bones?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/science_and_nature_club

[nickelbabe]

oooh yes I saw the trailer.
of course it'lll be him. the bones are too similar to his physical problems to be anyone else.

[SaggyOldClothCatpuss]

I CAN'T WAIT! Is it wrong to be this excited over a documentary about some old bones??

[meditrina]

4th, you say?

(marks place)

[JustCallMeBaldrick]

Marking place and getting excited...

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Ooh, thanks for the reminder!

I am excited too ... going to be a right let down if the answer's just 'nah' or 'we couldn't tell', isn't it?!

[LeeCoakley]

Can't wait!

[meditrina]

In case anyone wants it, here's the first Richard III bones thread - which I now in 'Classics' rather than elsewhere in History Club.

[pluCaChange]

Marking my place, too!

[meditrina]

The documentary (which appears to include the "stupid deaths" HH guy - Simon someone?) is being shown on Channel 4 at 9pm.

But is the grand announcement to be made earlier?

[LadyDamerel]

Gah, I'm teaching at 10am, might have to incorporate the announcement into my y5 literacy lesson somehow.

I'm going to a talk at Leicester guildhall in march, all about this.

It HAS to be him, doesn't it? They wouldn't be doing so much if it wasn't.

[AnyaKnowIt]

Results at 10am tomorrow

It has to be him doesn't it

[meditrina]

I was wondering where you got the 1000 from LadyDamerel, but have now seen today's stor on the BBC. It does sound as if they're heading for a positive identification, doesn't it?

[LorettaMartin]

Very excited! Been waiting for the announcement for ages. It must be him surely?

[kitstwins]

I am very excited. I have been waiting for this programme for months.

Did anyone see all the programmes on C4 last night? They'd clearly dredged the archives for some of it, but it was a whole host of Yorkist stuff. I also caught the end of a fascinating programme (with Tony Robinson I think although it has all blurred into one as I watched everything...) where they proved that Edward IV was illegitimate. Apparently an historian was quietly doing some routine research at Rouen Cathedral on the 100 Years War and came across some prayer rolls that showed that Edward IV's father had been on campaign at the time of his conception. There was always mutterings but it looks like the 6ft 4" golden Edward (in a family of small, dark haired siblings) was a bastard son after all. It would explain why his christening was a small, quiet affair in a private chapel but Richard (III's) a year later was massive and of 'first son status' - the true heir celebrated. It explains why 'Uncle Richard' was able to renege on his oath of fealty to his nephew and claim the throne as his own. His brother was illegitimate and had no rightful claim, and nor did his son.

Which means Elizabeth of York, married by Henry Tudor to strengthen his feeble lancasatrian claim, was technically wasting his time. He had a stronger claim than she did. Although if you read 'The Winter King' by Thomas Penn - an AMAZING book, you'll realise that his reasons were slightly more complex than that.

God, the power of history. Even better, they interviewed the historian who made the suprise discovery in the prayer rolls at Rouen. The quiet pleasure on his face was wonderful.