Give king's remains a state burial
AN MP has called for a state funeral for Richard III, if a skeleton unearthed last week turns out to be the lost king.
Chris Skidmore, right, said a "full state funeral" should be arranged if DNA tests confirm the find, under a Leicester car park.
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But his campaign, contained in a Parliamentary petition, was branded "a ridiculous idea" by Labour MP Kerry McCarthy.
Archaeologists say there is "strong circumstantial evidence" that they have found the grave of the king, who died at the battle of Bosworth in 1485.
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The remains have spinal abnormalities and a "cleaved-in skull" that suggest it could be Richard III.
Mr Skidmore, who has written a book on the Battle of Bosworth and is planning a Richard III biography, has tabled an Early Day Motion at Westminster, noting the find and calling for ceremonial burial. He said: "If it does turn out to be his bones, it's the most remarkable discovery of the last 50 years. It would be of huge significance."
The Tory MP said every other monarch had been given a state funeral and said it might help generate tourism revenue.
He added: "You would probably recoup the cost in terms of the international interest it would spark."
But Ms McCarthy, the Labour MP for Bristol East, was not convinced.
She said: "It's a ridiculous idea. He's voting through cuts to support for disabled people, cuts to public services etc, and yet he thinks we should spend money on this."
She said there should be a proper burial if the bones are the king's, but not "the full works".
One MP, Tory veteran Peter Bottomley, has signed the motion so far.
Comments
by Rosbs
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 5:49PM
“What's the point of this funeral idea, give the cash to our communities where it is needed more
Richard III apart from a few Historians who really cares”
by Rosbs
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 5:47PM
“what's the point of this funeral idea
give the cash to our communities where it is needed more”
by Rosbs
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 5:46PM
“help our communities this cash is really needed there”
by Ourbads
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 3:47PM
“Have to agree with Feneon - a blatant ploy to publicise his book. Mr Squidmark, what an utter Richard the Third.”
by artglad
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 2:09PM
“There is no possible way of being 100% certain that the remains are of Richard the third, the DNA results will only be able to point to a strong possibility.
So Mr Squidmore is basically asking for a state burial of remains, that might have been a king.”
by DockLobster
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 11:06AM
“A very stupid idea indeed, however will it mean a day off work?”
by Feneon
Tuesday, September 18 2012, 9:23AM
“So Squidmore's party takes the economy into the longest double dip recession this country has seen since WWII and he wants us to splash precious public money on a vanity project which will serve as a perfect publicity backdrop to the publication of his book on Richard III, thank you very much. Now if that is not a scrounger off the state, a man with a sense of entitlement to the taxpayer's hard-earned contributions, then I'm Richard III.”