August 22: The anniversary of the death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth

A few weeks ago I was walking through the woods that lay between the Bosworth Battleground Memorial and the land where the battle was fought, where Richard III died and Henry Tudor was proclaimed King of England. The woods were hushed except for birdsong and the wind rustling through the leaves, and I came upon this stone memorial to Richard, covering a spring where legend has it he drank before the battle. Today, the surrounding white roses create a sanctuary, and I paused to remember the men who may have also stopped here to refresh themselves before bracing for the slaughter that lay ahead.
After leaving the footpaths that criss-cross close to the estimated site of battlefield, I headed to Leicester and the Richard III Visitor Centre, a fascinating multi-media interactive experience telling Richard’s story, as well as touching on other characters in my book – the Scropes, Margaret Beaufort, William Catesby, Francis Lovell, and, of course, Richard’s nephews, the missing Princes in the Tower. I stayed until closing time, engrossed in the displays, the archeological dig, and the fascinating story of the finding of Richard’s remains. Most of all I enjoyed sitting with the docent in the area over Richard’s grave, where through a glass floor you can see a hologram of his remains. I was the only one there for about an hour, and we chatted all things Richard, exchanging ideas and stories. It was memorable, and after a day full of such emotional experiences, I knew I could now finish the book and tell my story. The Godmother’s Secret is my version of what happened to the missing princes, written in the words of my ancestress, Prince Edward’s godmother, Elysabeth St.John Scrope.
The Godmother’s Secret is available for pre-order and publishes worldwide on 4th October, 2022.