Re: “Islander linked to Richard III,” Feb. 5.

I pray that no one will brush up their Shakespeare to learn about Richard III. The great bard’s play was written in Tudor times, and the Tudors’ settled policy was twofold: first, to eliminate every Plantagenet with the least claim to the throne; second, to ensure that the Plantagenets left no beautiful memories in the minds of the populace.

For a fascinating introduction to the wrongs of the Tudors and their successors regarding Richard, read Josephine Tey’s The Daughter of Time, one of the best detective novels ever written.

To confirm the hard facts, consult Paul Murray Kendall’s Richard the Third, J.R. Lander’s The Wars of the Roses or B. Wilkinson’s Constitutional History of England in the Fifteenth Century. But please, please, don’t consult Shakespeare!

Jean Bullard

Courtenay

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