About Us:

Richard III was King of England from 1483 to 1485. Thanks mainly to Shakespeare, King Richard is known in popular imagination as the archetypal wicked uncle who murdered his way to the throne.

In the belief that many features of the traditional accounts of the character and career of Richard III are neither supported by sufficient evidence nor reasonably tenable, the Society aims to:

• Promote in every possible way research into the life and times of King Richard.
• Secure a re-assessment of the material relating to this period, and of the role in English history of this monarch

The New Zealand Branch of the Richard III Society was formed in January 1986 with the publication of our first newsletter. There were ten founding members, many of whom are still with us today, while others were members of the U.K. parent society for several years previously.

Of the forty or so members at present, most live in the lower North Island so are able to attend our meetings held eleven times a year, alternating between Lower Hutt and Levin. We usually have a speaker (often a member) or, occasionally, a quiz on things Ricardian or Medieval in nature.

The Branch publishes its own newsletter "Ricardian Times" quarterly, relying on members' comments and contributions.

In our first thirteen years we have initiated and/or participated in many events. We organized a traditional (Latin) Requiem Mass for King Richard in 1998. We have joined the Medieval Guild for its costumed banquet on several occasions, and participated (in costume) at medieval fairs. Members have attended the Australia/New Zealand Association of Medieval and Early Modern History conference in Hobart (1994) and Wellington (1998). We have actively supported several plays including Shakespeare's Richard III. To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we organized displays in local libraries publicizing the Society.