After the remains of Richard had been received at the Cathedral in a service of Compline, a three-day lying in repose period began. With the coffin showcased by a stunning pall and topped with a replica crown and a 15th century bible, retired service personnel stood guard with their heads bowed as 20,000 people filed by. With the sense of expectation palpable, the city of Leicester really had been gripped with a Ricardian fervour. Here, assorted witnesses give their reflections:
PETE HOBSON, CATHEDRAL REINTERMENT PROJECT DIRECTOR, ON REALISING THE PUBLIC APPETITE FOR THE FIRST TIME
"At that point, I would drive in from where I live, in the south of the city, park my car behind the Cathedral. I went out, got my car with the wreath, drove out not very far to the school, did the presentation, went really well, they were very happy, didn't take long. Came back no later than half nine, and we'd arranged that people could view the remains of Richard III and so we thought people would start gathering, but I was amazed at the queues that we hadn't at that point organised very well, because we hadn't... we'd been too busy thinking of other things (we did organise them later), were all the way around the Cathedral. I could not park my car where I'd parked it before, because it was full of people queuing to get into the Cathedral. And that was the first inkling we had and how that week would proceed, and the level of physical interest following on from the actual crowds lining the routes for the procession."
JOHN FLORANCE, FORMER RADIO LEICESTER PRESENTER, TALKING ABOUT THE QUEUES TO SEE THE COFFIN
"They snaked round, right outside the studios of Radio Leicester. So, you looked out of the window and, I mean, many of the clergy came out just to talk to the people. I remember Barry, you know, Barry Naylor in full fig. I think they thought, someone thought he was the Pope or something, actually, just chatting naturally to people! And afterwards, again, I spoke to the... I spoke to Barry, I think it was, and I said, "How did you find the people? Were they a bit upset about having to queue for all that time?" He said, "Not at all". He said, "They were so good natured, and they thought it was great that people bothered to come around and have a natter with them about things"."
DAVID MONTEITH, FORMER DEAN OF LEICESTER, GIVING HIS THOUGHTS ON THE PUBLIC MAKING CONNECTIONS IN THE QUEUE
"Some people had travelled from all around the world to be there, and also, something lovely was happening where people were making connections with one another in the queue. I think we also connected with our own grief for our own losses in our own lives, because you can't sort of go into a church with a coffin sitting in it and not suddenly remember your own grandparents or whoever and so there was a real…. There was a real kind of, you know, sense of encounter going on, which I think was very profound."
TIM STEVENS, FORMER BISHOP OF LEICESTER, REFLECTING ON THE PRAYER RIBBONS TIED TO THE FENCING AROUND THE CATHEDRAL
"And the Diocesan team had arranged that as people stood, if they wanted to say a prayer, they were provided with coloured ribbons. Either one to say, "Thank you", one to say "Sorry", one to say "Please". And they tied the ribbons on the fencing. And by the time those three days of repose were passed, there were 1000s of these ribbons tied all over the fencing around the outside of the Cathedral."
SANDRA LEESON, CATHEDRAL VOLUNTEER, ON MANAGING THE PUBLIC AS IT FILED BY THE COFFIN
"All we had to keep saying was, would you mind moving along please, because we couldn't get the crowd, you know, the queue round, and it was just so lovely, it really was. And also, the De Montfort University choir was outside singing, you know, "I am coming to meet my king". It was absolutely fabulous. It really, was really, really special. Yes, it was."
MATHEW MORRIS, DIG SUPERVISOR, REFLECTING ON THE REPOSE PERIOD
"And of course, there was the lying in repose, I don't want to say "state", it wasn't "state", lying in repose and everything. So, we were around the town a lot. We spent hours just talking to the crowds and the queues and they were waiting and stuff. So, we spent all week just sort of mingling with people, chatting to people, and just sort of just relaxing and enjoying the moment, which was really nice, because at that point, we'd been the focus of attention, and now we weren't, because the focus was Richard, and we could actually just enjoy what we'd accomplished."
SALLY HENSHAW, SECRETARY OF THE LEICESTERSHIRE BRANCH OF THE RICHARD III SOCIETY, REMEMBERING THE HOSPITALITY ROOM SET UP IN THE GUILDHALL FOR SOCIETY MEMBERS
"it was an amazing week, but it was just speaking to people from all over the world, and the local branch, I think it was on the Monday, there was a buffet lunch at the Holiday Inn for members, and the local branch had some fridge magnets and key rings done. And the idea was that every member from abroad, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, wherever, had a little memento to take back with them, and it was great. After that week, I had photographs of people's fridges with their fridge magnet proudly displayed or whatever on their boilers or whatever. But it's something that the local branch wanted to do, just a little memento of, you know…."
JONATHAN KERRY, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT ST MARTIN'S HOUSE, ON CALLING TIME ON THE QUEUE TO SEE THE COFFIN AFTER 3 DAYS
"So, I walked round, and they were just on the corner of Jubilee Square, where the back of the queue had got to at that point. And there was a group of about 15 to 20 people who were having quite a loud altercation with the police and the security people about the fact that they'd come all this way, wanting to see the coffin in repose. It turned out they'd come from Wigston, which for the benefit of those who don't know Leicester is about 2 miles away! So, summoning all the patience and dignity and authority I could muster, I said I'm terribly sorry, we do realise this is terribly disappointing to you, but we've already had to turn away quite a lot of people, because the Cathedral building does need to close so we can prepare for the service tomorrow. We know we can just about manage to get those who are already in the queue the opportunity to visit the coffin, but no more. And they looked pretty cross, but I thought okay, rather than engaging in further conversation, the thing to do, having said my piece, was to walk back.
So, I set off, and almost immediately, I became aware that these people were beginning to follow me. Fortunately, as I walked back, I was accompanied by a police officer, so I didn't sort of feel too nervous, only slightly nervous, but these people started shouting, "We want to be let through, this is terrible, we'll never get the chance again, we've come specially to do all this". I didn't say anything, I just kept walking and picked up my pace a bit and then got to the corner of Peacock Lane, where there was a crowd barrier, and having got safely behind that thought that was the end of it. But at that point they were actually beginning to run towards me. Then they stood for the next hour at that barrier shouting, "We want to see the king, we want to see the king!" and so yeah, I was so relieved (a) there was a barrier but also that there were some burly security and police officers protecting me, because I'm fairly sure I would have been lynched if I hadn't had that protection! But yeah, people were so excited."
