The signature of a teenage king in waiting: 550-year-old hand-written book is signed by Richard III

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The signature of a teenage king in waiting: 550-year-old hand-written book is signed by Richard III and contains his personal motto

• Rare book belonging to a teenage Richard III will go on public display
• Richard has signed it and written his motto, 'So much desired'
• Book contains handwritten chivalric stories and two Canterbury Tales

By Olivia Williams

PUBLISHED:08:27 EST, 22 February 2013| UPDATED:12:43 EST, 22 February 2013

A book that was given to Richard III as a teenager has gone on public display for the first time since it was written 550 years ago.

The signed book is one of only 13 of Richard III's books that is known to still exist. It is especially valuable as he has signed it 'R Gloucester' as he was only the Duke of Gloucester as a young man.

The rare book was rediscovered in a library at Longleat House in Wiltshire.

Rare manuscript: Richard III's book contains tales of chivalry, classical history, and two of the less bawdy Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

King Richard III: A hand-written book, believed to be made in York in the 15th century, has been uncovered at Longleat House in Wiltshire

It features a signature by Richard, whose remains were found in a car park in Leicester last year, 527 years after his death.

Books like this containing chivalric tales were given to nobles as part of their education.

Above his signature in the book he wrote the words 'Tant le desieree', which means 'So much desired'.

Historians say the motto was a chivalristic code the young duke might have adopted for tournaments.

Richard, who was the Duke of Gloucester at the time, would have been received it in his early teens.

As the fourth son of the Duke of York, he received the education of a future cleric and was more competent in Latin than most of his peers.

The book has been at Longleat since Thomas Thynne, the First Viscount Weymouth, bought it in 1709 along with several other medieval manuscripts.

Signed by Richard III as a teenager: One of only 13 surviving books personally owned by Richard III, which he signed 'R Gloucester' in his role as Duke of Gloucester

THE LIFE OF RICHARD III

Richard was born in 1452 in Northamptonshire, the son of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York.

When Richard's brother Edward IV died in April 1483, he was named as protector of the realm for Edward's son, 12-year-old Edward V, who was too young to rule.

Parliament declared Edward V and his brother illegitimate in June 1483, leaving the way clear for Richard III to take the throne.

The young princes were then kept in The Tower of London, where they were probably killed on Richard's orders.

Richard reigned for only two years - from 1483 to 1485. He became infamous after the death of 'The Princes in the Tower'.

Fighting Henry VII, Richard was killed at the Battle of Bosworth, making him the last English King to be die in battle.

Sources at the time said that Richard's body had been buried in Leicester, but for centuries it went undiscovered.

Archaeologists found his skeleton in a shallow grave in a Leicester car park in 2012.

Dr Kate Harris, curator at Longleat House, said: 'It is a fascinating piece of history. His handwriting is extremely competent, which shows he was highly educated.'

'Within the book are tales of derring-do, as well as classical Greek and Rome.'

'Most of the books of the time were in French and Latin, so this one is unusual.'

Dr Harris is curious as to why Richard signed the book in the middle, instead of at the beginning or at the end, which is more traditional.

'He may have done it as a security measure.

'If you sign your signature at the beginning or end it is easy for somebody else to tear it out.

But you can't tear out a page from the middle of a book.'

Although he has gone down in history as a hunchbacked tyrant, most historians now say that image is fictitious.

Richard's modern day image is down largely to his portrayal by William Shakespeare.

Richard's body, which was found in a shallow grave in a Leicester car park last year, is expected to finally have a proper burial at a tomb in Leicester Catherdal.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2282802/550-year-old-hand-written-book-signed-Richard-III-contains-personal-motto.html#ixzz2LfWY9Vr3
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