Richard III Windows Delayed

In the past two weeks I have written 15,000 words of my first book, which is now titled 'The Falcon and the Fetterlock', after the Yorkist emblem. During that time I also wrote several articles for the Leicester Mercury newspaper including this story about the Richard III windows to be put inside Leicester Cathedral. The following article was published in the Leicester Mercury newspaper on Tuesday 21 April 2015:

Visitors to Richard III's tomb will have to wait longer to see the king's life depicted on stained glass windows at Leicester Cathedral.

The King Richard III Memorial Windows were originally planned to be finished in October but the window designer, Thomas Denny, said that was "optimistic".

"It's going to take many months to make and install the windows. It's more likely they'll be completed around this time next year," said Mr Denny.

At a cost of £75,000, Leicester Cathedral is hopeful the windows will be completed around the first anniversary of Richard III's reinterment, which falls on next year's Easter weekend.

Pete Dobson, Canon Missioner at Leicester Cathedral said: "It would be great if we had the windows ready for the one-year anniversary of the reinterment.

"We are really looking forward to having the completed windows."

People look over an open grave in the bottom right window

Mr Denny will make the windows using medieval methods and materials.

The finished windows will be placed in the cathedral's St Katherine's Chapel, behind the king's tomb.

More than 50,000 people, including tourists from around the world, have visited the tomb since last month's reinternment.

Richard III's tomb in front of St Katherine's Chapel in Leicester Cathedral

Mr Denny has designed windows for numerous churches, including Durham Cathedral, and the artist described Richard III's story as "universal".

"It's a story of loss and grief, courage and trusting in God, rather than being tidied away to history, as it were -King Richard's story can be something time-startingly now," said Mr Denny.

Armies clash in the left window

The windows have been partly funded by the Richard III Foundation, which described the designs as a "lasting memorial" which draws the viewer into a quiet and absorbing reflection of the king's life.

Joe Ann Ricca, founder and CEO-President of the Richard III Foundation, said: "We had the opportunity to donate to the telling of the life and times of King Richard III and this will serve as an eternal testament to his life for generations to come."