Richard III: Reburial of the king

Mathew Morris, the archaeologist who found Richard's skeleton said: "It's been a fantastic day. It is an odd moment to see the coffin lowered because that is it really.

PACopyright: PA

"But after so much has happened it felt fitting and it felt right."

King Richard III in Leicester tweets: The Bearer Party did an amazing job. Must have been nerve-wracking #richardreburied

KRIIICopyright: KRIII

We might have a good idea what Richard III looked like - albeit through the eyes of artists - but what did he sound like?

University of LeicesterCopyright: University of Leicester

Leicester academic Dr Philip Shaw had a stab at recording what he believes the king's accent was - revealing it may have had a West Midlands twang.

The cathedral is now closed to the public while work goes on to move his tomb into position.

van Heyningen and HawardCopyright: van Heyningen and Haward

On Friday at 12:00, a Service of Reveal will unveil the monument to the public.

Then from 18:00 - 22:00, Leicester Glows, a free celebration, will be held around the cathedral, ending with fireworks.

It's all nearly over, but you've probably heard a lot about Richard III in the past few days/weeks/years.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

How much has sunk in? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

Philippa Langley, who begun the project which led to Richard III's skeleton being found, said she was satisfied.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

"Starting this, I wanted to give Richard the dignity he was robbed of originally and now I think 'Job done'.

"I think I have helped to make peace with part of our past."

Much was made on Twitter of the moment historian John Ashdown-Hill was caught rolling his eyes during Channel 4's coverage of the ceremony.

BBCCopyright: BBC

When asked about this afterwards by journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy he admitted to having some "objections".

He said: "I thought this was going to be a peaceful event but we seem to be dealing with some lies from Leicester."

Though he struggled with specifics, he did say he thought the order of service had got Richard's birth date wrong.

The University of Leicester tweets: 'I thought the service was really good' says @uniofleicester's Mathew Morris who found #RichardIII's leg bone

Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, said being asked to write for the reinterment was "a privilege".

PACopyright: PA

She described it as a "meditation on the impact of his finding and on the legacy of his story."

With death in battle and dynastic one-upmanship, reburial was common in the 15th Century.

Richard's ceremony was influenced by a description of just such an event, found by Oxford academic Alexandra Buckle.

Cathedral officials said: "The shape of the services of the entire week would be recognisable to those who attended the ceremonies Richard III organised and frequented."

BBC Leicester tweets: Guests have departed the cathedral. #RichardReburied

BBCCopyright: BBC

BBC Leicester tweets: The Clergy and guests are now departing @LeicsCathedral #richardreburied

BBCCopyright: BBC

A procession, known as a Recession, has formed to lead the clergy, royal guests and civic dignitaries from the building.

A measured tone inside the cathedral, but there's some full-on medieval-style enthusiasm going on in the square.

AFPCopyright: AFP

After a blessing from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the National Anthem is being sung.

The actor has read a specially-commissioned poem by Carol Ann Duffy, called Richard.

It included the lines: "My skull, scarred by a crown emptied of history

"Described by soul as incense, votive, vanishing, your own the same, grant me the carving of my name."

APCopyright: AP

The Reverend Monsignor Thomas McGovern, Diocesan Administrator of the Catholic Diocese of Nottingham, has led The Responsory.

This is a call and response prayer asking for mercy on the soul of the departed and all of those who died in the Wars of the Roses.

The six-strong bearer party has lowered the coffin into the grave.

The Archbishop of Canterbury says further prayers.

This photo by BBC East Midlands Today reporter Tom Brown shows the crowd gathered in Leicester's Jubilee Square, watching the service on the big screen.

BBCCopyright: BBC

The Bearer Party has moved the coffin to the grave, accompanied by the Countess of Wessex and The Duke of Gloucester.

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, is blessing the coffin with water from the font as a reminder of baptism. He will then burn incense around it, signifying prayer and sacrifice.

The Anthem - entitled Ghostly Grace - is now being sung by the choir.

It was written by composer Judith Bingham.

The words are taken from the Book of Ghostly Graces by 13th Century mystic St Mechtild of Hackeborn

Ms Bingham said she wanted to be involved from the moment she heard the search for Richard would happen: "I wrote to Chris Johns who is director of music at the cathedral and said 'Look, I know you will think I am completely crazy and I know it is probably not even Richard III there but if it was please can I write something'."

Here's an ever-so-slightly clearer photo of Benedict arriving for the service earlier.

Alongside him is Canon Michael Harrison.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Ahead of the reinterment itself, Tim Stevens, the bishop of Leicester, is delivering the Sermon.

He said: "This has broken open not just a car park but the nation's story".

@KRIIILeicester tweets: The Choir sings Psalm 138 #richardreburied

Soils from Fotheringhay, where Richard was born, Middleham, where he spent much of his childhood and Bosworth, have been gathered in a specially designed box.

university of LeicesterCopyright: university of Leicester

These will be sprinkled onto the coffin with the words: "From the earth you formed me, with flesh you clothed me.

"Lord, my Redeemer, raise me up again at the last day."

The present Duke of Gloucester, who shares his title with Richard III has placed a book of prayers, owned by Richard, in front of the coffin.

The Book of Hours, which has notes in Richard's handwriting, is on loan from Lambeth Palace.

The coffin has followed the Cathedral procession from a position next to the font.

It was being taken to the nave area to stand while the Dean delivers The Greeting.

The Bearer Party, comprising two senior Non-Commissioned Officers from each of 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, have shouldered the coffin.

Professor Gordon Campbell, Public Orator of the University of Leicester, is reading The Eulogy, a reflection on the life and achievements of Richard III.

He says: "We are not here to comment on whether he was a good king."

You can see the order of service here on the Leicester Mercury's website, along with lots more information about today's events.

The Dean and Bishop of Leicester, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, have welcomed HRH The Countess of Wessex and HRH The Duchess of Gloucester to the cathedral.

BBCCopyright: BBC

The University of Leicester tweets: The Queen offers her thanks to @uniofleicester http://kingrichardinleicester.com/the-reinterment-of-king-richard-iii-live/ … #RichardIII #richardreburied

Uof leicesterCopyright: Uof leicester

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury has joined the Bishop of Leicester, Tim Stevens, at the cathedral.

They await the arrival of lead HRH The Countess of Wessex and HRH The Duke of Gloucester.

It didn't really brighten up, did it? Never mind - there are still hundreds of people gathered in Jubilee Square to watch the service on the big screen.

BBCCopyright: BBC

The BBC's Victoria Hicks tweets: Order of Service #richardreburied

BBCCopyright: BBC

As well as Benedict Cumberbatch, at least two other actors are attending the ceremony.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Robert Lindsay, who played Richard for the RSC in 1998, and Robert Hardy - who's also an expert on medieval warfare - are in the congregation.

Richard is getting a high-profile reburial and an elaborate tomb - but not all excavated bones are as lucky.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

What happens to other important human remains? Should they be reburied? And should Richard stay above ground? Read about it here.

Leading members of the team which found and excavated Richard, including Philippa Langley and Richard Buckley, are moving to the cathedral.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Led by army and navy cadets, they are taking the short walk from the medieval Guildhall.

Spoof account Richard III tweets: For the LAST time. I don't want to be buried in York, It floods, I'm too old for any more COLD water baths, and there's rubbish curry houses

We've caught our first glimpse of Benedict. Squint and you can just make him out.

He is to read a specially commissioned poem called "Richard" as part of the service.

BBCCopyright: BBC

The researchers who found Richard III's closest living relatives also identified Cumberbatch as Richard's third cousin, 16 times removed.

Here you can see a Twitter video of them setting off.

BBCCopyright: BBC

The Queen's Division Band, augmented by musicians from the Royal Signals Band, have started marching.

BBCCopyright: BBC

Moving from Applegate and down Peacock Lane before arriving at the cathedral, these troops reflect Richard as a "warrior king", the last King of England to die in battle.

The BBC's Helen Astle tweets: Hundreds of people already outside @LeicsCathedral #richardreburied

BBCCopyright: BBC

And if the last Plantagenet king isn't glamorous enough for you, it was announced yesterday that Oscar-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch will be reading a poem at the reinterment.

Maybe we'll catch a glimpse of him ahead of the ceremony.

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

The dean of Leicester, David Monteith, says a lot of thought has gone into the service.

Leicester cathedralCopyright: Leicester cathedral

"We kept saying 'What story is this telling and how is that story related to all the other bits of this story?'

"So the whole thing builds and is very vivid and is very easy to understand."

Here you can see hundreds of prayer ribbons tied to the gates of the cathedral.

BBCCopyright: BBC

BBC Leicester tweets: Crowds are watching over @LeicsCathedral as guests arrive for the re-interment of #KingRichardIII #RichardReburied

BBCCopyright: BBC

Guests have started to arrive at the cathedral ahead of the service at 11:30.

KRIIICopyright: KRIII

The congregation will be made up of dignitaries, descendants of those connected with Richard and 200 winners of a public ballot.

Cast your mind back to 4 February 2013 - that's the day when academics and archaeologists confirmed the astonishing news that the body discovered in a Leicester car park the previous summer was Richard III.

University of LeicesterCopyright: University of Leicester

Since then there have been controversies, arguments and yet more discoveries. But forget all that for now, and enjoy reading the first story we wrote on that spectacular day.

While not as busy as Sunday, there's still plenty going on today.

The cathedral bells will begin tolling at 10:00 as invited guests gather.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

A formal procession will move to the cathedral at 10:50, with the reinterment service proper starting at 11:30 and lasting until 13:00.

Then the cathedral will be closed for the rest of the day while the tomb is sealed and the monument moved into place.

A number of roads in the city are closed to allow for the procession which takes place before the ceremony.

Among these are St Nicholas Place, High Street and Peacock Lane. Full details can be found here.

As I'm sure you've noticed, it's been a bit of a dull and rainy start to the day.

But we're hoping things will brighten up a bit as the morning progresses.

Anyway, it hasn't dampened the spirits of those waiting for proceedings to get under way...

BBCCopyright: BBC

Throughout today's live coverage, we'll be including your comments and pictures. You can contact us by email or on Twitter directly, or using the hashtag #richardreburied

Today's ceremony is a reinterment, rather than a funeral or requiem, for the simple reason Richard has already been buried with Christian ceremony once.

Leicestershire County CouncilCopyright: Leicestershire County Council

But cathedral officials said: "The service will accord Richard the dignity and honour he was not accorded following his defeat at Bosworth field".

Welcome back to live coverage of the reburial of Richard III.

Sunday's celebrations proved hugely popular with an estimated 35,000 people lining Leicester's streets to view the king's coffin on its final journey.

Today he will finally be laid to rest in the city's cathedral, 500 years since his death.