The battle over where Richard III should be buried

            The battle over where the remains of Richard III should be buried starts in the High Court today.

            Judges will hear the case from both sides over the coming days - those who want the former king buried in York, and those who want him buried in Leicester. His remains were discovered in a car park in Leicester in 2012, and the University of Leicester want to bury them in the city.

            But a group involving the king's distant relatives, think he should be buried in York. They think that the king known as Richard of York would have preferred to be buried there. They also believe that, with an important figure such as a famous king, his family and even the public should be asked what they think.

            Richard III was only King of England for 26 months, when he was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. After centuries of mystery as to where his remains could be, the University of Leicester found bones they thought could be his in 2012.

            When it was discovered that the remains were that of the king, the Ministry of Justice and the University of Leicester decided he should be buried in Leicester. The decision was made because remains are usually reburied close to where they are discovered.

            But the The Plantagenet Alliance, a group including 15 distant relatives of Richard III, argue that this is a special case and want judges in the high court to decide on either York or Leicester.

            The row originally went to the court in November, but was put back until today.

True or false?

1. There is a dispute over the right place to bury the king.

2. The court case has been delayed.

3. Richard III was mortally wounded at Bosworth.

4. The king ruled for a long time.

5. No one knew where Richard was buried until recently.

6. His relatives want the public to be consulted.

7. Everyone agrees where the king should be buried.

8. The burial plans could change depending on what the court decides.

Match the words below to their definitions

decision / former / famous / prefer / relative / remains                    

like or want something more than other things    

someone's body after they have died     

choice that is made after thinking about a number of options

known or recognized by many people

member of someone's family

describes what someone or something was in the past

What is the missing word?

1. The row _______________________ went to the court in November.

2. Plans have been made to bury the king in Leicester_______________________.

3. _______________________ will hear the case from both sides.

4. Remains are usually reburied close to where they are_______________________.

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KEY

True or false

1. True

2. True

3. True

4. False

5. True

6. True

7. False

8. True

Vocabulary

decision            choice that is made after thinking about a number of options

former               describes what someone or something was in the past

famous             known or recognized by many people

prefer                like or want something more than other things

relative              member of someone's family

remains            someone's body after they have died

What is the missing word?

1. originally

2. cathedral

3. Judges

4. discovered.