A PHOTO of the funeral pall that draped the coffin of Richard III when his stays were buried in Leicester Cathedral, in 2015, has been included in a special exhibition celebrating 30 years of the National Lottery and the projects that it has funded.
The artist Thomas Duke was commissioned to capture “game-changing” moments for every of the 30 years. Mr Duke is understood for his project @steppingthroughfilm, during which he tracks down film locations and holds up a photograph, or film still, aligning it perfectly with the placement.
The anniversary of the National Lottery fell on Tuesday. Through its Good Causes programme, £50 billion has been raised because it was launched in 1994 by Sir John Major — a moment featured within the exhibition currently on display within the National Portrait Gallery.
Another of those moments is the burial at Leicester Cathedral on 26 March 2015 of Richard III’s stays — discovered beneath a Leicester automotive park the previous 12 months. The service was attended by the Royal Family, and broadcast to a worldwide audience of 350 million (News, 27 March 2015). National Lottery Funding contributed to the funeral pall that draped Richard III’s coffin, the creation of a latest visitor exhibition centre on the Cathedral, and restoration projects for the Cathedral and historic buildings near by.
Among the moments within the exhibition include the opening of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, in 1997; Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson winning two gold medals on the 2005 Paralympic World Cup in Manchester; street parties to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, in 2012; Bletchley Park reopening in 2015 after a serious restoration; and Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest last 12 months.
The Dean of Leicester, the Very Revd Karen Rooms, said on Friday: “We are thrilled to be included as one in all the 30 iconic moments because the National celebrates three a long time of its support for thus many essential initiatives. We are indebted to the Lottery each for its support in 2015, and the funding now we have been given for our latest Heritage and Learning Centre, which will likely be opening next spring.”
Baroness Twycross, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said that the birthday “marks a remarkable legacy of constructing resilient, inclusive, and healthier communities across the UK”.
