THE Royal charter awarded to Colchester more than 600 years ago by Richard II is now on display at the castle.

The amazing old document, which granted the borough some powers to govern itself and exempted it from certain taxes, is back on public view after a period in the vaults.

Historic documents such as the charter cannot spend more than a few months at a time in daylight, or they will fade and be damaged forever, so charters such at this one are displayed in rotation, spending most of the time in darkness in the castle’s vaults.

The 1378 Richard II charter has taken the place in public view of a later Henry V Royal charter, which was displayed as part of the castle’s Medieval Mind exhibition.

Richard II is credited with ending the Peasants’ Revolt, but had a troubled reign and was eventually stripped of his crown and imprisoned.

Shakespeare’s play about his life, includes the deposed sovereign famous speech: “For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings.”