Pamela Rabe as Richard III in STC's The War of the Rosesin 2009. (Photo: Tania Kelley)
After more than 500 years buried in Leicester, the twisted bones of
the last king of the House of York have finally been uncovered.
Archaeologists have confirmed that bones found in an excavation of
a council car park in the city of Leicester belong to Richard III,
the last member of the Plantagenet dynasty, and the eponymous
anti-hero of one of Shakespeare's most popular historical plays.
Extensive research revealed that the car park was the location of
the long lost church of Grey Friars, in which a group of priests
were believed to have buried the king after his death in
1485.
Excavation of the site began in October last year, with diggers
coming across a skeleton on the first day that, on examination,
proved to have a bended spine and was immediately suspected of
being the lost king. The skeleton shows evidence of extensive abuse
and damage suggesting that historical reports of the violence
towards the dying Richard, after his defeat at Bosworth Field,
might have been accurate.Today it was announced that the misshapen
bones (that show evidence of scoliosis) have been officially
identified as belonging to Richard III.
Many argue that Shakespeare's portrayal of Richard as a vicious and
calculating murderer willing to sacrifice anyone and anything for
power, was perhaps purely the result of the playwright's attempts
to please his tudor queen Elizabeth I (who was an influential
patron of the arts) at the time rather than a reflection of fact.
Many believe him to have been a brave and tenacious warrior.
Read more about the discovery hereand here.
Feature: Finding Richard III
Date posted: 5 Feb 2013Author: STC