Column – HistoryBytes: The Finding of the Car-Park King: The Search for and Discovery of King Richard III of England
“Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace,
Have no delight to pass away the time,
Unless to spy my shadow in the sun
And descant [discuss at length] on mine own deformity;
And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover,
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain
And hate the idle pleasures of these days.”
-William Shakespeare, Richard III, 1.1.1
“Richard the third son…was…little of stature, ill-featured of limbs, crook-backed, his left shoulder much higher than his right, hard-favored of visage…in other manner otherwise, he was malicious, wrathful, envious…”
-Sir Thomas More, The History of Richard the Third
These sixteenth-century pieces of literature from two prominent English authors set the stage for one of the most notorious people in history, King Richard III of England. Richard, duke of Gloucester (1452-1485), was the third son of Richard Plantagenet, duke of York, and the formidable Cecily Neville. The duke of York was the most senior male member of the York branch of the Plantagenet family who was kin to the ruling Lancastrian family. The head of this family was King Henry VI, a monarch with a weak and malleable personality. By the time young Richard was three years of age, the two rival branches of the royal family became embroiled in a civil war spanning the next thirty years.
Both branches claimed descent from among the five sons of King Edward III (1312-1377). When Edward III’s eldest line ended with the death of his grandson Richard II in 1400, another grandson, Henry Bolingbroke (son of Edward III’s third son) usurped the throne. It is through this line that the Lancastrian line, through Henry VI, originated. Richard of York’s family was descended from the second and fourth sons which meant York had a “stronger claim” to the English throne.
The young duke of Gloucester’s elder brother Edward deposed Henry VI and became King Edward IV in 1461. Over the next ten years, the throne exchanged hands twice more until Edward IV had his Lancastrian cousin murdered. Edward ruled until 1483 when he died after succumbing to an illness. Gloucester was named regent until Edward’s eldest son reached the age of majority when he could reign in his own stead. In a move that still raises a few eyebrows today, Richard then usurped his nephew’s throne. Young Edward V and his brother Richard of York subsequently disappeared from history soon after Gloucester’s ascension to the throne.
Fierce controversy continues to this day about what happened to the “Princes in the Tower.” The last time the young princes were seen was in the Tower of London. Workers found the remains of two small bodies during the seventeenth century, which were then reburied in Westminster Abbey. It has been forensically determined that the bodies were those of two boys aged similarly to the Princes, but they have not been conclusively identified. Even greater a mystery is who had them murdered (if that is indeed what happened). Richard III is typically the suspect though Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII, is another.
This notoriety associated with the king made the recent search for, and ultimate discovery of, his body all the more interesting. Richard was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in August 1485, the final battle of the so-called War of the Roses. In addition to being the last Plantagenet king, Richard was also the last English king to die in battle on British soil. After his death, his body was unceremoniously thrown into a grave at Grey Friars Church in Leicester, England. His life and death still attracted the attention of people well into the twenty-first century.
In August of 2012, a group of people assembled to try to find the body of Richard III. Representatives from the University of Leicester, the Leicester City Council, and the Richard III Society joined forces to try to discover the location of the old church and to use contemporary sources to locate the location of Richard’s body. Richard III Society member, Philippa Langley indicated that this dig would be both of great historical and modern significance.
“This archaeological work offers a golden opportunity to learn more about medieval Leicester as well as about Richard III’s last resting place – and, if he is found, to re-inter his remains with proper solemnity in Leicester Cathedral. A filmed record will be made of the entire historic project.” (1)
The first two weeks of the dig proved very fruitful. The archaeological team under the direction of Richard Buckley of the University of Leicester Archaeological Services determined the location of the medieval Grey Friars church, the eastern cloister walk, and the chapter house after removing a portion of a car park (the British term for parking lot). Originally scheduled for two weeks, the Mayor of Leicester extended the dig by a week due to the overwhelming show of interest from the public.
The most exciting news came on September 12, 2012 when archaeologists announced that they had discovered skeletal remains of a male with spinal deformities and a cloven head. Remains of a woman were also uncovered, but the male remains garnered more attention since they bore a striking resemblance to the historical anecdotes concerning Richard’s appearance.
The question then turned to the identity of the skeleton. In order to determine if the remains were indeed Richard III, the archaeologists needed a sample of DNA to compare with the body’s. Fortunately for everyone involved, a seventeenth-generation descendant of Richard’s eldest sister provided the much-desired DNA. Historian Dr. John Ashdown-Hill linked Canadian-born Michael Ibsen and his two siblings to the Plantagenets back in 2005 when researching the location of the Gray Friars Church. The University officially declared the discovery of Richard III on Monday, February 4, 2013 after a series of scientific tests.
The skeleton’s finding and subsequent pronouncement as Richard III ignited a debate over his burial the initial dig uncovered the bones. Both the cities of Leicester and York lay claim for the royal interment. Some claim Richard should be laid to rest in Leicester Cathedral because his body was found in the city. Others maintain Richard’s dying wish was to be buried in York, a city with a historical love for the monarch. A compromise may have been reached where Richard’s body will lay in state at York Minster and then be transported back to Leicester. Additional debates consider whether Richard should be buried in a tomb or under a stone slab and what importance this archaeological find will have on people’s perceptions of the king and on his own life. These will continue to be debated for the foreseeable future, and perhaps history indeed may be rewritten.
For more information, please refer to the bibliography below .
(1) “Historic search for King Richard III begins in Leicester,” Heritage Daily, 27 August 2012, http://www.heritagedaily.com/2012/08/historic-search-for-king-richard-iii-begins-in-leicester/ (accessed 1 April 2013).
“Archaeological dig inches ‘tantalizingly closer’ to possible burial place of King Richard III.” Medievalists.net. 10 September 2012. http://www.medievalists.net/2012/09/10/archaeological-dig-inches-tantalizingly-closer-to-possible-burial-place-of-king-richard-iii/ (accessed 1 April 2013).
“Historic search for King Richard III begins in Leicester.” Heritage Daily. 27 August 2012. http://www.heritagedaily.com/2012/08/historic-search-for-king-richard-iii-begins-in-leicester/ (accessed 1 April 2013).
McCrum, Robert. “Richard III, the great villain of English history, is due a makeover.” The Guardian. 15 September 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/15/king-villains-richard-iii (accessed 31 March 2013).
“Richard III dig: ‘Strong evidence’ bones are lost king.” BBC News Leicester. 12 September 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-19561018 (accessed 1 April 2013).
“Search for Richard III confirms discovery of the Church of the Grey Friars.” Medievalists.net. 5 September 2012. http://www.medievalists.net/2012/09/05/search-for-richard-iii-confirms-discovery-of-the-church-of-the-grey-friars/ (accessed 1 April 2013).
“University of Leicester announces discovery of King Richard III.” Heritage Daily. 4 February 2013. www.heritagedaily.com/2013/02/university-of-leicester-announces-discovery-of-king-richard-iii/ (accessed 31 March 2013).
“Compromise deal could see Richard III lie in state at York Minster.” Yorkshire Post. 16 March 2013. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/general-news/compromise-deal-could-see-richard-iii-lie-in-state-at-york-minster-1-5503217 (accessed 1 April 2013).
Hiokes, Martin. “Should Richard III-the last Yorkist king-be reburied in Yorkshire?” The Northerner Blog at The Guardian. 18 September 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/sep/18/blogpost-richard-lll-york-minster-leicester-university-bosworth-archaeology?INTCMP=SRCH (accessed 1 April 2013).
“Press Release: York Petition Launched as ‘Richard III’ Debate Goes Global.” Medievalists.net. 4 October 2012. http://www.medievalists.net/2012/10/04/press-release-york-petition-launched-as-richard-iii-debate-goes-global/ (accessed 31 March 2013).
“Tory MP calls for state funeral for King Richard III.” The Guardian. 14 September 2012. www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/sep/14/tory-mp-state-funeral-richard?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 (accessed 1 April 2013).
Process of Uncovering Skeleton’s Identity
Davies, Caroline. “Canadian descendant of Richard III is asked to give DNA after ‘grave’ find.” The Guardian. 12 September 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/sep/12/canadian-descendant-richard-iii-dna?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 (accessed 31 March 2013).
“Key figures in Richard III search tell of ‘huge shock’ of skeleton discovery.” Heritage Daily. 26 October 2012. www.heritagedaily.com/2012/10/key-figures-in-richard-iii-search-tell-of-huge-shock-of-skeleton-discovery/ (accessed 1 April 2013).
“Richard III was no hero.” The Globe and Mail. 4 February 2013. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/editorials/richard-iii-was-no-hero/article8188151/ (accessed 1 April 2013).
“Richard III’s scarred skeleton becomes a battlefield for academics.” Past Horizons. 5 February 2013. http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/02/2013/richard-iiis-scarred-skeleton-becomes-a-battlefield-for-academics (accessed 31 March 2013).
“How did Richard III sound?” Heritage Daily. 5 February 2013. http://www.heritagedaily.com/2013/02/how-did-richard-iii-sound/ (accessed 31 March 2013).
“Richard III archaeology team awarded honour for Leicester dig.” This is Leicestershire. 15 October 2012. http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Richard-III-archaeology-team-awarded-honour/story-17084892-detail/story.html#axzz2OIg4YQD8 (accessed 31 March 2013).
“Richard III dig: Results of scientific tests to be announced.” This is Leicestershire. 5 February 2013. http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Richard-III-dig-Results-scientific-tests/story-17939619-detail/story.html#axzz2OIg4YQD8 (accessed 1 April 2013).
“Richard III: Facial reconstruction shows king’s features.” BBC. 5 February 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21328380 (accessed 1 April 2013).
From the Richard III Society , a leading organization for the restoration of Richard’s historical reputation and the “promoting research into the life and times of Richard III”.:
1. Richard by His Contemporaries (http://www.richardiii.net/2_1_0_richardiii.php#views): This resource provides some primary source material about Richard as seen by his contemporaries. Topics range from his military reputation to his reign as king. Part of a larger biography of his life on the same page.
From the American branch of the Richard III Society:
1. Researching the Middle Ages: A Guide for Students (http://www.r3.org/on-line-library-text-essays/quick-start-for-students/researching-the-middle-ages-a-guide-for-students/) : For students who are interested in studying the Middle Ages, this link, written by a librarian, provides some tips for first-time researchers.
2. Where to Start on Our Site (http://www.r3.org/on-line-library-text-essays/quick-start-for-students/where-to-start-on-our-site/): This link provides some standard resources on the Society’s website for those who are completely new to the story of Richard III.
3. Online Library, Text, and Essays (http://www.r3.org/on-line-library-text-essays/): This link provides a list of primary sources, other essays, and teaching resources for researchers, teachers, students, professionals, and others who are interested in Richard III.
Edited by Eileen Orzoff-Baranyk
(c) 2013 The Middle Ground Journal, Number 6, Spring, 2013. See Submission Guidelines page for the journal's not-for-profit educational open-access policy.