Having tried to park in Leicester on multiple occasions, find Richard III’s skeleton in one makes total sense. I wouldn’t be in a hurry to give up my reserved spot either.
I would have asked for them to leave him there so I could park on top of him. I'm sure he treated commoners as trash like every other ruler, he deserves to stay buried under a parking lot.
That actually managed to cause me physical pain (I have got to stop reading comments while drinking a soda. Fizzy drinks do not belong in someone's sinuses, is all I'm saying. Well that and, well done. You win the internet for the afternoon!
I love it too. Philippa Langley is made fun of but I admire her passion AND her research AND her organization of the proposed dig. She got the University involved and became aware of the fact that it would be possible to prove the authenticity of whatever found via DNA testing. Good job Philippa, appreciate the armchair adventure I had through your many efforts!
@@Meimoons People rediculed her by saying she had fallen in love with someone who'd been dead for five hundred years. She was passionate about her quest which is why she succeeded, but it seems to me that the academic world did not respect her. They put in really solid work too but I think they should have given a little more credit to her than they were willing to. My humble opinion only.
@@MeimoonsBecause who the fuck does all that work and research just to insist we put a fancy cloth on him and put him back in the ground? Fucking insanity 😂
Being a historian who has volunteered at archaeological digs, I can confirm that archaeology is as exciting and fast-paced as a snail marathon race. But those rare occasions when something of significance is found, makes the digging and boredom completely worth it.
@@seansullivan7928 Neanderthal bones don't come with skin or name tags that read "HELLO My Name Is Jesus", but there is proof they did exist. There is still no scientific proof that jesus actually existed.
As a commercial archaeologist I live for the rare stuff. We all do our show and tell victory lap when finding something awesome. Differing to academic digs, commercial digs are very high pace and thus much more exciting than a snail marathon I assure you 😂. Academic archaeologists are just slow and too careful with everything.
The young man Dominic Smee also proved that the custom made saddle that allowed Richard to maintain better balance in the saddle actually gave him an advantage over the other knights on horseback by improving his control and balance of his sword while charging on horseback.
My favourite part of this is actually the human element of the experimental archaeology proving that not only could someone with Richard III's scoliosis easily wear armour and ride in battle but that the armour worked to support his body which actually made it more comfortable than walking around normally. This makes perfect sense when you consider the fact that nobility for a long time valued their ability to participate in battle regardless of physical ailments, so naturally the armour smiths of the time would have developed techniques for ensuring someone could wear their armour for as long as possible while remaining comfortable. Indeed one of my favourite myths regarding plate armour in particular is that it was so heavy you couldn't get up if you fell over, not only could you get up but you could easily fight provided the armour was correctly built for you and what you were doing. The problem is when you had armour built entirely for fighting from horseback and then were unhorsed, making you fight like someone wearing a scuba suit.
Oops, his spine WAS deformed! I hope some of those historians were humbled by this (but probably not). Sometimes, legend turns out to be based on FACT.
If I remember correctly Richards scoliosis began to develop when he reached puberty at which time he would have also been fitted for his first suit of armor and as those like armor-smiths usually stayed with one family all their life his smith would just be making constant small adjustments to the fit rather than making a suit from scratch as they had to do for Dominic Smee plus, Richard fought in many battles so he was used to wearing armor.
Field plate was quite usable dismounted or mounted. Horses were killed in battle and it was expected. No soldier would ever go into a fight where he couldn't defend himself in all circumstances.
I'm sorry this is completely irrelevant, but as a horseback rider, I just loved the casual use of "unhorsed", I think I'm gonna start saying that I was unhorsed when I fall off a horse from now on! So casual yet dramatic, I love it
This whole story is so incredible. I remember the news when they announced they found him. My husband and I just stared at each other like, "...what??? UNDER A CAR PARK?!" I watched the documentary and funeral, and I admit I giggled a bit about how obviously enamored Philippa was with Richard and how disappointed she was at finding out he actually did have scoliosis. But I'll give it to her, she was like a dog with a bone. Good on ya, fangirl!
When she started to cry and said "I don't see bones, I see a man!" And how she wobbled when she opened her eyes to see his reconstructed head- I honestly thought she was going to kiss him on the lips, bless 😊❤️
@@harridan. slandered? For slander to be a thing, you have to do damage to a person's reputation to the point where it affects their livelihood. Before they found him, she herself said she didn't think he had a deformity, that it was all Tutor lies. So where is the slander?
@@abbycross90210 you appear to assume that slander is essentially a legal apparatus. synonyms for slander are as follows, according to Webster's First Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language: defame, calumniate, vilify, malign, belie, reproach; asperse. to discredit or shame, to disgrace, to censure, dishonor, offend an obscure definition is to censure your definition is actually close to the first listed, which reflects the flux endemic to the tortured instrument of communication which passes for the english language today. i can't recall what i was replying to, i can't find it, however i do thank you sincerely for prompting me to dig out the Webster's, i have been putting it off for way too long. it's too easy to refer to my phone (all ive got) where even if it's new Webster's or Brittanica, it's woefully abbreviated. So, Thanks! p.s, i will pit my 1926 Webster's against the OED any day.
@@harridan. You will use your outdated no longer relevant dictionary to hold up moot points? Words do not mean the same thing they meant 100 years ago my dear... Language is fluid.
"The chances of finding Richard was a million to one." - Richard Buckley (Ch. Archaeologist) “Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.” - Sir Terry Pratchett
Leicester local here - this wasn't even the only "long odds" event that happened in the city within a few years, as our local football/soccer team won the Premier League for the first time in 2015 despite 5000-1 odds placed on it by betting shops at the start of the season...! The whole "these are more common than we think" argument is most definitely under selection bias, though - "Dig doesn't find King" never appears as a headline in the Leicester Mercury...!
Didn't they say that about "finding the city of Troy"? or was that 5million to one? King Tutankhamen's tomb...10 million to one? Finding Neanderthal man...100 million to one? The "Booky" is a poor man after all this has been found. And more such as dinosaur bones. Maybe a dragon is still possible?
I remember hearing about this as it was going on. I heard she thought his bones where buried in the car park, then two years later, I heard she got permission to excavate. I was totally astonished. I didn't think she would get permission, and if she did, it would take at least five years. It takes five years just to get a new sign put up.
Phillipa Langley did her research it was not just luck. She was pivotal in the discovery of Richard III remains. The entire team made history. Phillippa deserves her due recognition.
I was aware of many of the details surrounding the discovery of Richard III's remains, including how lucky the dig team was in finding him in the first trench on the first day. However, many of the other details, such as the Bosworth reenactor having the same physical deformity, the researcher who found the procedure for royal re-burial, and Benedict Cumberbatch being descended from the Plantagenets, were new to me. I believe Philippa Langley fuller deserves that MBE. I am an American with absolutely no vested interest in the British Monarchy, but I love a juicy story, and the tales of the English Royals are full of interesting bits. This is a good one!
Makes you believe in miracles. I saw the documentary about the young man with scoliosis. He had never ridden a horse before, but actually learned to JOUST skillfully enough to re-enact some of Richard's jousting matches (and this wearing a heavy suit of armour!) Just incredible.
And of course all suits of armour were hand tailored to the wearer. No mass produced one size fits all! So his armour would have been very supportive and as non chafing as possible
I gotta watch that documentary now. That part of the story is incredible. Hopefully he has gotten some work done and is comfortable as can be, but wow what a coincidence.
@@extragoogleaccount6061 That Dominic Smee was already a reenactor was the weirdest coincidence in a long line of coincidences. Here is the link to that doc. ruclips.net/video/fDHDvnnK4nI/видео.html I HIGHLY recommend it!
Richard III may have also had hair color similiar to Dominic, as well. The thought is based on the genetics found. The paintings always show dark brown hair, but he may have been a sandy blonde. To know for sure, I guess the genetics will have to improve.
You know that dude is Richard in every reenactment for the rest of his life. No one else will even ask to be Richard. He’s practically the literal king of the reenactment club.
The whole time I was watching this I was thinking "there could be a Doctor Who episode based off this story." Like somehow the Doctor was there when he died but kept skipping through time, leaving bits of evidence at the precise moments to ensure he'd be found.
I've heard that it was this lot; the Plantagenet dynasty, for which scholars invented the practice of suffixing kings names with numbers. ;) There were descriptors before that as Debby says. There's also the practice of having more than one name; the king's friends and family may well have called him by a different name, but I'm not so sure the Plantagenets did. There's examples of it from the 1st century and, if I remember right, the early 20th century, so it could have happened in medieval times, but surely these names would have turned up by now. Perhaps the kings had such names but they weren't recorded out of respect, or something.
Royalty tend to only use a few names even up to this day. I am Swedish, our king is Charles XVI and our crown princess is named "Victoria". Everyone is a bit much though, but there are royal traditions. Sargon the great was basically the first real king in history and many of the later kings of his kingdom was named after him so this is nothing new. A new dynasty often brings new names though, but not always since some usurpers like to rename themselves to get some legitimacy.
I was in Leicester one morning while Richard was laying in state, and since the queue was short (it was early), I made the snap decision to join it. I had followed it casually as local interest story, but I certainly didn't feel emotional about it. When I saw the coffin, beautifully made by his descendant, knowing that inside were the bones of a human who had been so disregarded since death and were finally shown care and dignity, I became really teary. I don't think anyone passed the coffin without being moved a little. 10 years on and still no movie made about it? Maybe it's too unbelievable that he was found on the first dig of the first day. Scriptwriters would struggle to create drama out of "Oh, there he is, exactly where we thought".
I actually found out about this story because I saw a trailer for the upcoming movie called "The Lost King", so a movie about it is actually coming soon! ;)
I'm an American and I don't feel any particular attachment to the British royalty, although I do find history interesting. But I found myself getting a little teary watching this video. The culmination of so much hard work & faith finally paying off, with everything falling into place so beautifully is inspiring & satisfying. And the idea that the remains which been disregarded and forgotten for so long now being honored and connected to the person's descendants is quite touching.
Though the idea of someone returning to their glory was heartwarming, I took this as a sign of how amazing human intellect and ingenuity are. She was dead on in her research and conclusion, and she also found a way to make it happen.
@@heatherboardman7004 Apparently the film went in for the tired "All the men thought this mere woman couldn't possibly be right" trope, mind you. Even though that didn't happen in real life.
@@Sideprojects Great vid, as always! Just the title seems a bit... off. It wasn't as much as the luckiest dig per se, as it was backed by years of research and the team performing the dig was pretty much spot on. Everything around it though? Yeah, a fair share of luck indeed ;)
Although i am a 'colonial' a mere 'yank' as it were, i am of English blood on my mothers' side, i propose that you be knighted by her majesty "God save the Queen" Sir Simon Badge of Knight Bachelor Historian of the Empire. I hope i didn't muck that up too much! 👍👏🇬🇧👑
I often wonder how these historical people would react if they could see how their lives have either impacted the future or how they've been remembered all these years later. The Dr. Who episode with Van Gough gets me teary every time...
I study Roman history and I’ve wondered the same thing. Julius Caesar will probably be all smug when he finds out we’re still using the month he created
I'm from Leicester and I remember watching the dig live on the telly when this was happening 😁 so happy Simon is covering this, it's huge pride for Leicester xx
OMG, finding Richard III's skeleton was an amazing find and also helped me illustrate a point to one of my coworkers that history does, in fact, change. Before the find, we weren't 100% sure where he was buried, or what sort of 'deformity' he had given most of the accounts were written by enemies. Finding him definitively answered those questions.
watching the dig documentary there was a funny moment. the woman organizing the dig believed the notion of richard having a spine deformity was tudor propaganda, the archaeologist said the remains had a crooked spine and she was in denial.
history didn't change much - history pointed to the likelihood that he would be found near where he was actually found - altho the story of about disposing him in a river confused the issue - - and history suggested he had a deformity - it was the Richardians like Philippa who questioned the deformity
@@johneyon5257What information historians can access and the time and culture in which they're writing changes. Records and artifacts are lost and found, either definitively answering questions that had been debated before or putting a question to previously accepted facts. Yesterday's heroes become today's villains and vice versa.
Leicester local here. I moved here a couple of years before we found a king and won the premier league. What a time - clichéd as it sounds, the city came alive and felt like it wasn't just that place near Nottingham and Birmingham. So happy to see Leicester get the factboy treatment ❤
A fascinating story. As an amateur historian (I minored in History in university) and an unrepentant Yorkist and Plantagenet supporter, I’ve always thought Richard III was more a victim of bad press than a truly bad king (the royals had been murdering one another for over a hundred years, as you allude, so Dickon was hardly unique in this respect). I followed this story in its latter stages and was delighted when it turned out as it did. Thanks for retelling the tale here, Simon.
@@pm2886 I am wrong as usual, but I always thought university was a noun. So I thought it was "went to the university". I never got past high school so don't take my input seriously.
A major in a subject moves one out of Amateur status. You are an educated Historian. That doesn't indicate you're ready to Host Documentaries Keith Betany Hughes, but you're well on your way. 😘 Sociology, Journalism, and History degrees... Tennessee, USA Each have held professional value and continued studies and research find they are quite connected in value of my scope of continued studies, research, and writings. Best Regards, Beth
@@jodu626 there were plenty of others who would have profited just as much/more from 'offing' those kids at that time. It is not a 'lock' that Richard did order their deaths.
Phillipa Langley is not just one of he luckiest people ever her dedication and determination is remarkable and admirable and combined with the outstanding support she received made this fascinating story possible
She is a member of the Richard III society, which is a strange organisation with an overly rosy view of Richards character, not supported by historical evidence. I'm not surprised that the documentary makers pointed a camera at her, but I'm not sure she was the driving force behind the dig. The society spent years stating that Richard had no physical disability and this was all made up by the Tudors, so I'm not sure the society exactly proved its point there either.
@@tcm81 to be fair there were plenty of historians who said the negative image of Richard III was all Tudor propaganda. And whilst she may be a complete fruitloop, it's often those kinds of people - who are willing to defy convention - that advance our knowledge.
@@nevilleneville6518 The idea of breakthroughs made by people who 'defy convention' is a tired Hollywood trope, which you evidently believe is true to life. I take it then you will be first in line to see the film, where she is played by Sally Hawkins?
@@tcm81 I believe its true to life because I've worked with enough incredibly annoying people who didn't fit the system who were willing to push and keep pushing in order to make change and get things done. I have no idea who Sally Hawkins even is.
She is incredibly lucky. She is so eccentric that, had she been wrong, about any of it, really, then she would be considered more for a room in Bedlam and never taken seriously again. Her life would be the exact opposite of what it is now had she been wrong.
Having watched Time Team for years you get an impression of just how amazing this was . If it was fiction it would have been criticised as unrealistic . A fascinating insight into history because of the determination of a few people .
She’s just came out with a documentary with judge rinder about the princes in the tower. She may have proved that Richard the 3rd didn’t kill them. The proof she found is incredible. 100% recommend people watch it, it’s so fascinating
This honestly reminds me of the Saxon graves discovered on RAF Lakenheath in ‘97. I was living there at the time as my father was in the US airforce stationed there and we were very confused when one day a baseball diamond was blocked off next to the pool. It was only a week or so later they told us why. I was 9 at the time.
That's cool. I spent three years at Lakenheath too. My dad was also in the Air Force (stationed at Mildenhall but we lived on the base at Lakenheath). I didn't know about these graves. That happened after I left but I'm pretty sure I've been on that baseball diamond.
Simon presents these so well that when we started on the Tudor myth, I totally forgot the video was about archeology! Fact Boi is killing it these days, most college professors don't lecture this well!
@@nightwishlover8913 true, but he isn't a professor at all. Everyone flubs a pronunciation sometimes, especially on proper names or obscure words; the level of engagement he generates totally makes up for it, in my opinion.
@@phoenixsixxrising you are absolutely spot on. NightwishLover seems as if theyre desperately grasping for anything they can so they can pretend to have a legitimate point all just to disagree with your comment. You speak 110%truth when it comes to engagement and teachers. That is honestly what makes all the difference in the entire world when it comes to the human mind and learning in general.
3:38 Richard did not have George executed, Edward did this during his reign. George continually sided with the Earl of Wariwick in uprisings against Edward the IV and the king had finally had enough. Rumor has it George was given a choice in how he was to die and he chose to be drowned in a vat of Malmsy Wine... Which was likley carried out. To which I mean he was definatley executed and that was a possible means. LOVE ❤️ The channel!!!
I remember watching this in real time. My favorite part was when an archaeologist came over to inform a historian that the reason the body looked funny was that it had significant spinal curvature and the historian's response was "...I have to sit down for a moment."
I watched the dig, the discovery of the skeleton and thought “that looks painful” when seeing the curvature of the spine. I watched the facial reconstruction and also a very interesting video on how he was able to ride into battle, given his scoliosis. A young fellow was found who had the same problem. He had to be taught to ride! But he said the type of saddle was actually very supportive and comfortable
@@Batmans_Pet_Goldfish ruclips.net/video/fDHDvnnK4nI/видео.html As someone who loves reading history, especially late Plantagenet/Tudor/Stuart reigns, it had been drilled into my head that "Of course, the Tudors, being the winners, got to 'write the history' and made up the story (and altered paintings) to portray Richard as extremely hunchbacked, even though that was 'presposterous' as 'surely his contemporaries would have commented upon it'. Kind of hard to keep to that narrative after seeing the skeleton.
This history is amazing! My friend and I went to the reinternment. People thought we were crazy for coming from Philadelphia, PA. They wanted to interview us, but we'd been up and rained on for hours and we were both coming down with colds. It was such a cool thing to experience! Plus I can shock people when I tell them I went to the reinternment of Richard III.
I had no idea the layers of bureaucracy and opposition had to be overcome to make this discovery possible. This is now my favorite of the videos of yours that I have seen. Well done.
I’ve been living in Leicester for two years and as my partner came to visit last week we had the idea to find the car park Richard III was found in. I know all the city centre streets like the back of my hand and had no idea I had walked past the car park plenty of times! However Leicester Cathedral and the Richard III Visitor Centre are hard to miss.
This puts all the pieces together I read a biography of Richard III and he was one of the greatest bravest warriors whoever lived and camped out on the Scottish border im field conditions for 4 months of complete winter darkness, he had a scholarly keen mind and much of his stress was trying to prevent all the House of Lancaster hangers on and relatives steal his land and estates won in many battles .💀👑
I agree. She was a bit of a badass. Even after she was no longer the empress, she kept using the title. Whenever some young noble took issue with that, and thought someone should tell her she can't use the title anymore, everyone was all "have fun with that".
My favorite moment in The Anarchy was when Stephen had been captured by Empress Matilda’s forces, but his wife, also named Matilda, took his place in keeping the fight going. A rare instance in history where two woman commanded forces against each other.
Ellis Peters' Cadfael series of historical mysteries is set in this period. It is referenced often as the two forces took, lost, then re-took areas. The focus of the stories was how all this affected the ordinary people just trying to live their lives.
Whatever Matilda's faults, she did give birth to Henry II (and one can wrangle about his paternity) who was married to one of my favorite historical characters, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
I am going to study Archeology at the university of leicester this year. Can't wait to meet the people that discovered him. Big thanks to Simon for inspiring me to follow my historical dreams 🙂
I’m graduating this month from Leicester in ancient history and archaeology! I’ve been taught by Jo Appleby and been on digs with Matthew Morris during my degree - both as knowledgeable as they are kind. Hope you enjoy !
I never knew that he died charging Henry himself. Doesn't really sound like the coward I've always heard about . If she's written a book about this whole thing I'm definitely buying it.
Not only did he charge Henry, he was on foot after being dismounted from his horse. Allegedly saying, "I shall die as a King this day or I shall win." He managed also to kill Henry's standard bearer before he was killed himself.
This is fantastic coverage of the work of Phillipa Langley and the resulting discovery of Richard III body. Thank you for the explanations and footage of a portion of this story.
Amazing! Richard III is one of my own personal favorite historical figures, and strangely enough, I'm currently reading a "medieval mystery" series set in that era.
One of my graduate school professors (archaeology had nothing to do with his field of study), went on a dig in the ANE (Ancient Near East). He spent a month sweeping up dust and found...nothing but stories to try to wow his classes with. Archaeology is a long, tedious, and a field that often drives one to drink. But every once in awhile, we hit amazing stuff through all the dust collected.
No , he did claim his elder brother was illegitimate ie his own mother had had an affair with an archer AND that Edward had already been married when he married Elizabeth Woodville Nothing like covering your bases.
One correction: Richard didn’t kill George, Duke of Clarence. George was by all accounts a rather unreliable character and Edward IV ordered his execution after he rebelled one too many times. Apparently the time he’d spent as Edward’s heir presumptive rather went to his head and he didn’t take it very well when his older brother had the nerve to reproduce and make him significantly less important in the grand scheme of things. When Edward proceeded to favor his (actually useful) younger brother Richard when it came to handing out lands and monies it was all too much for his fragile ego to take. That led to his first rebellion alongside his father-in-law, the earl of Warwick. He eventually realized the whole scheme was a bad deal for him and backed down and Edward forgave him, but later after his wife died he started slipping off the rails again. This time Edward had him imprisoned and ordered his execution, allegedly by being drowned in a large cask of wine, although that detail might just be a later embellishment.
Thanks -- you beat me to it! Second correction: It was NOT Richard who declared Edward V illegitimate. Parliament did that, in accordance with the British marriage laws of the period, having been presented with testimony by Bishop Stillington that Edward had made a previous secret marriage to another woman before he married Elizabeth. They put it in writing in the most emphatic terms possible, and petitioned Richard to take the crown, which he did after thinking about it for nearly a week. Far from a "usurpation", it was certainly more legal that the successions of either Edward IV or Henry VII (who simply claimed "right of conquest" for seizing the crown).
@@lefantomer This! Exactly what I've always said. Richard is seen as this villain because it was more convenient to make him the bad guy so as to justify Tudor's weak claim to the throne.
George also knew Edward´s biggest secret. Not surprisingly it was Elizabeth Woodville who insisted on Clarence´s execution. Bishop Stillington was imprisoned but released later.
I love it! As a past member of the R3 Soc, this was all really great news. Having become convinced that Richard was a Good Guy, I forgot that he was supposed to be a Villain. One day in a group we were asked to name one of our heroes, and I said Richard the Third. There was a stunned sharp group intake of breath! Then I realised they thought I admired the hunchback child-murdering usurping megalomaniac of Shakespearean drama. I did try to say, actually he was a really nice guy, but they may not have believed me. I am very happy he was found in this extraordinary way, and buried with honour. A friend of mine in the states discovered via DNA testing that he is a descendant of KR3. He is a nice guy too, and I was in the happy position, due to the R3Soc, of being able to tell him he is not descended from an arch-villain.
Your friend might want to get a second opinion on those results as RichardIII had no known descendants. His legitimate son died at age 10 and the records indicate his two illegitimate children had no children of their own.
Simon, I gotta say, whoever comes up with your headers REALLY knows how to toss out the big 'ole Intrigue in them. I saw this header and HAD to click... Love ya, Mr. Blaze!
IT makes sense that the armor could help the scoliosis. One of the corrective measures applied in modern times (for less severe cases anyway) is the use of a brace that gradually adjusts the spine. The brace also serves as slight support for the individual. Full on armor would be even more supportive.
Richard did NOT have George killed; he was actually against it, but Edward IV was fed up with George's habit of backstabbing him and had him killed. Richard returned to his estate out of disgust, blaming his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Woodville, and her family for George's execution.
I've read up on this period extensively in grad school. I'm pretty sure Edward had George executed for saying his kids, with Elizabeth Woodville, were illegitimate, which would've made George the heir to the throne. They all disliked Elizabeth, except for Edward obviously, because she was a Lancastian and a grubby social climber. Was the latter the more serious offense in eyes? Who would know.
@@jeffdroog If that was snark, you're forgetting books are written on the subject. Yes, I caught that comment and immediately was "oh nah" but Pyromania101got here first.
@@sawahtb The Bible is book written about things.That doesn't mean those things happen.You weren't there,and the people who wrote those books likely weren't there either.Youre really going to trust what must be 5th hand information by that point,that was written hundreds of years before you were born? That doesn't make sense...
@@Shauma_llama George was the inspiration for Renly Baratheon (except he actually had a kid, unlike Renly); Edward was VERY similar to Robert; and Richard was, of course, Stannis. Lizzie was one of the inspirations for Cersei.
Wow - kudos to all involved. The thing that keeps coming back to me is how much pain Richard much have been in during combat training and combat itself, an remarkable individual.
Not necessarily. That young man they found to experiment with is not in pain due to his spinal deformity, and he wears the armor of the day and participates in rigorous training all the time. Not to mention that my spine is horribly disfigured. I have both scoliosis AND kyphosis, which is a similar deformity, but in a different way. Yet I have worked at physical jobs all my life. In the Army I lifted artillery ammunition and loaded it into cannons. I was a car mechanic for years afterward, and my back never kept me from a days labor. I've had orthopedic physicians look at my x-rays and ask me how I am able to stand, much less work. But I can do it, and I have done it for almost 50 years. I am elderly now, and I assumed that by the time I reached my late 60s it would be the spine that failed first. It's not. The arthritis in my shoulders and wrists is what forced me to retire, not my back. My back hurts. A lot. But not all the time and I believe Richard could have functioned very well in his capacity as a warrior king in his day as well.
I played American high school football here in Texas years ago with a Mexican kid who had the same deformity as Richard the 3rd. He was a good strong player who did not seem to suffer any pain or disability. When the doctors thought he had stopped growing they implanted a titanium rod in his back to reduce the curvature of his spine, I think he was 18 at the time. I don't know how they do it now but I think they now do the operation a lot earlier. Anyway, he was a tough kid and I hope he had a good life.
Oh, my dad was stationed there during WWII, he flew B-17s and loved England. He said it was the best assignment he had during the war. After that war ended he was sent over to Tinian Island to fly B-29s and he hated it, he had to live in a tent, shower outside in the sand, and eat Spam sandwiches and powdered eggs all the time. He and his buddies would go catch coconut crabs on days off to supplement their food diet lol
As others have pointed out already, scoliosis doesn't mean you're suffering constant pain. Him riding, training to fight, and staying reasonably fit throughout adulthood more likely prevented him from pain than causing any. Stronger, well-trained muscles prevent strain on the spine which otherwise could lead to pain. - But in all fairness, weak back- and core muscles can cause issues even without suffering from scoliosis. Personally, I've got a lighter form of scoliosis starting below my shoulder blades, but I also have a severe case of lordosis, making it safe to say my back is pretty messed up. That said though, since I do a lot of physical work and have done since my teens (gardening, landscaping, building, etc.), I'm not suffering any more back problems than other people my age (44), likely less, thinking about it. Yes, on occasion I lift something too heavy and injure a muscle, or twist my back, but that's a very rare instance and has nothing to do with my effed-up spine. The one and only time my two conditions caused me trouble and severe pain to the point of near immobility, was when I had my exams at uni coming up and I did nothing for weeks and months on end but sit and study - and weaken my muscles in the process. It was physiotherapy and a healthy dose of gardening, thus building up my muscles again, that got me out of the pain, not avoiding physical activities.
And then the snarky forensic scientist took an ax and cracked the skull by hitting it dead on because she was so sure this was a waste of time. I watched it and couldn’t believe she did this careless thing.
George, Duke of Clarence, was executed by Edward IV in 1478, not by Richard III. George's son Edward was the last legitimate male Plantagenet; he was executed by Henry VII in 1499 and his sister Margaret was executed in 1541 by Henry VIII, who also executed Margaret's son Henry in 1539.
I’m remember watching a Nat Geo video in High School when they found him and I thought it wasn’t real at first because of how fast pace everything was discovered but the odds of everything lining up is insane
I would argue this is one if not the best of your videos across your channels Simon. Great job to you and your team on it. You basically made a Cliff-notes styled documentary about Phillippa and her tenacity to find and fight for the memory of Richard the 3rd.
My favorite comment on the confirmation of king Richard's excavation, came from a descendant of his in Texas. He was a bank teller. When asked how he felt about his ancestor being found in the car park, he replied, "How would YOU feel if a member of YOUR family was found that way??" Needless to say, some people's perspective of vindication or happiness at such an event, may be quite different than others.
This is one of the most outstanding and unbelievably believe videos you have done. I had to listen to parts of it 2-3 times to make sure I heard you right because I was so blown away!
To be fair, as unlikely as it was to find him there, for years the Richard III society speculated that the car park would be his burial site because of its proximity to the battle of bosworth field where he died in 1485
Particularly fascinating to me. I'm the site plumber at Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, that is happeneing this weekend. It's an historic festival, with 2,000 re-enactors to replay he events of the last of the Wars of the Roses. An educational and interesting event that shows many aspects of medeival life, and a fantastic market too. So, if you can get to Tewkesbury, Gloucs, UK. come and experience it. Free to get in. Biggest medieval ferstival in Europe. Plenty of history too, and lots about the Plantagenets and Richard III too.!
Very heart warming. Carried into the church by soldiers while crowds celebrated. Whatever the time period that woman was right, he is a king of England after all. Laid to rest with respect as it should be.
I saw the documentary that covered the finding of Richard III burial site. I actually think that up to the time the car park was placed, someone knew where he had been buried. It may not have been recorded in public documents, but someone knew. Possibly, it was someone connected with the former Grey Friars church & thusly passed down, if only by word of mouth.
The empress Matilda should be much more well known. She's the inspiration for George RR Martin's character Rhaenyra Targaryen in the upcoming prequel to Game of Thrones.
Three weeks? Time Team could have done it in three days! 😆 Actually, an amazing story of blunt determination combined with incredible luck leading to a successful conclusion. Well done!
I'm related, by marriage only, to lady Barbara Hastings, heir to Richard's Estate and former keeper of Ashby Abbey in Liestershire. I've fond memories of playing in the catacombs and grounds as a child and was pleased that he was found and given the burial he deserved. Thank you Simon for producing this episode 😊
hell no! he murder his own 2 young nephew! and buried them like dogs declared them illegitimate, etc. he get exactly what he deserved GOD side with Henry Tudor
I live near the site, The abbey is well documented and the exact layout well known. The saddest part is the last remains of the abbey were demolished a year after the Kings remains were found and a block of flats built there. Leicester has a habit of destroying anything of interest if it is old.
The incredible series of highly fortunate coincidences makes me think that Richard was just waiting to be found and given a proper burial this whole time
First, I really enjoy your RUclips videos, I have for quite a while. I have spent much time researching the English kings. In my humble opinion, since Henry Vll, as the victor, rewrote Richard lll's history I feel he covered up many things he himself did wrong. First of all, Henry could have, with help from his supporters, killed the two Princes in the tower. And covered up any reaction Richard may have had to the deaths. After that, it was on to the only other person in Henry Vll's way. Once he killed Richard lll and desecrated his dead body it was easy to erase any good about Richard lll and create the horrible, twisted story of Richard's body and history. The documentary about the young man with 18-degree scoliosis proves without any doubt Richard lll was able to ride and fight in the current wars at the time. I think Richard lll needs to be vindicated! Thank you for this video. I think the 'luck' part of the dig is an indication of the beginning of this vindication. 'Just my opinion.
The series of fortunate events, It’s actually astounding. What are the chances some dude also had scoliosis & reenacted the same historical battle. Wild.
I knew much of this story. I have scoliosis (not as bad as Mr. Smee), so I took it horribly when I first heard the rediscovered bones called "hunchback." That's kinda a misnomer imo. And if one sees the documentary, Mr. Smee showed nothing like that. He also had the capability to fight, just not off his horse. He liked the medieval saddle for its support of his back. I saw that documentary online. Also great are talks by the very humorous Dr. Turi King on how she got a DNA to ID the king. There's even stuff about making a reconstruction of the king's face and the DNA claim that his hair might have darkened with agebut was not necessarily dark brown. One can also see the reburial ceremony online. Dr. Ashdown-Hill read a prayer for the king. The ceremony was an amulgumation of various traditions, meant to include Catholic clerics but within the jurisdiction of the state (protestant) church (CoE).
Finding someone with exactly the same back problem and build that also happened to participate in re-enactments of the battle that killed Richard III really does make you wonder if there is something beyond simple probability driving those coincidences.
Thanks to Dominic Smee for helping out with the reconstruction of Richards horse riding abilities and getting armor fitted. What an amazing thing for him to be part of history in such a way. An awesome story well told.
He was right where they left him haha. I remember when this was occurring. The dig for Richard was absolutely luck soaked! Just an amazing story to follow as it unfolded.
Really great video, but you made an error when you say Richard III had his older brother George Duke of Clarence executed- he was executed in London on the order of Edward IV after he was found guilty of plotting treason. Richard III was administrating North England at the time, and it's very unlikely he was actually involved.
This whole thing is like the polar opposite of a clusterfuck. Where a clusterfuck is every possible thing going wrong, this is every possible thing going weirdly right.
One of the most interesting stories I have spent many hours watching on the net. From the dig to the history of this time has been an amazing journey to see unfold to crying like a baby watching King Richard III finally laid to rest. His story kept alive by the Tudors to be immortalize by 500 later in how he was found and now finally laid to rest. Thank you for your video adding to this bit if history.
Every time I share the story of this dig with people and how many things had to align for everything to be 100% confirmed in the end it is really a struggle not to attribute it to fate and some grand design. Just a gobsmaking amount of things working out against crazy odds.
So I misread the title at first; I thought it said The Luckiest DOG in Archaeological History. I was very excited. That being said, I still watched the whole thing, and still found it very interesting. Would have been better with a dog, however.
Thank you for this documentary. Richard III and I are descended from the same woman from around 13,000 years ago! His maternal halpogroup is J1c2c3, and mine is J1c6. It’s all so fascinating!!
Having tried to park in Leicester on multiple occasions, find Richard III’s skeleton in one makes total sense. I wouldn’t be in a hurry to give up my reserved spot either.
I would have asked for them to leave him there so I could park on top of him. I'm sure he treated commoners as trash like every other ruler, he deserves to stay buried under a parking lot.
Good one!
Badum, tish!
Lol, brilliant
That actually managed to cause me physical pain (I have got to stop reading comments while drinking a soda. Fizzy drinks do not belong in someone's sinuses, is all I'm saying. Well that and, well done. You win the internet for the afternoon!
This story is literally just a bunch of my favourite things. Archeology, genealogy, history, delightfully odd coincidences, and a happy ending.
Same-zers!
I love it too. Philippa Langley is made fun of but I admire her passion AND her research AND her organization of the proposed dig. She got the University involved and became aware of the fact that it would be possible to prove the authenticity of whatever found via DNA testing. Good job Philippa, appreciate the armchair adventure I had through your many efforts!
@@sandraking9670why was she made fun of?
@@Meimoons People rediculed her by saying she had fallen in love with someone who'd been dead for five hundred years. She was passionate about her quest which is why she succeeded, but it seems to me that the academic world did not respect her. They put in really solid work too but I think they should have given a little more credit to her than they were willing to. My humble opinion only.
@@MeimoonsBecause who the fuck does all that work and research just to insist we put a fancy cloth on him and put him back in the ground? Fucking insanity 😂
Being a historian who has volunteered at archaeological digs, I can confirm that archaeology is as exciting and fast-paced as a snail marathon race. But those rare occasions when something of significance is found, makes the digging and boredom completely worth it.
Is it exciting when you find a document that isn't just ancient business records?
What if you found that Jesus was Black and a Neanderthal would you still think it was worth it
@@seansullivan7928 Neanderthal bones don't come with skin or name tags that read "HELLO My Name Is Jesus", but there is proof they did exist. There is still no scientific proof that jesus actually existed.
@@seansullivan7928 everyone knows jesus was dark skinned since he was from the middle east neanderthal though? lolololol.
As a commercial archaeologist I live for the rare stuff. We all do our show and tell victory lap when finding something awesome. Differing to academic digs, commercial digs are very high pace and thus much more exciting than a snail marathon I assure you 😂. Academic archaeologists are just slow and too careful with everything.
The young man Dominic Smee also proved that the custom made saddle that allowed Richard to maintain better balance in the saddle actually gave him an advantage over the other knights on horseback by improving his control and balance of his sword while charging on horseback.
My favourite part of this is actually the human element of the experimental archaeology proving that not only could someone with Richard III's scoliosis easily wear armour and ride in battle but that the armour worked to support his body which actually made it more comfortable than walking around normally. This makes perfect sense when you consider the fact that nobility for a long time valued their ability to participate in battle regardless of physical ailments, so naturally the armour smiths of the time would have developed techniques for ensuring someone could wear their armour for as long as possible while remaining comfortable.
Indeed one of my favourite myths regarding plate armour in particular is that it was so heavy you couldn't get up if you fell over, not only could you get up but you could easily fight provided the armour was correctly built for you and what you were doing. The problem is when you had armour built entirely for fighting from horseback and then were unhorsed, making you fight like someone wearing a scuba suit.
Oops, his spine WAS deformed! I hope some of those historians were humbled by this (but probably not). Sometimes, legend turns out to be based on FACT.
If I remember correctly Richards scoliosis began to develop when he reached puberty at which time he would have also been fitted for his first suit of armor and as those like armor-smiths usually stayed with one family all their life his smith would just be making constant small adjustments to the fit rather than making a suit from scratch as they had to do for Dominic Smee plus, Richard fought in many battles so he was used to wearing armor.
Field plate was quite usable dismounted or mounted. Horses were killed in battle and it was expected. No soldier would ever go into a fight where he couldn't defend himself in all circumstances.
I'm sorry this is completely irrelevant, but as a horseback rider, I just loved the casual use of "unhorsed", I think I'm gonna start saying that I was unhorsed when I fall off a horse from now on! So casual yet dramatic, I love it
I think that last part applies more to sport jousting rather than actual battle.
This whole story is so incredible. I remember the news when they announced they found him. My husband and I just stared at each other like, "...what??? UNDER A CAR PARK?!" I watched the documentary and funeral, and I admit I giggled a bit about how obviously enamored Philippa was with Richard and how disappointed she was at finding out he actually did have scoliosis. But I'll give it to her, she was like a dog with a bone. Good on ya, fangirl!
When she started to cry and said "I don't see bones, I see a man!" And how she wobbled when she opened her eyes to see his reconstructed head- I honestly thought she was going to kiss him on the lips, bless 😊❤️
it was suggestive editing which, to a degree, slandered Ms
Langley
@@harridan. slandered? For slander to be a thing, you have to do damage to a person's reputation to the point where it affects their livelihood. Before they found him, she herself said she didn't think he had a deformity, that it was all Tutor lies. So where is the slander?
@@abbycross90210 you appear to
assume that slander is essentially a legal apparatus.
synonyms for slander are as follows, according to Webster's First Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language: defame, calumniate, vilify, malign, belie, reproach; asperse.
to discredit or shame, to disgrace, to censure, dishonor, offend
an obscure definition is to censure
your definition is actually close to the first listed, which reflects the flux endemic to the tortured instrument of communication which passes for the english language today.
i can't recall what i was replying to, i can't find it, however i do thank you sincerely for prompting me to dig out the Webster's, i have been putting it off for way too long. it's too easy to refer to my phone (all ive got) where even if it's new Webster's or Brittanica, it's woefully abbreviated. So, Thanks!
p.s, i will pit my 1926 Webster's against the OED any day.
@@harridan. You will use your outdated no longer relevant dictionary to hold up moot points? Words do not mean the same thing they meant 100 years ago my dear... Language is fluid.
I never noticed how much Lord Farquaad looks like Richard III until looking at the thumbnail for this video XD
I thought it was farquaad and was wondering why he was in the thumbnail
Dude… same damn thought. It’s an uncanny resemblance haha
Who the hell is farquaad?
Biographics please.
@@davidthompson6834 Bad guy from Shrek movie
"The chances of finding Richard was a million to one." - Richard Buckley (Ch. Archaeologist)
“Million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.” - Sir Terry Pratchett
Leicester local here - this wasn't even the only "long odds" event that happened in the city within a few years, as our local football/soccer team won the Premier League for the first time in 2015 despite 5000-1 odds placed on it by betting shops at the start of the season...!
The whole "these are more common than we think" argument is most definitely under selection bias, though - "Dig doesn't find King" never appears as a headline in the Leicester Mercury...!
I miss Terry!!
"The chances of finding Richard was a million to one." - Richard Buckley (Ch. Archaeologist) "Hold my beer." - Richard III
It was only a million to one in his view. That's why Langley is the one who can lay the real claim to this find.
Didn't they say that about "finding the city of Troy"? or was that 5million to one?
King Tutankhamen's tomb...10 million to one?
Finding Neanderthal man...100 million to one?
The "Booky" is a poor man after all this has been found. And more such as dinosaur bones. Maybe a dragon is still possible?
I remember hearing about this as it was going on. I heard she thought his bones where buried in the car park, then two years later, I heard she got permission to excavate. I was totally astonished. I didn't think she would get permission, and if she did, it would take at least five years. It takes five years just to get a new sign put up.
Phillipa Langley did her research it was not just luck. She was pivotal in the discovery of Richard III remains. The entire team made history. Phillippa deserves her due recognition.
I was aware of many of the details surrounding the discovery of Richard III's remains, including how lucky the dig team was in finding him in the first trench on the first day. However, many of the other details, such as the Bosworth reenactor having the same physical deformity, the researcher who found the procedure for royal re-burial, and Benedict Cumberbatch being descended from the Plantagenets, were new to me. I believe Philippa Langley fuller deserves that MBE. I am an American with absolutely no vested interest in the British Monarchy, but I love a juicy story, and the tales of the English Royals are full of interesting bits. This is a good one!
Makes you believe in miracles. I saw the documentary about the young man with scoliosis. He had never ridden a horse before, but actually learned to JOUST skillfully enough to re-enact some of Richard's jousting matches (and this wearing a heavy suit of armour!) Just incredible.
And of course all suits of armour were hand tailored to the wearer. No mass produced one size fits all! So his armour would have been very supportive and as non chafing as possible
Yes it really was an excellent documentary
Reenactors: This will one day come in handy for history. --- The man who's body is exactly like King Richard: Raises his sword: My time has come.
I gotta watch that documentary now. That part of the story is incredible. Hopefully he has gotten some work done and is comfortable as can be, but wow what a coincidence.
@@extragoogleaccount6061 That Dominic Smee was already a reenactor was the weirdest coincidence in a long line of coincidences. Here is the link to that doc.
ruclips.net/video/fDHDvnnK4nI/видео.html
I HIGHLY recommend it!
If you haven't already watched it here is the link to the doc about Dominic.
ruclips.net/video/fDHDvnnK4nI/видео.html
Richard III may have also had hair color similiar to Dominic, as well. The thought is based on the genetics found. The paintings always show dark brown hair, but he may have been a sandy blonde. To know for sure, I guess the genetics will have to improve.
You know that dude is Richard in every reenactment for the rest of his life. No one else will even ask to be Richard. He’s practically the literal king of the reenactment club.
This is the single strangest situation ever.
It’s just so odd how everything fell into place like that.
The reburial rites being found just as they were needed made my schizophrenic mind look to my side and ask if they did this, as it looks supernatural.
Not suspicious at all.
Richard III: Somebody please get me out of this carpark.
The whole time I was watching this I was thinking "there could be a Doctor Who episode based off this story."
Like somehow the Doctor was there when he died but kept skipping through time, leaving bits of evidence at the precise moments to ensure he'd be found.
The sheer luck of him being under an easily accessible open space and not under a building
Must have been very confusing living in a world where everyone was named Henry, George, William or Richard.
Nah, there’s always the descriptors….George the eye snatcher, Richard the turtle slayer……
I've heard that it was this lot; the Plantagenet dynasty, for which scholars invented the practice of suffixing kings names with numbers. ;) There were descriptors before that as Debby says.
There's also the practice of having more than one name; the king's friends and family may well have called him by a different name, but I'm not so sure the Plantagenets did. There's examples of it from the 1st century and, if I remember right, the early 20th century, so it could have happened in medieval times, but surely these names would have turned up by now. Perhaps the kings had such names but they weren't recorded out of respect, or something.
Royalty tend to only use a few names even up to this day. I am Swedish, our king is Charles XVI and our crown princess is named "Victoria".
Everyone is a bit much though, but there are royal traditions. Sargon the great was basically the first real king in history and many of the later kings of his kingdom was named after him so this is nothing new. A new dynasty often brings new names though, but not always since some usurpers like to rename themselves to get some legitimacy.
Walk into a pub
Oy! Willy!
10 people look up
Nah lads MY Willy
Chorus of chuckles
Over here George! Yells William from the backend of the bar
@@debbylou5729 then you got 'Tony The Squid', 'Tommy Tulips' and 'Jimmy Two Sheds'.
I was in Leicester one morning while Richard was laying in state, and since the queue was short (it was early), I made the snap decision to join it. I had followed it casually as local interest story, but I certainly didn't feel emotional about it.
When I saw the coffin, beautifully made by his descendant, knowing that inside were the bones of a human who had been so disregarded since death and were finally shown care and dignity, I became really teary. I don't think anyone passed the coffin without being moved a little.
10 years on and still no movie made about it? Maybe it's too unbelievable that he was found on the first dig of the first day. Scriptwriters would struggle to create drama out of "Oh, there he is, exactly where we thought".
I actually found out about this story because I saw a trailer for the upcoming movie called "The Lost King", so a movie about it is actually coming soon! ;)
I'm an American and I don't feel any particular attachment to the British royalty, although I do find history interesting. But I found myself getting a little teary watching this video. The culmination of so much hard work & faith finally paying off, with everything falling into place so beautifully is inspiring & satisfying. And the idea that the remains which been disregarded and forgotten for so long now being honored and connected to the person's descendants is quite touching.
Though the idea of someone returning to their glory was heartwarming, I took this as a sign of how amazing human intellect and ingenuity are. She was dead on in her research and conclusion, and she also found a way to make it happen.
Just been to the cinema and watched the Lost King starring Steve Coogan and Sally Harris about finding the King. A very good film.
@@heatherboardman7004 Apparently the film went in for the tired "All the men thought this mere woman couldn't possibly be right" trope, mind you. Even though that didn't happen in real life.
I've watched both the King in the Car Park and the documentary with Dominic Smee. I love how you summarized all of this fascinating story!
Had to have meant fascinating right?
Thanks :)
@@Sideprojects Great vid, as always! Just the title seems a bit... off. It wasn't as much as the luckiest dig per se, as it was backed by years of research and the team performing the dig was pretty much spot on. Everything around it though? Yeah, a fair share of luck indeed ;)
Although i am a 'colonial' a mere 'yank' as it were, i am of English blood on my mothers' side, i propose that you be knighted by her majesty "God save the Queen" Sir Simon Badge of Knight Bachelor Historian of the Empire.
I hope i didn't muck that up too much!
👍👏🇬🇧👑
Great story as usual! 👍😉🤝
I often wonder how these historical people would react if they could see how their lives have either impacted the future or how they've been remembered all these years later.
The Dr. Who episode with Van Gough gets me teary every time...
I study Roman history and I’ve wondered the same thing. Julius Caesar will probably be all smug when he finds out we’re still using the month he created
@@dawsynasay4841 "What do you mean I'm a SALAD?!"
I'm from Leicester and I remember watching the dig live on the telly when this was happening 😁 so happy Simon is covering this, it's huge pride for Leicester xx
OMG, finding Richard III's skeleton was an amazing find and also helped me illustrate a point to one of my coworkers that history does, in fact, change. Before the find, we weren't 100% sure where he was buried, or what sort of 'deformity' he had given most of the accounts were written by enemies. Finding him definitively answered those questions.
watching the dig documentary there was a funny moment. the woman organizing the dig believed the notion of richard having a spine deformity was tudor propaganda, the archaeologist said the remains had a crooked spine and she was in denial.
history didn't change much - history pointed to the likelihood that he would be found near where he was actually found - altho the story of about disposing him in a river confused the issue - - and history suggested he had a deformity - it was the Richardians like Philippa who questioned the deformity
@@johneyon5257What information historians can access and the time and culture in which they're writing changes. Records and artifacts are lost and found, either definitively answering questions that had been debated before or putting a question to previously accepted facts. Yesterday's heroes become today's villains and vice versa.
Leicester local here. I moved here a couple of years before we found a king and won the premier league. What a time - clichéd as it sounds, the city came alive and felt like it wasn't just that place near Nottingham and Birmingham. So happy to see Leicester get the factboy treatment ❤
A fascinating story. As an amateur historian (I minored in History in university) and an unrepentant Yorkist and Plantagenet supporter, I’ve always thought Richard III was more a victim of bad press than a truly bad king (the royals had been murdering one another for over a hundred years, as you allude, so Dickon was hardly unique in this respect). I followed this story in its latter stages and was delighted when it turned out as it did. Thanks for retelling the tale here, Simon.
The Enemy! No French or German on the English throne, please. Tudors are Go.
@@pm2886 I am wrong as usual, but I always thought university was a noun. So I thought it was "went to the university". I never got past high school so don't take my input seriously.
A major in a subject moves one out of Amateur status.
You are an educated Historian. That doesn't indicate you're ready to Host Documentaries Keith Betany Hughes, but you're well on your way. 😘
Sociology, Journalism, and History degrees...
Tennessee, USA
Each have held professional value and continued studies and research find they are quite connected in value of my scope of continued studies, research, and writings.
Best Regards,
Beth
agree with all of that but it’s a bit strong to be offing the kids no? step too far?
@@jodu626 there were plenty of others who would have profited just as much/more from 'offing' those kids at that time. It is not a 'lock' that Richard did order their deaths.
Phillipa Langley is not just one of he luckiest people ever her dedication and determination is remarkable and admirable and combined with the outstanding support she received made this fascinating story possible
She is a member of the Richard III society, which is a strange organisation with an overly rosy view of Richards character, not supported by historical evidence. I'm not surprised that the documentary makers pointed a camera at her, but I'm not sure she was the driving force behind the dig. The society spent years stating that Richard had no physical disability and this was all made up by the Tudors, so I'm not sure the society exactly proved its point there either.
@@tcm81 to be fair there were plenty of historians who said the negative image of Richard III was all Tudor propaganda.
And whilst she may be a complete fruitloop, it's often those kinds of people - who are willing to defy convention - that advance our knowledge.
@@nevilleneville6518 The idea of breakthroughs made by people who 'defy convention' is a tired Hollywood trope, which you evidently believe is true to life. I take it then you will be first in line to see the film, where she is played by Sally Hawkins?
@@tcm81 I believe its true to life because I've worked with enough incredibly annoying people who didn't fit the system who were willing to push and keep pushing in order to make change and get things done.
I have no idea who Sally Hawkins even is.
She is incredibly lucky. She is so eccentric that, had she been wrong, about any of it, really, then she would be considered more for a room in Bedlam and never taken seriously again. Her life would be the exact opposite of what it is now had she been wrong.
Having watched Time Team for years you get an impression of just how amazing this was . If it was fiction it would have been criticised as unrealistic . A fascinating insight into history because of the determination of a few people .
As a kid I dug a random hole on the beach and found a Weequay Skiff Guard figure. That was a pretty lucky dig.
What, the one who fell in the Sarlacc pit at Carkoon, Tatooine in ROTJ?
@@duncancurtis5971 Yep exactly, it must have been what they were playing. I always felt bad for the kid who lost it.
That's awesome!!! Fun find!
hehe cool man
I once found a toy cowboy cap gun in the sand.
She’s just came out with a documentary with judge rinder about the princes in the tower. She may have proved that Richard the 3rd didn’t kill them. The proof she found is incredible. 100% recommend people watch it, it’s so fascinating
This honestly reminds me of the Saxon graves discovered on RAF Lakenheath in ‘97. I was living there at the time as my father was in the US airforce stationed there and we were very confused when one day a baseball diamond was blocked off next to the pool. It was only a week or so later they told us why. I was 9 at the time.
Thanks for sharing
That's cool. I spent three years at Lakenheath too. My dad was also in the Air Force (stationed at Mildenhall but we lived on the base at Lakenheath). I didn't know about these graves. That happened after I left but I'm pretty sure I've been on that baseball diamond.
I love how Phillipa was probably seen as a consummate 'Karen' but one that used her powers for good. Well done Phillipa!
Simon presents these so well that when we started on the Tudor myth, I totally forgot the video was about archeology! Fact Boi is killing it these days, most college professors don't lecture this well!
On the other hand, most college professors would know how to pronounce "Schliemann".
@@nightwishlover8913 true, but he isn't a professor at all. Everyone flubs a pronunciation sometimes, especially on proper names or obscure words; the level of engagement he generates totally makes up for it, in my opinion.
@@phoenixsixxrising you are absolutely spot on. NightwishLover seems as if theyre desperately grasping for anything they can so they can pretend to have a legitimate point all just to disagree with your comment.
You speak 110%truth when it comes to engagement and teachers. That is honestly what makes all the difference in the entire world when it comes to the human mind and learning in general.
Love of learning definitely reignited with this channel :)
@@nightwishlover8913 I wondered about that. LIke "Is that some weird British pronounciation? I thought it was SCHLEE-man."
3:38 Richard did not have George executed, Edward did this during his reign. George continually sided with the Earl of Wariwick in uprisings against Edward the IV and the king had finally had enough. Rumor has it George was given a choice in how he was to die and he chose to be drowned in a vat of Malmsy Wine... Which was likley carried out. To which I mean he was definatley executed and that was a possible means. LOVE ❤️ The channel!!!
Was just about to say that George died during Edwards reign.
I remember watching this in real time. My favorite part was when an archaeologist came over to inform a historian that the reason the body looked funny was that it had significant spinal curvature and the historian's response was "...I have to sit down for a moment."
I remember keeping up with it too, the whole time my reactions being "surely not..." as the days and weeks unfolded. It truly was an amazing thing.
Hello Clare
How are you doing today ?
I watched the dig, the discovery of the skeleton and thought “that looks painful” when seeing the curvature of the spine. I watched the facial reconstruction and also a very interesting video on how he was able to ride into battle, given his scoliosis. A young fellow was found who had the same problem. He had to be taught to ride! But he said the type of saddle was actually very supportive and comfortable
Link?
@@Batmans_Pet_Goldfish ruclips.net/video/fDHDvnnK4nI/видео.html As someone who loves reading history, especially late Plantagenet/Tudor/Stuart reigns, it had been drilled into my head that "Of course, the Tudors, being the winners, got to 'write the history' and made up the story (and altered paintings) to portray Richard as extremely hunchbacked, even though that was 'presposterous' as 'surely his contemporaries would have commented upon it'. Kind of hard to keep to that narrative after seeing the skeleton.
This history is amazing!
My friend and I went to the reinternment. People thought we were crazy for coming from Philadelphia, PA. They wanted to interview us, but we'd been up and rained on for hours and we were both coming down with colds. It was such a cool thing to experience! Plus I can shock people when I tell them I went to the reinternment of Richard III.
I was studying at the University of Leicester when this happened. The level of hype around this was *unreal*.
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I had no idea the layers of bureaucracy and opposition had to be overcome to make this discovery possible.
This is now my favorite of the videos of yours that I have seen.
Well done.
I’ve been living in Leicester for two years and as my partner came to visit last week we had the idea to find the car park Richard III was found in. I know all the city centre streets like the back of my hand and had no idea I had walked past the car park plenty of times! However Leicester Cathedral and the Richard III Visitor Centre are hard to miss.
It’s true, I’m the partner.
This puts all the pieces together I read a biography of Richard III and he was one of the greatest bravest warriors whoever lived and camped out on the Scottish border im field conditions for 4 months of complete winter darkness, he had a scholarly keen mind and much of his stress was trying to prevent all the House of Lancaster hangers on and relatives steal his land and estates won in many battles .💀👑
More on Empress Matilda, please.
Yes, the first proclaimed Queen of England is such an interesting but rarely covered topic!
I agree. She was a bit of a badass. Even after she was no longer the empress, she kept using the title. Whenever some young noble took issue with that, and thought someone should tell her she can't use the title anymore, everyone was all "have fun with that".
My favorite moment in The Anarchy was when Stephen had been captured by Empress Matilda’s forces, but his wife, also named Matilda, took his place in keeping the fight going. A rare instance in history where two woman commanded forces against each other.
Ellis Peters' Cadfael series of historical mysteries is set in this period. It is referenced often as the two forces took, lost, then re-took areas. The focus of the stories was how all this affected the ordinary people just trying to live their lives.
Whatever Matilda's faults, she did give birth to Henry II (and one can wrangle about his paternity) who was married to one of my favorite historical characters, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
I am going to study Archeology at the university of leicester this year. Can't wait to meet the people that discovered him. Big thanks to Simon for inspiring me to follow my historical dreams 🙂
I’m graduating this month from Leicester in ancient history and archaeology! I’ve been taught by Jo Appleby and been on digs with Matthew Morris during my degree - both as knowledgeable as they are kind. Hope you enjoy !
I never knew that he died charging Henry himself. Doesn't really sound like the coward I've always heard about . If she's written a book about this whole thing I'm definitely buying it.
Not only did he charge Henry, he was on foot after being dismounted from his horse. Allegedly saying, "I shall die as a King this day or I shall win." He managed also to kill Henry's standard bearer before he was killed himself.
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@@lisababy7571 hanging in there. In pain, hurt my shoulder. How r u?
An absolute firestorm of coincidences that all came together at once.
I remember when this came about and couldn't believe all the good fortune they had. It is really amazing that he is properly at rest again.
This is fantastic coverage of the work of Phillipa Langley and the resulting discovery of Richard III body. Thank you for the explanations and footage of a portion of this story.
I saw a documentary on this. It was amazingly lucky finding his remains!
Not lucky at all, R marked the spot! lol
That mix up of “R” meaning Richard to her really makes this feel so unbelievably lucky 😂
Amazing! Richard III is one of my own personal favorite historical figures, and strangely enough, I'm currently reading a "medieval mystery" series set in that era.
One of my graduate school professors (archaeology had nothing to do with his field of study), went on a dig in the ANE (Ancient Near East). He spent a month sweeping up dust and found...nothing but stories to try to wow his classes with. Archaeology is a long, tedious, and a field that often drives one to drink. But every once in awhile, we hit amazing stuff through all the dust collected.
Minor correction. Richard didn't claim his older brother was illegitimate. He claimed that his brother's children were.
No , he did claim his elder brother was illegitimate ie his own mother had had an affair with an archer AND that Edward had already been married when he married Elizabeth Woodville
Nothing like covering your bases.
@@dianeshelton9592 Sounds a bit like Game of Thrones, doesn't it... Oh... Wait... 😜
I watched the movie yesterday and came here to learn more about the finding of Richard III. Thank you for this fascinating video.
This makes sense of that fifteenth century parking ticket, handed down to every first born son of the Baldrick family : )
Imagine getting a phone call saying you're a direct descendant of King Richard III, and being asked to make his coffin cause they found his body lol.
One correction: Richard didn’t kill George, Duke of Clarence. George was by all accounts a rather unreliable character and Edward IV ordered his execution after he rebelled one too many times. Apparently the time he’d spent as Edward’s heir presumptive rather went to his head and he didn’t take it very well when his older brother had the nerve to reproduce and make him significantly less important in the grand scheme of things. When Edward proceeded to favor his (actually useful) younger brother Richard when it came to handing out lands and monies it was all too much for his fragile ego to take. That led to his first rebellion alongside his father-in-law, the earl of Warwick. He eventually realized the whole scheme was a bad deal for him and backed down and Edward forgave him, but later after his wife died he started slipping off the rails again. This time Edward had him imprisoned and ordered his execution, allegedly by being drowned in a large cask of wine, although that detail might just be a later embellishment.
Or a euphemism for alcohol poisoning.
@@madgevanness4011 Never thought of that. Wonder if George would have appreciated the joke.
Thanks -- you beat me to it!
Second correction: It was NOT Richard who declared Edward V illegitimate. Parliament did that, in accordance with the British marriage laws of the period, having been presented with testimony by Bishop Stillington that Edward had made a previous secret marriage to another woman before he married Elizabeth. They put it in writing in the most emphatic terms possible, and petitioned Richard to take the crown, which he did after thinking about it for nearly a week. Far from a "usurpation", it was certainly more legal that the successions of either Edward IV or Henry VII (who simply claimed "right of conquest" for seizing the crown).
@@lefantomer This! Exactly what I've always said. Richard is seen as this villain because it was more convenient to make him the bad guy so as to justify Tudor's weak claim to the throne.
George also knew Edward´s biggest secret. Not surprisingly it was Elizabeth Woodville who insisted on Clarence´s execution. Bishop Stillington was imprisoned but released later.
I love it! As a past member of the R3 Soc, this was all really great news. Having become convinced that Richard was a Good Guy, I forgot that he was supposed to be a Villain. One day in a group we were asked to name one of our heroes, and I said Richard the Third. There was a stunned sharp group intake of breath! Then I realised they thought I admired the hunchback child-murdering usurping megalomaniac of Shakespearean drama. I did try to say, actually he was a really nice guy, but they may not have believed me. I am very happy he was found in this extraordinary way, and buried with honour. A friend of mine in the states discovered via DNA testing that he is a descendant of KR3. He is a nice guy too, and I was in the happy position, due to the R3Soc, of being able to tell him he is not descended from an arch-villain.
Your friend might want to get a second opinion on those results as RichardIII had no known descendants. His legitimate son died at age 10 and the records indicate his two illegitimate children had no children of their own.
Simon, I gotta say, whoever comes up with your headers REALLY knows how to toss out the big 'ole Intrigue in them.
I saw this header and HAD to click...
Love ya, Mr. Blaze!
IT makes sense that the armor could help the scoliosis. One of the corrective measures applied in modern times (for less severe cases anyway) is the use of a brace that gradually adjusts the spine. The brace also serves as slight support for the individual. Full on armor would be even more supportive.
Richard did NOT have George killed; he was actually against it, but Edward IV was fed up with George's habit of backstabbing him and had him killed. Richard returned to his estate out of disgust, blaming his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Woodville, and her family for George's execution.
Well I'm glad you were there to personally witness all of this firsthand.
I've read up on this period extensively in grad school. I'm pretty sure Edward had George executed for saying his kids, with Elizabeth Woodville, were illegitimate, which would've made George the heir to the throne. They all disliked Elizabeth, except for Edward obviously, because she was a Lancastian and a grubby social climber. Was the latter the more serious offense in eyes? Who would know.
@@jeffdroog If that was snark, you're forgetting books are written on the subject. Yes, I caught that comment and immediately was "oh nah" but Pyromania101got here first.
@@sawahtb The Bible is book written about things.That doesn't mean those things happen.You weren't there,and the people who wrote those books likely weren't there either.Youre really going to trust what must be 5th hand information by that point,that was written hundreds of years before you were born? That doesn't make sense...
@@Shauma_llama George was the inspiration for Renly Baratheon (except he actually had a kid, unlike Renly); Edward was VERY similar to Robert; and Richard was, of course, Stannis. Lizzie was one of the inspirations for Cersei.
As a retired professional Archaeologist for over forty years, I want to thank you for this video and your initial statements.
Wow - kudos to all involved. The thing that keeps coming back to me is how much pain Richard much have been in during combat training and combat itself, an remarkable individual.
A remarkable, evil murderer of children!
Not necessarily. That young man they found to experiment with is not in pain due to his spinal deformity, and he wears the armor of the day and participates in rigorous training all the time. Not to mention that my spine is horribly disfigured. I have both scoliosis AND kyphosis, which is a similar deformity, but in a different way. Yet I have worked at physical jobs all my life. In the Army I lifted artillery ammunition and loaded it into cannons. I was a car mechanic for years afterward, and my back never kept me from a days labor. I've had orthopedic physicians look at my x-rays and ask me how I am able to stand, much less work. But I can do it, and I have done it for almost 50 years. I am elderly now, and I assumed that by the time I reached my late 60s it would be the spine that failed first. It's not. The arthritis in my shoulders and wrists is what forced me to retire, not my back. My back hurts. A lot. But not all the time and I believe Richard could have functioned very well in his capacity as a warrior king in his day as well.
I played American high school football here in Texas years ago with a Mexican kid who had the same deformity as Richard the 3rd. He was a good strong player who did not seem to suffer any pain or disability. When the doctors thought he had stopped growing they implanted a titanium rod in his back to reduce the curvature of his spine, I think he was 18 at the time. I don't know how they do it now but I think they now do the operation a lot earlier. Anyway, he was a tough kid and I hope he had a good life.
Oh, my dad was stationed there during WWII, he flew B-17s and loved England. He said it was the best assignment he had during the war. After that war ended he was sent over to Tinian Island to fly B-29s and he hated it, he had to live in a tent, shower outside in the sand, and eat Spam sandwiches and powdered eggs all the time. He and his buddies would go catch coconut crabs on days off to supplement their food diet lol
As others have pointed out already, scoliosis doesn't mean you're suffering constant pain. Him riding, training to fight, and staying reasonably fit throughout adulthood more likely prevented him from pain than causing any. Stronger, well-trained muscles prevent strain on the spine which otherwise could lead to pain. - But in all fairness, weak back- and core muscles can cause issues even without suffering from scoliosis.
Personally, I've got a lighter form of scoliosis starting below my shoulder blades, but I also have a severe case of lordosis, making it safe to say my back is pretty messed up. That said though, since I do a lot of physical work and have done since my teens (gardening, landscaping, building, etc.), I'm not suffering any more back problems than other people my age (44), likely less, thinking about it. Yes, on occasion I lift something too heavy and injure a muscle, or twist my back, but that's a very rare instance and has nothing to do with my effed-up spine. The one and only time my two conditions caused me trouble and severe pain to the point of near immobility, was when I had my exams at uni coming up and I did nothing for weeks and months on end but sit and study - and weaken my muscles in the process. It was physiotherapy and a healthy dose of gardening, thus building up my muscles again, that got me out of the pain, not avoiding physical activities.
And then the snarky forensic scientist took an ax and cracked the skull by hitting it dead on because she was so sure this was a waste of time. I watched it and couldn’t believe she did this careless thing.
George, Duke of Clarence, was executed by Edward IV in 1478, not by Richard III. George's son Edward was the last legitimate male Plantagenet; he was executed by Henry VII in 1499 and his sister Margaret was executed in 1541 by Henry VIII, who also executed Margaret's son Henry in 1539.
Ah. So much love!
I’m remember watching a Nat Geo video in High School when they found him and I thought it wasn’t real at first because of how fast pace everything was discovered but the odds of everything lining up is insane
I would argue this is one if not the best of your videos across your channels Simon. Great job to you and your team on it. You basically made a Cliff-notes styled documentary about Phillippa and her tenacity to find and fight for the memory of Richard the 3rd.
Your videos are always so informative with just the right amount of snark. As an anthropologist I found this to be a wonderful video.
Wow, that's amazing Simon and the writers. Tid bit of info I never knew about but seriously enjoyed listening to.
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My favorite comment on the confirmation of king Richard's excavation, came from a descendant of his in Texas. He was a bank teller. When asked how he felt about his ancestor being found in the car park, he replied, "How would YOU feel if a member of YOUR family was found that way??" Needless to say, some people's perspective of vindication or happiness at such an event, may be quite different than others.
This is one of the most outstanding and unbelievably believe videos you have done. I had to listen to parts of it 2-3 times to make sure I heard you right because I was so blown away!
To be fair, as unlikely as it was to find him there, for years the Richard III society speculated that the car park would be his burial site because of its proximity to the battle of bosworth field where he died in 1485
Particularly fascinating to me. I'm the site plumber at Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, that is happeneing this weekend. It's an historic festival, with 2,000 re-enactors to replay he events of the last of the Wars of the Roses. An educational and interesting event that shows many aspects of medeival life, and a fantastic market too. So, if you can get to Tewkesbury, Gloucs, UK. come and experience it. Free to get in. Biggest medieval ferstival in Europe. Plenty of history too, and lots about the Plantagenets and Richard III too.!
I'm guessing the plumbing is modern.
I am pleased to know that there is a professional site plumber. Lord knows we need you.
Very heart warming. Carried into the church by soldiers while crowds celebrated. Whatever the time period that woman was right, he is a king of England after all. Laid to rest with respect as it should be.
I saw the documentary that covered the finding of Richard III burial site. I actually think that up to the time the car park was placed, someone knew where he had been buried. It may not have been recorded in public documents, but someone knew. Possibly, it was someone connected with the former Grey Friars church & thusly passed down, if only by word of mouth.
The empress Matilda should be much more well known. She's the inspiration for George RR Martin's character Rhaenyra Targaryen in the upcoming prequel to Game of Thrones.
Three weeks? Time Team could have done it in three days! 😆
Actually, an amazing story of blunt determination combined with incredible luck leading to a successful conclusion.
Well done!
I'm related, by marriage only, to lady Barbara Hastings, heir to Richard's Estate and former keeper of Ashby Abbey in Liestershire. I've fond memories of playing in the catacombs and grounds as a child and was pleased that he was found and given the burial he deserved. Thank you Simon for producing this episode 😊
King Richard III and I share a female relative that lived 13,000 years ago
hell no! he murder his own 2 young nephew! and buried them like dogs declared them illegitimate, etc. he get exactly what he deserved GOD side with Henry Tudor
I live near the site, The abbey is well documented and the exact layout well known.
The saddest part is the last remains of the abbey were demolished a year after the Kings remains were found and a block of flats built there.
Leicester has a habit of destroying anything of interest if it is old.
😮 Wow.
Great video! You should do one on the Shakespeare version of Richard III, and what was discovered about him after the dig.
the single best Archeological find of the 21st century... I saw this when this was all happening... amazing and just strangely full of providence
Maybe one day they'll find Mozart's remains and give him a proper burial as well
Recomposting of the composer, or just repotting the plot?
Taking a break from unremitting death spiral, which is today's news, to listen to some fascinating history.
Much appreciated. Thank you.
Imagine that been in a car park for 527 years and never got a ticket ! how did he do it?
I am happy to see someone giving some attention to this extraordinary historical find.
The incredible series of highly fortunate coincidences makes me think that Richard was just waiting to be found and given a proper burial this whole time
First, I really enjoy your RUclips videos, I have for quite a while. I have spent much time researching the English kings. In my humble opinion, since Henry Vll, as the victor, rewrote Richard lll's history I feel he covered up many things he himself did wrong. First of all, Henry could have, with help from his supporters, killed the two Princes in the tower. And covered up any reaction Richard may have had to the deaths. After that, it was on to the only other person in Henry Vll's way. Once he killed Richard lll and desecrated his dead body it was easy to erase any good about Richard lll and create the horrible, twisted story of Richard's body and history. The documentary about the young man with 18-degree scoliosis proves without any doubt Richard lll was able to ride and fight in the current wars at the time. I think Richard lll needs to be vindicated! Thank you for this video. I think the 'luck' part of the dig is an indication of the beginning of this vindication. 'Just my opinion.
I would love to be that lucky. I'm lucky if I can find matching socks in the morning.
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Been to Leichester which is a real nice place. Those folks really did Richard III proud. He’s laid to rest now in a beautiful church. RIP old dude.
The series of fortunate events, It’s actually astounding. What are the chances some dude also had scoliosis & reenacted the same historical battle. Wild.
I knew much of this story. I have scoliosis (not as bad as Mr. Smee), so I took it horribly when I first heard the rediscovered bones called "hunchback." That's kinda a misnomer imo. And if one sees the documentary, Mr. Smee showed nothing like that. He also had the capability to fight, just not off his horse. He liked the medieval saddle for its support of his back. I saw that documentary online. Also great are talks by the very humorous Dr. Turi King on how she got a DNA to ID the king. There's even stuff about making a reconstruction of the king's face and the DNA claim that his hair might have darkened with agebut was not necessarily dark brown. One can also see the reburial ceremony online. Dr. Ashdown-Hill read a prayer for the king. The ceremony was an amulgumation of various traditions, meant to include Catholic clerics but within the jurisdiction of the state (protestant) church (CoE).
Can we have him back in York please??
No
Finding someone with exactly the same back problem and build that also happened to participate in re-enactments of the battle that killed Richard III really does make you wonder if there is something beyond simple probability driving those coincidences.
He is my ancestor. I’m glad people were so dedicated to his dignity.
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Thanks to Dominic Smee for helping out with the reconstruction of Richards horse riding abilities and getting armor fitted. What an amazing thing for him to be part of history in such a way. An awesome story well told.
He was right where they left him haha. I remember when this was occurring. The dig for Richard was absolutely luck soaked! Just an amazing story to follow as it unfolded.
Really great video, but you made an error when you say Richard III had his older brother George Duke of Clarence executed- he was executed in London on the order of Edward IV after he was found guilty of plotting treason. Richard III was administrating North England at the time, and it's very unlikely he was actually involved.
This whole thing is like the polar opposite of a clusterfuck. Where a clusterfuck is every possible thing going wrong, this is every possible thing going weirdly right.
Loved it! Great job putting all of it together as you have.
They should have called Tony Robinson, he could have to permission to dig it up, and he only needs 3 days to dig.
Time Team Fans, eh?
One of the most interesting stories I have spent many hours watching on the net. From the dig to the history of this time has been an amazing journey to see unfold to crying like a baby watching King Richard III finally laid to rest. His story kept alive by the Tudors to be immortalize by 500 later in how he was found and now finally laid to rest. Thank you for your video adding to this bit if history.
Can we get a Warographics about the fight between Matilda and Stephen?
Every time I share the story of this dig with people and how many things had to align for everything to be 100% confirmed in the end it is really a struggle not to attribute it to fate and some grand design. Just a gobsmaking amount of things working out against crazy odds.
So I misread the title at first; I thought it said The Luckiest DOG in Archaeological History. I was very excited. That being said, I still watched the whole thing, and still found it very interesting. Would have been better with a dog, however.
Like many over the years, I figured that Richard's body was lost to time. To have him found and reclaimed in my lifetime was an unexpected marvel.
Great video. However George, Duke of Clarence was executed by Edward IV in 1478, not Richard.
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Thank you for this documentary. Richard III and I are descended from the same woman from around 13,000 years ago! His maternal halpogroup is J1c2c3, and mine is J1c6. It’s all so fascinating!!