Richard the Third was the last English king to die in battle. A key figure in the Wars of the Roses, he is also prime suspect in the enduring mystery of the Princes in the Tower. Shakespeare’s classic villain, he is immortalized as an anti-hero, cunning and monstrous. But is his reputation fair? What was his route to the throne, and what led to his famous demise on the battlefield? And how did the excavation of an unassuming car park in Leicester see him return to the spotlight after more than 500 years?

This is a Short History of Richard the Third.

Written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to Matt Lewis, mediaeval historian and author of Richard the Third, Loyalty Binds Me.

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