The King in the Car Park

[W-D Forties]

I know it's ever so slightly before th Golden Era, but isn't it rather marvollous that they ahve finally found Richard III - beneath a car park!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Yes, despite the various huffing and puffing coming out of other jealous historians ("too much money wasted on this niche research, why oh why won't they waste some on my particular brand of esoteric niche research???") - the ubiquitous egotistical loudmouth Mary Beard is apparently getting a bit bellicose in slightly the wrong direction again - whether this is "real"/"proper" history or not, it's just a great story.

I remember being rather sceptical about the whole king under a car park thing when the story broke a while ago, but I admit to being hooked, and impressed by the rigour of the work.

bk

 

[sal]

Being from across the pond I think it is wonderful that a piece of history is found.
From what I have briefly read about his reign, good or bad. It is still part of the rich history of your country.

 

[Shangas]

I read about this confirmation of discovery this morning. Fascinating!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The mitochondrial DNA might be a bit iffy … need to wait for peer review. But that, coupled to the apparent anatomical defects and scarring add up to, for now, a nice circumstantial case. depending on the rarity - or not - of the mtDNA type, it might become more than a circumstantial case.

great, all the same!

 

[jamespowers]

The mitochondrial DNA might be a bit iffy … need to wait for peer review. But that, coupled to the apparent anatomical defects and scarring add up to, for now, a nice circumstantial case. depending on the rarity - or not - of the mtDNA type, it might become more than a circumstantial case.

great, all the same!

The fact that they found the body in time to even be able to test his last surviving relatives is partially a miracle. Only two left to pull DNA from that are confirmed relatives of his sister. Superb! The amount of wounds are also more gruesome than I had though would have been but they are sort of consistent with history. I suppose there were blood thirsty savages back then too.
Here is some of the story for those who missed it:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/03/world/europe/richard-iii-search-announcement/index.html

 

[Capesofwrath]

The way the victors treated his body is very reminiscent of the way Gaddafi was treated at death, and that was only a year or so ago. In particular the wound in the pelvic region, or to be less euphemistic the anus, when his body was slung over a horse and being taken to be displayed.

That happened to Gaddafi too, and is yet more proof that this was the body of a deposed ruler, and hated by those who defeated him.

 

[Shangas]

Le Roi est mort. Viva le roi!

 

[jamespowers]

Le Roi est mort. Viva le roi!

The King is footless. He has no understanding.

 

[Sloan1874]

Here's a pic of the king's face reconstructed from a CT scan:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21328380

 

[Edward]

I've always had a hunch they'd turn up the body sooner or later. Interesting to see that the physical deformities did exist (inbreeding, maybe) and weren't all solely Tudor propaganda to shore up their regime.

 

[Feraud]

I heard about it this a.m. on NPR. It's an amazing find!

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Just (re)watched RICHARD III as done by Ian McKellen. Fascism ala Shakespeare. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_(1995_film) ≈ http://torrentbutler.eu/31174-richard-iii

-dixon cannon

 

[Baron Kurtz]

^^ awesome movie! I'm eagerly awaiting it being shown on TV in the near future (they've got to, right?).

 

[Edward]

^^ awesome movie! I'm eagerly awaiting it being shown on TV in the near future (they've got to, right?).

Yes, been thinking that myself. It is a superb production. Really nice take on "My kingdom for a horse!".

 

[Feraud]

Another thumbs up for McKellan in Richard III!

 

[dhermann1]

Well, personally good old Lord Larry will always be Richard III to me. But really, the guy got some pretty bad treatment from the Bard, and all the other Tudorians. (Is that a word?) Historically, he was a pretty darned decent king, take him for all in all. And even if he did do away with the princes in the Tower, it wouldn't be the first time that somebody who treacherously murdered a close relative went on to be a very good monarch.
If you have seen any of the shows where they exhume bodies of men who were killed in ancient battle, they always are pretty much hacked to pieces. Rough job, being an ancient soldier.

 

[LizzieMaine]

History is written by the victors, but that's no sign they get it right.

The reconstruction looks like Prince Valiant.

 

[jamespowers]

History is written by the victors, but that's no sign they get it right.

The reconstruction looks like Prince Valiant.

lol lol Hmmm...

 

[Edward]

But really, the guy got some pretty bad treatment from the Bard, and all the other Tudorians. (Is that a word?) Historically, he was a pretty darned decent king, take him for all in all. And even if he did do away with the princes in the Tower, it wouldn't be the first time that somebody who treacherously murdered a close relative went on to be a very good monarch.
If you have seen any of the shows where they exhume bodies of men who were killed in ancient battle, they always are pretty much hacked to pieces. Rough job, being an ancient soldier.

It's not really my period or place of interest, historically speaking, but if memory serves (I should know this!) it was Dicky III who brought in juries and did away with the previous lunacy. You're absolutely correct that while he was not a nice man and did a lot of nasty things, he was far from unique. People got to be King by only one of two ways in those days: birth or offing the other guy. Any of the dynasties with pretensions to the throne in that period would have happily offed a couple of kids to get it.