Prompt Cast
The Rediscovery and Reburial of King Richard III
TLDR King Richard III, whose body was lost for over 500 years, was rediscovered in a parking lot in Leicester. After a study conducted by the Richard III Society and the Leicester City Council, his remains were found and ultimately buried in Leicester Cathedral, with public viewing and the presence of dignitaries.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
King Richard III, who seized the throne in an underhanded way and is believed to have killed his nephews, had his body lost for over 500 years before it was discovered.
02:11
Richard III, the last British monarch to die in battle, was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field and his naked corpse was dragged to Leicester where it was buried without fanfare in the nearby Greyfriars Priory.
03:55
The Greyfriars Priory, including the monument to Richard III, was destroyed in 1538 and the burial site of Richard III was forgotten until the 21st century when the Richard III Society sought to rehabilitate his reputation and a writer named Philippa Langley discovered the potential site of his burial in a parking lot in Leicester.
05:33
The Richard III Society and the Leicester City Council conducted a study of a car park in Leicester to narrow down the possible burial site of Richard III, with the support of the University of Leicester and the Leicester Cathedral, despite the low odds of finding the body.
07:17
On the very first day of digging, the remains of a man in his 30s with severe trauma and scoliosis were found, leading the University of Leicester to conclude that these were the remains of King Richard III, raising the question of where to bury him.
09:08
Richard III was ultimately buried in Leicester Cathedral, in accordance with British law, and his reburial was a significant event with public viewing, a burial service, and the presence of dignitaries, including a poem read by Benedict Cumberbatch, one of Richard's distant relatives who later portrayed him on TV.
10:44
Richard III's burial location is unknown, but a project has been proposed to find his remains, and Richard Buckley of the University of Leicester Archaeological Services, who initially doubted the discovery, acknowledged the incredible and amazing story of Richard III's finding under a car park.
