British royalty, the youngest son of Richard, Duke of York, and the last Yorkist king of England. Through history, accounts have named him as a monster of unparalled villainy, though some historians are less convinced of this portrayal. Upon the death of Edward IV on 4/09/1483 OS, he was named protector of 12-year-old Edward V and he took the young king and his 9-year-old brother into custody. When the two young lords disappeared, Richard was considered responsible. He usurped power, taking the throne on 6/26/1483 OS and ruled until he was slain in battle at Bosworth, Leicestershire on 8/22/1485 OS.
Shakespeare presented Richard III as a hunchback, a view which is not supported by evidence though one shoulder was higher than the other.
In 2012, an archaeological excavation was conducted on a city council car park on the site once occupied by Greyfriars, Leicester. The University of Leicester confirmed on 4 February 2013 that a skeleton found in the excavation was, beyond reasonable doubt, that of Richard III, based on a combination of evidence from radiocarbon dating, comparison with contemporary reports of his appearance, and a comparison of his mitochondrial DNA with two matrilineal descendants of Richard III’s eldest sister, Anne of York. He was re-buried in Leicester (his skeleton was found in the underground, in the centre of the town).
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