the bones of the king

The bones of King Richard III have apparently been located in England. 

I’m not an expert on the Wars of the Roses by any means (keeping track of the family lines of medieval English nobility requires specialized vocabulary and elaborate flowcharts), but it’s always been an interest of mine. So for Richard’s bones to have been found is quite a historical coup.

Richard, of course, is most famous for murdering his nephews and seizing the crown of England. He probably murdered his nephews, but is not quite the villain painted in Shakespeare’s play. And villain or not, he had a brave end. When the Battle of Bosworth went against him, Richard led a final charge into his foes in hopes of cutting down Henry Tudor (one account has him almost reaching the future Henry VII), shouting “Treason! Treason! Treason!” until he was at last overwhelmed and killed.

According to the scientists examining the bones, Richard was wounded ten times before he was killed. The man might have been a scoundrel and a murderer, but he was no coward.

-JM