On this day in 1452, a boy was born at Fotheringhay Castle who would become England’s last Plantagenet king: Richard III.

I’m Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode we trace Richard’s short, stormy road from noble son to fallen king, and the remarkable afterlife of his story, from Bosworth Field to a Leicester car park and DNA confirmation centuries later.

In this podcast:

• Birth & family: the House of York and Cecily Neville, the “Rose of Raby”

• 1483: the pre-contract claim, Edward V’s disinheritance, and Richard’s coronation

• Challenges to the crown: Buckingham’s rebellion & Henry Tudor’s invasion

• Battle of Bosworth (22 Aug 1485): tactics, the Stanleys’ decisive move, Richard’s last charge

• Burial at Grey Friars, the 2012 discovery & DNA, scoliosis, and reinterment (2015)

• Legacy: usurper, reformer, courageous warrior, or a king made by brutal times?

What’s your take on Richard III—pragmatic protector, ruthless usurper, courageous warrior, or a product of his age? Tell me in the comments.

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