The Last Days of Richard III and the Fate of His DNA: The Book That Inspired the Dig

The Last Days of Richard III contains a new and uniquely detailed exploration of Richard's last 150 days. By deliberately avoiding the hindsight knowledge that he will lose the Battle of Bosworth Field, we discover a new Richard: no passive victim, awaiting defeat and death, but a king actively pursuing his own agenda. It also re-examines the aftermath of Bosworth: the treatment of Richard's body; his burial; and the construction of his tomb. And there is the fascinating story of why, and how, Richard III's family tree was traced until a relative was found, alive and well, in Canada. Now, with the discovery of Richard's skeleton at the Greyfrairs Priory in Leicester, England, John Ashdown-Hill explains how his book inspired the dig and completes Richard III's fascinating story, giving details of how Richard died, and how the DNA link to a living relative of the king allowed the royal body to be identified.

• | Author: John Ashdown-Hill
• | Publisher: History Press
• | Publication Date: Jul 08, 2025
• | Number of Pages: 00304 pages
• | Binding: Paperback or Softback
• | ISBN-10: 1803997990
• | ISBN-13: 9781803997995