Make No Bones About It! Scientists Identify King Richard III's Skeletal Remains

King Richard III lost his horse, his kingdom and his life, although not necessarily in that order. Skeletal remains recovered from underneath a parking lot in Leicester, England have been identified as those belonging to William Shakespeare’s titular hero, according to the Los Angeles Times. Researchers said they had concluded "beyond reasonable doubt" that the skeleton, which showed evidence of an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, was the monarch.

Richard III was the charismatic and villainous subject of a play by the Bard, in which he was portrayed as a hunchback with a clubbed foot and a nasty character. One of Shakespeare's earliest plays, Richard III tells the story of the quick rise and demise of the cunning king, and the trickery, plotting and violence of his court.

An array of actors including F. Murray Abraham, Ciaran Hinds, Ian McKellen, Al Pacino, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Spacey, Peter Dinklage, Michael Cumpsty and Ron Cephas Jones, have portrayed Richard III in various productions of the tragedy.