- History & Culture
- Explainer
How did England’s ‘lost king’ end up beneath a parking lot?
He was the last English king to die in battle. A Shakespearean tragedy bears his name. But it took centuries to locate the remains of Richard III—the last ruler of the House of York.
What happens when you combine a king with a despotic reputation, a woman with a royal obsession, and...a parking lot? For the filmmakers behind The Lost King, it’s a recipe for movie magic. The film, which follows the 2012 discovery of the remains of England’s King Richard III in a Leicester car park, is based on real-life events.
How did this king’s body get discarded and forgotten for centuries, and how was he rescued? Here’s how Richard III lived and died—and what really happened in the quest to find him.
The Plantagenets ruled England for over 300 years, ending with Richard III. His reign lasted just over two years when he died at age 32 in the 1485 Battle of
