Posted on 02/25/2013 9:06:05 AM PST by Red Badger
A facial reconstruction based on the skull of Richard III has revealed how the English king may have looked.
The king's skeleton was found under a car park in Leicester during an archaeological dig.
The reconstructed face has a slightly arched nose and prominent chin, similar to features shown in portraits of Richard III painted after his death.
Historian and author John Ashdown-Hill said seeing it was "almost like being face to face with a real person".
The development comes after archaeologists from the University of Leicester confirmed the skeleton found last year was the 15th Century king's, with DNA from the bones having matched that of descendants of the monarch's family. 'Very handsome'
Richard was killed in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, at the age of 32 and after just two years on the throne, having been challenged by the forces of Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII.
Dr Ashdown-Hill, who wrote The Last Days of Richard III, said: "The most obvious features in portraits are the shape of the nose and the chin and both of those are visible in the facial reconstruction."
Richard III Society member Philippa Langley, originator of the search, said on a Channel 4 documentary earlier: "It doesn't look like the face of a tyrant. I'm sorry but it doesn't.
"He's very handsome. It's like you could just talk to him, have a conversation with him right now."
Layers of muscle and skin were added by computer to a scan of the skull and the result was made into a three-dimensional plastic model.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
The unveiling of the reconstruction was attended by Michael Ibsen, Richard's 17th generation nephew, who also provided DNA for tests on the bones
Richard III died aged 32 in the Battle of Bosworth
GGG Ping!........
His kingdom for a horse ...
Thanks largely to Shakespeare, this unfortunate monarch gets one of the biggest bum raps in history along with people such as Joe McCarthy, Pius XII, and Mary Surratt.
this unfortunate monarch gets one of the biggest bum raps in history
That just looks like a portrait of Richard Ibsen.
Who?......
His 17th great nephew, pictured next to him.
His name is Michael..........
They look ike twins. The eyes, the brow, the chin, the shape of the face.
Why does that remind me of the Duchess of Cornwall?...........
Yes, Michael. Reading too fast.
The first title was not restored until the Tudor rule ended with the death of Elizabeth II roughly a century and a half after Bosworth Field. Even then, it was a minor title to a minor Plantagenet, Lord Aston of Forfar.
He's in my mother's family tree as a cousin or uncle, not direct. The interesting thing is that the purge of the Plantagenets actually accomplished two positive things:
He’s much better looking than the Dutchess of Cornwall. He looks like Peter Johnson Jr., the legal analyst from Fox News Channel.
Richard III was one S.O.B., there’s no doubt about it.
Worth reading and also the back stories on the Daily Mail about the archeological dig.
Here is an even better comparison......
Actually, it was 142 years between the battle death of Richard III at Bosworth field (1485) and the restoration of the first title for a Plantagenet (1627).
I was referring to the horse.........
The Princes in the Tower would most likely agree with you.........
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