Facial Reconstructions of Richard III & the Princes in the Tower | Mini Documentary | Royalty Now
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- čas přidán 2. 11. 2023
- Full video here: • Murderer or Loyal Uncl...
The story of Richard III and the Princes in the Tower is one of the notorious mysteries in English history. Was Richard a tyrant who killed his nephews, or an innocent, believing he was simply the best candidate to take the throne? Today, we’ll walk you through Richard’s history, as well as go over some theories of what happened to the princes.
I wanted to make a re-creation of Richard, who we have more information on. But, I also wanted to give the boys a face, even though source material for their appearances is next to none.
Let’s start with Richard - there are no portraits of Richard surviving today that were made in his own lifetime. However, unlike the princes, researchers have located the lost body of Richard III, which allowed us to get a glimpse of the real man that we don’t get with other monarchs.
Phillipa Langley is the founder of the Richard III society and the main driving force behind the amazing discovery of Richard’s body under a parking lot in Leicester in 2012. This allowed researchers to learn more about Richard’s true appearance, and settle some long-held disputes.
Through genetic analysis, the University of Leicester team determined that he had a 96% chance of having blue eyes, and a 77% chance of having blonde hair, at least in childhood.
This allowed them to tell which portrait of Richard was the most accurate, and it seems to be the earliest version found - this arched portrait made about 30-40 years after his death shows Richard with light eyes and medium-brown hair. This portrait is widely thought to have been copied from one made during his lifetime.
Before the discovery of his body, part of Richard’s legacy had been that he was an evil hunchback with a withered arm - this was mostly spread by Thomas More, who was only 8 years old when Richard died, and was a biased source who had a vested interest in making the Tudor line look more secure.
The researchers found that Richard did have pretty severe scoliosis - in real life this would cause a slight asymmetry, with the left shoulder being held higher than the right. But nothing so severe that it would cause a hunchback or a withered arm, like the rumors spread after his death.
The researchers also found that his bones were quite delicate, which matches up with contemporary accounts that he was a small man, who was surprisingly good in battle despite appearing feminine, in their words.
On the skeleton, there are 8 minor wounds from various weapons and 2 fatal blows at the base of the skull, which aligns with the accounts that he died in the middle of a group of attackers after being de-horsed in battle.
Craniofacial expert Caroline Wilkinson worked on a 3D model of Richard III, which I’ll also reference in my re-creation. In my depiction I’m going to try and kind of thread the needle between the most accurate portrait, and the forensic reconstruction, since the two do have some differences.
Now, let’s talk about the Princes - and this is where it gets more difficult.
For young Edward V, at do have one likeness - this one, from an illuminated manuscript translated by Edward’s guardian and uncle, Anthony Woodville. There is also this stained glass depiction, made after Edward’s death in the 1500s (sparkypus.com/2020/12/26/a-po....
And of course numerous artistic depictions and portraits from centuries much later: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
So, what we do know is this: Edward V was a blonde boy of twelve, and that’s about it. It’s reasonable to guess that his younger brother Richard, who was 9 at the time, might look similar to him.
I’ve made some fully artistic depictions of the boys based on the single portrait we have, as well as the features of their relatives.
Some common York facial characteristics were these narrow eyes, solid jaw with strong chin, long straight nose, and medium to small lips. Their parents are both brown or hazel-eyed, so it’s likely they were as well. I’ve essentially borrowed some features from each parent.
So, while the Richard III re-creation is fully grounded in reality, the re-creations of the boys are just artistic, and meant to honor their memory.
This video creation and final image are ©Royalty Now. - Zábava
Considering he was only 32 years when he died I always thought it was odd that his images were of a much older looking man. Thank you for your fascinating recreations.
People aged much more quickly in those days. Life expectancy was about half what it is today. Plus I think that if many portraits were done in the Tudor era, they would have wanted to portray him in a bad light.
@@sharonalbanese8084 I agree. Henry VII’s claim to the Crown was tenuous at best so he went all out to discredit Richard and to portray him as not only wicked but also malformed and evil. In Henry’s reign Sir Thomas More wrote about how Richard III emerged from from his mother’s womb after a two year gestation fully formed and distorted with a full head of hair and a mouth full of teeth, so in the world view of the time Richard was obviously wicked and distorted in character and deed. As we all know Shakespeare depicted him as deformed and wicked, an image so powerful that it persists not only in English literature but also English historical canon. Actually, thinking about it while writing this I think the portraits are the least detrimental depictions of Richard III.
@mary-kittybonkers2374 absolutely. Shakespeare had to keep on the good side of the Tudors or he may have ended up in the Tower! Some things never change, it's all about politics.
Think also about the fact that he must have been in discomfort if not actual pain due to the scoliosis which could have contributed to an older look.
All the stress he had to have been under played a role. Look what stress did to Abraham Lincoln in 4 years.
I love that you show the people laughing or smiling. It makes them so much more human and real, than just a staid portrait. Richard looked quite handsome, and it wasn’t that far removed from the oldest portrait. I also loved that you gave the boys freckles on their slightly Sun-kissed noses. It would be nice to think they got to play outside, rather than waste away in that tower. Beautiful job.
A must read for fans of Richard III is Josephine Tey’s “The Daughter of Time”. The logic she follows during the course of her novel is compelling. She has convinced me that rather than being a malformed monster, he was quite the opposite. So, the handsome man shown in the reconstruction (love that smile!) feels “right”. Give the novel a read and see if you don’t become a member of the Richard III Society! I am so glad they have found his body and given him a proper burial, one that he deserves. Tey reinforces the idea that it is far more in Henry VII’s interests to do away with the princes as they had a legitimate claim to the throne and to present Richard in a highly negative light. I think I am going to find my copy and give a read right now! Love these reconstructions! Thanks!
Emotional claptrap.
@@lawrencejames8011 No, it's not.
I read it years ago and found it very convincing. The boys had been officially declared illegitimate so we’re not a risk for Richard, whereas Henry VII, by dint of marrying their sister, relegitimised them so had no convincing claim to the throne, apart from by conquest.
Love that book.
I'm a Brit but I was reading that while the 1984 Olympics were being staged, so 40 years ago.
A king who died fighting for his throne, a very rare thing
Richard III was the last king of England who died in battle.
Beautiful!!! The portrait of King Richard III brought me to tears. Blending two versions of him has produced a startlingly realistic portrait. Then when he smiles and moves OMG! And the princes are beautiful and truly believable too!
Yes,this is more how I believe King Richard lll looked. Made me cry in a good way . Thanks Becca.🥲☃️🥲
Made me cry as well.
I think it’s super cool that you still did portraits for the princes too!! Part of understanding history is understanding that these are humans, just like us:) and these boys weren’t just “heirs to the English throne” and a footnote in history 😢 they were real children who didn’t deserve to get caught up in this adult situation and should have had the chance to grow to adulthood 😔 it’s really tragic.
Marvellous! Brings this misunderstood monarch completely to life!
Omg….this was beautiful….the faces of the princes brought me to tears.
Im a richard fangirl and t4uly am captivated by him and his story so am delighted with this xx ❤❤
You really do something magical with your recreation essays. Your passionate and thoughtful dialogue makes me feel a very emotional connection with the people you talk about. Hadrian/Antinous, George Washington and the “Ugly Wife” who in truth was so beautiful are just three of the figures I was held captivated by. We’re so lucky to your channel exists ❤
Beautifully expressed your comment is
Considering his brother Edward was considered an attractive man, it makes sense that Richard would be faitly good-looking, but it still surprised me 😅
Had Richard III been particularly good-looking, it would have been remarked upon. He wasn’t.
@@direfranchementThat you know of. We knew that the Tudors and their allies made up stuff about Richard. It's even admitted to in this video that most of the stuff we know about him was propaganda.
@@direfranchementLooked pretty good to me, based on the skull recreation.
@@direfranchementpossibly he just didn't fit into the beauty Standards of his time and was therefore not remarked upon
@@rosapanther8466 I don't think you understand the way descriptions of royal people tended to go. Even relatively average -looking men and women were described with superlatives. If he was even somewhat good looking, it would have been remarked upon. He wasn't.
Amazing work! I couldn't help but feel really sad when I saw the recreations of the princes. 😢
My scoliosis is minor as well. Never knew I had it untill I went to a neuro surgeon when I was 50. The X-ray process is a bit different than a regular X-ray. When I saw the results there was a distinct S curve in my spine. The doctor thought the scoliosis developed at around 8-10 years of age. 😮😮😮
It just amazes me when their portraits are brought to life.
Absolutely beautiful and fascinating recreations. Loved how carefully they have been done. Excellent work 👍🏻❤
My heart leapt in my chest when I saw the first recreation, what an amazing job you've done. I'm impressed (I sculpt faces, also) that the images look more human than any other type of recreation (drawings, forensics, or AI) I've ever seen. I can't imagine how you must have felt when you first saw it. Thank you.
Thank you, as always, Becca and Andre. You have such a gift for melding historical facts, together with artistic creativity, in bringing your subjects to life and providing us with a glimpse into the past. Fascinating. ❤RNS
What is amazing to me is how Beautiful these people look, (I'm talking about Richard III; I wasn't really interested in the other portrait which was total fantasy), when you make them look more life-like and when they move! Even Richard III who is traditionally thought of as ugly, looks beautiful! Amazing!
I love this! You can even see resemblance to his brother King Edward. And I think you did amazing with the likenesses of the princes!!! ❤ great job as always!
What an amazing skill you have! Even Richard III looks likeable @4:45 onwards. As to the little princes, they are so sweet and good-looking, taking after their attractive parents. Thank you for sharing this.
This is so fascinating! And your version looks like Richard Armitage especially during his Mr. John Thornton era. I think I read somewhere Richard wanted to play him if there ever was a role years ago. Aneurin Barnard did play Richard III in the TV series White Queen just a few years ago.
I like your clear steps to find the best portrait.
Absolutely fascinating!!!
So sad😢
The moment when the recreations smile always gets me!!! The Lost Princes were so beautiful! This is, as always, so very well done!!
This might indeed be the closest reconstruction ever done to the real King Richard III. And the boys look quite authentic as well.
LOVED this! Thank you for all your hard work!
He was the true king set up by his surroundings..
An incredibly good looking man, Richard. The boys quite handsome. The recreations make it all the more sad
I love him , he was a good man. God bless him always. ..
@royaltynowstudios
LOVE your work! You're kinda my go-to for short documentaries. Do you guys give music credits for your videos? I'm looking for a haunting melody Andre used in your Lincoln video. (I commented there as well.) Thank you for what you do!!
Give me a timestamp I might be able to help you 😬
Amazing work! Thank you.
Thanks very much. I never imagined that Richard III may have had blue eyes.
This is so cool! Thanks for Sharing! ❤
I’m always amazed by your talent, Becca! The amount of time, energy and patience that it must take blows my mind! I remember the first video that I stumbled upon with your channel, which was the Pocahontas videos and every video since then has been just as great! Keep up the good work!
Nicely done. Thank you
Amazing work as always! I’d love to know more about the music… so beautiful
You know, the reconstructed face of Richard III has a mild resemblance to the face of Laurence Olivier, who played him so memorably in the film version of Shakespeare's "Richard III".
I don't know if those renditions of the princes look right BUT they sure look English! Well done!
And Richard certainly doesn't look like Lawrence Olivier, does he? 😉
Anyway, it was thought for years that Richard's "hunchback" may have been nothing more than the over-developed shoulder muscles of an expert swordsman, which he was. The scoliosis discoverd with the remains certainly put the hunchback theory to rest.
Made me gasp.
💯 that’s Richard. My past life monitor went OFF. I think I was one of his subjects. Big history cover-up with karma we are dealing with still today. Congrats! 👍🏻👍🏻👌🏻
Excellent job as always. This recreation strongly resembles the society of antiquaries painting. Funnily enough it also has a look of Michael Ibsen about it too. Did you also take into account the National portrait gallery painting as well? I only ask because they found that the dimensions of the skull fitted with that portrait perfectly. I feel what you have done here is probably closer to his actual appearance then the facial reconstruction done about 10 years ago.
Can someone with musical knowledge please tell us (me) what the beautiful piece being played in the background is? Just amazing how much more grounding the right musical notes are than the most carefully chosen words. Maybe because it speaks more directly to our hearts?
Agreed!
At what timestamp? I think there are a few songs being played! :)
The Tudors were and still are illegitimate. Long love the Plantagenets and King Richard III!
Edward V was the brother of Elizabeth of York (Mom of Henry VIII) so I imagine he would have to resembled his nephew's childhood pictures as Henry & his siblings looked like their Mom.
Wonderful!!!!!
thank-you for this. Just one issue, Richard was crowned and confirmed by Parliament while the Princes were alive. Their deaths were not neccasary to his becoming King.
Richard was 5'8, which was taller than average for medieval times. And reputable specialists have refuted the claim he had 'femine' bones as inaccurate.
Maybe he was small boned. My dad was about that size and so small boned that when he died I could wear his ring with no alterations.
They actually described his bones as “gracile”, a technical term that refers to bones and them being somewhat smaller than average for the time. But, manliness has nothing to do with any of that. He was known to be a highly skilled warrior and died fighting in battle-the last English king to do so.
Thank you.
Bravo!❤
Magic...and tragic. If only...
William Shakespeare has a lot to answer for when it comes to Richard III. Make it good, make it fast and make it up. I do love Shakespeare and he he never claimed to be a historian.
Resembles the guy who played him in the white queen series
Looks good.
Goodness, considering the technology available these days to create facial reconstructions, this is amazing. I think; if this as good a likeness as it's possible to get, he really was very handsome.
excellent😊👍✅🇨🇦❤️
Wow!
Can you do Voltaire?
Thanks for doing this. There is an older book called "Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey which discusses the evidence for and against Richard's alleged murder of his nephews. It is framed as a British police detective who was hospitalized and while stuck in his bed his friends told him to go over the evidence to pass the time. After all, who wouldn't get bored while stuck in a hospital bed for two weeks? The conclusion is that Richard III did not kill his nephews since he had no legal need to. His throne was secure. It was the Tudors who had more reason to kill them.
What beautiful children.. when you had them smile, broke my heart.. how could their father have done this ?
Your recreation are ethereal .. and beautiful beyond words ..⚘
Jen999💙
*uncle
@@ThinWhiteAxe you are correct.. does it matter? Those boys lives were destroyed.. that is what matters.. it was a despicable act on the uncles part.. tragic and sad..
@@VivaVictory Sorry.. was their uncle.. the fact the boys were treated like that was the crime.. regardless of who perpetrated it
@@Jen999 yes, they're just correcting you for historical accuracy, of course it doesn't matter in relation to the much grander calamity that is their deaths. It's good to be corrected when we mistype, that's all. Terribly sad story 🤎
The painting was painted in Queen Victoria's reign, & the sitters for this were 2 sister's, a reconstruction of King Richard was done by an expert in facial reconstruction, nothing is new here.
He was a good King and a Man
I was surprised at how instant my happy reaction was to R3 smiling. It's hardwired in us to respond to smiles, as well as other expressions.
Do you have one done of George, the middle brother, of Edward and Richard.
Much more good looking than supposed. And his brother for me wasn't that good-looking. Edward was just flattered because being the heir and later King. I think the portraits of Richard are more realistic than those of his brother.
These are astonishing recreations. AS IF YOU RESURRECTED THESE PERSONAGES FROM FIVE HUNDRED YEARS AGO. LIKE A TIME TUNNEL THIS!
Excellent video. The only thing I would add is if both parents had blue eyes then the young prince's would also (almost certain).
Catherine has hazel eyes. I think her father or mother one has brown eyes. P Louie looks exactly like his maternal grandfather.
@@KateHope13 Sorry I've only just seen your comment.
Kate has greeny brown eyes William blue.
My original comment still stands 2 blue eyed parents will almost certainly have blue eyed children.
This is amazing.
Through my DNA testing my father has ancestors linked with Richard III.
My father is dark black hair, brown eyes. I am dark blonde and blue gray eyes.
I am born American
Not able to remember the details of ‘who, when, why…..’, etc. ‘They did extensive research on the two small skeletons, in the Tower of London, and determined they were female. The work you do to bring these people to life is absolutely astounding! Absolutely L•O•V•E your work!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
They think that Richard III may have had one shoulder slightly higher than the other which gave rise to his alleged hunchback
The reconstruction of Richard III is certainly credible.
For Edward V why did you not also use the painting of him from the 1490s that is part of Bishop Oliver King’s chantry at St George’s Chapel in Windsor?
💞
I would go with Professor Caroline Wilkinson's work.
Richard is said to be more Good looking than Big Bro Edward
👍❤
The picture of the Princes at 5:45 there is a resemblance to the current two little Princes George and Louis...
Richard III looks like Lord Farquand from the Shrek movies.😊
I watch this over and over again is possibly to be in love with a 500 year old man.
Lol looks like the guy that plays spiderman in the first movies 😂
Caroline Wilkinson’s depiction, imho, is ridiculous as are all her facial reconstructions I have seen. He looks nothing like any portrait and he doesn’t even look like a real person. Your depictions are much more realistic. Thank you.
Personally i think richards enemies, overly ambitious framed him.
We forget through the lens f history and cold facts that these ppl really lived and suffered in there way very greatly!! To be royal was like a death sentence!
Astonishing work trying to blend the features of the parents, into possibilities for the boys! One can never stop wondering, nor stop wishing to dart back in time and rescue them. Richard III murdered/had murdered, more challenges than just his nephews, on his plot to snatch the throne..others went missing too. So I'd honestly expect to see something more like rather soul-less eyes..closer to that of an unabashed criminal...
The latest I made Ricardians show he looks like Lord Farquhar , although was described more like shrek 😊
They look more realistic
Did he have Hapsburg chin?
York men are so attractive
Lord Farquad
This portrait makes him look like Jude Law.
Think he's more like Rufus Sewell.
@@scotbotvideosHim, too. Yes.
Please do a rendition of Warwick the Kingmaker, please, please, ty
32 was late middle age in the time period.
Real culprit: henry vii and henry viii ( mary i, edward vi and Elizabeth I not related)
lessgo
Will you ever recreate Robert Dudley, the love of Queen Elizabeth I's life?
Richard 3rd looks like Tobey Maguire to me especially when he smiles
Yikes…
Richard's recreation is a dead ringer for the English actor Tom Courtenay.
Richard III's teeth, as shown in this video look like those of an ex boyfriend of mine.
Your reconstruction of Richard's face looks uncannily like that of British actor Rufus Sewell, albeit with different hair.
I saw that too!
still looking too old - he was only 32. People at the age of 32 don't have prominent wrinkles when smiling. Just look at Austin Butler or any other celebrity around 30 like Thimothy Chalamet or Tom Holland.
He looks like Tobey McGuire, of Spiderman fame.