For a king who has been dead for more than 500 years, Richard III has been making a remarkable number of headlines this winter. And yes – many of them are discontented. From fights among historians over his actions to casting controversies around fictionalised depictions, Richard III is more contentious than ever.
There’s long been a battle for his reputation – by those persuading us not to believe Shakespeare’s infamous portrait of him as a monstrous villain, but also among historians themselves. Just what kind of king was Richard: a tyrant who murdered his own nephews, or a fair and brave leader, whose reputation was smeared by the Tudors who came after him?
