Getting the Richard III discovery team back together 10 years on

The team behind the discovery and identification of the remains of King Richard III has reunited for a podcast series to mark the project’s 10th anniversary. 

In August 2012, the University of Leicester, in collaboration with the Richard III Society and Leicester City Council, was thrust into the international limelight, as the eyes of the world watched the start of what would become the successful unearthing, identification and reinternment of the last English king to die in battle.

The University’s Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics, Turi King, has enlisted the help of fellow key members of the project to talk about the fascinating story of one of the most ambitious archaeological projects ever attempted. 

The eight-part podcast covers the full story, from how the project got started, the excavation, analysis and identification of the King, through to its legacy.

Professor King said: “In the run up to the 10th anniversary of the excavation, I thought it might be nice idea to do a podcast and give people a bit of a more in-depth look at the analysis that went on in the Richard III project as well of a bit of a timeline of events in Leicester. 

“I also wanted to include a bit of history about Richard III himself and to involve our local Richard III Society, as well as have look at what the project has meant for Leicester as a city. 

“Probably the hardest thing was getting people together in one room for each episode - it was like herding cats. As you can imagine, everyone’s moved on with their lives since the Richard III project: some people have retired, some, such as the historian David Baldwin, have sadly passed away. It was so lovely to see people again. There’s a really diverse bunch of people involved and I hope it makes for an interesting listen.” 

Professor King added: “I think the one thing to say, and I say this a lot, is that it was a huge team effort that made the Richard III project a success. And that was the most wonderful, amazing thing about it. No one person could have done it on their own: it required people, from all different backgrounds, all bringing their expertise to the table. I hope people enjoy listening to the series and come away understanding a little bit more about Richard III and the project as a whole. 

Listen to the podcast on Soundcloud.