The Lost King (2022) Movie Script
1
- Hi, Hon!
- Hey.
Thank you.
- This is it then.
- Hmm.
- Nervous?
- A bit.
You'll be all right.
First in every morning,
last out.
How are my panda eyes?
They're fine. Bad night?
Er, no, this is actually me
after a good night's sleep.
I value each and every member
of my team
and I let head office know this.
But the new management have
pushed for a list of six of you
for the super team.
So, the names I've put forward
are Brodie...
- Jamie.
- Yes!
- Laura.
- Brilliant!
- Andy.
- Right!
- Daniel.
- Yeah!
And, er...
- Kirsty.
- Oh.
So congratulations to those six.
Let's have a few minutes
to digest everything
and then back to work.
I can't believe it.
- Not now.
- Yeah.
- No.
- Yeah, now.
Kirsty? She hasn't
been here five minutes!
I think you're very
competent and valued, Philippa.
But after careful consideration,
I have decided
that you are at the right level
for you.
Are you actually reading
from an hr manual?
No, no.
Look, we both know
you've had issues.
Me isn't skiving. I suffer
from chronic fatigue, Tony.
It's a real illness.
And yet have I ever missed
a deadline?
I thought it was time to give
the younger ones
a chance to shine.
Well, if you want people
who are good at being under 40,
I will admit
I am struggling there.
But so are you.
Hair wax isn't fooling anyone.
It's Clay, actually.
I can't face it.
What would improve things
for you?
A penis.
Well, you can have mine.
It's not very busy these days.
Trying to make me laugh
isn't helping much, John.
I just keep getting horrible
flashbacks to when I was ill.
Yeah, don't do anything
impetuous. That's all I ask.
We have two households to run
and we need your wages too.
Boys!
Wait a minute,
are you not eating with us too?
No. I'm, er, going out
for dinner with a woman.
Tomato sauce and salad.
Yes, I met her
on plenty of fish.
No, I don't know much about her.
John, please,
can't you rearrange?
I can't face having to go
to this play tonight.
Not on my own.
Boys, come on now!
Yes, I could,
but I'm not going to.
And one day,
you'll thank me for it.
Oh. You wearing that jacket,
are you?
Yes, I am.
Good luck, biggles.
- My guy's going down.
- My blues are terrible.
- Boys!
- Deploy my troops!
Dinner is served.
- Mum, what are you doing?
- Mum?
- What are you doing?
- You're not listening to me.
You're coming to the theatre.
You're going round
your grandma's.
Come on. Max, it's not me
that has to write that essay.
- Quicker.
- Crazy woman.
- Er, thank you! I wonder why.
- You're a crazy woman.
Don't copy your brother, raife.
Now is the winter
of our discontent
made glorious summer
by this son of York.
And all the clouds that
lour'd upon our house
in the deep bosom
of the ocean buried.
But I, that am rudely stamp'd,
and want love's majesty,
I, that am curtail'd
of this fair proportion,
cheated of feature
by dissembling nature,
deformed, unfinish'd,
sent before my time
into this breathing world,
scarce half made up,
and that so lamely
and unfashionable
that dogs bark at me
as I halt by them,
why, I...
In this weak piping time
of peace...
Have no delight
to pass away the time,
unless to spy my shadow
in the sun
and descant
on mine own deformity.
Therefore, since I cannot
prove a lover,
I am determined
to prove a villain.
Can we just stay here, please?
Look, I know it's tough when
you start a new school, Max,
but you've got to make
an effort, darling.
Just talk about the play, yeah?
Come on.
Hello. I'm Philippa, Max's mum.
- Oh, hi.
- Hi.
- Alex, Lucy's father.
- How do you do?
- Hey.
- And this is my wife, Susan.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- We were just trying to tot up
how many more the wicked
bugger's got to murder
before he gets his sticky mitts
on the crown.
I actually felt quite sorry
for him.
- Because of his hump?
- Oh, no.
It was, erm, all that stuff
about him feeling so ugly,
he couldn't look at himself
in the mirror.
Still, it's not real, is it?
It's just a play.
Yeah,
but it's a historical play.
Shakespeare was writing about
what was to him recent history.
Well, I just don't believe
someone would be that wicked
because of a disability.
Doesn't ring true to me.
And that's your critique
of Shakespeare, is it?
"Doesn't ring true"?
Well, see how you feel about him
after he murders
his two little nephews
in the second half.
I wish the bastards dead
and I would have it
suddenly perform'd.
What sayest thou?
Speak suddenly, be brief.
Your grace may do your pleasure.
Hmm.
Be happy then,
for it is done, my lord.
I think there be six richmonds
in the field.
Five have I slain today
instead of him.
A horse! A horse!
My kingdom for a horse!
God and your arms be praised,
victorious friends.
The day is ours.
The bloody dog is dead.
Sorry. Excuse us.
Come on, Lucy!
Mum, what are you doing? Mum!
Hello, Philippa.
Richard III died in 1485.
Shakespeare didn't write
his play until around 1593.
Sorry, I'm not following you.
You said Shakespeare was
writing about recent history.
He wasn't. He wrote it
over a hundred years
after Richard's death.
All right.
And they reckon
he probably made it up
that he was a hunchback.
But it's just a play, isn't it?
That's what I said.
Ok. Bye.
Max, come on.
I just don't like it
when people put others
down for no reason.
So, your dad's got
a new girlfriend then?
Her name's Sarah
and she likes seafood,
so dad's taking her
to a fish restaurant.
He'll have the steak.
If it's a call,
introduce yourself.
If it's a man,
I talk about the footy.
But throughout all
your conversations, remember,
put on a happy face, and smile.
It's on the phone, Tony.
Well, your voice
can still have a smile in it.
"Hello. And how are you today?"
Thank you, Kirsty. Yes.
You don't have to see a smile
to know that it's there.
Very important.
Please, continue.
If it's a new client,
say something to disarm them.
"Sorry, I've been
a bit hectic today."
Or if it's towards
the end of the week,
tell them about how much
you're looking forward to...
If they're an existing client,
do make sure that you
offer them new opportunities
or alternative campaign
strategies.
That's good, but you
don't want to get trapped.
So, what you need is an...
Exit strategy.
- Come on. Quick, quick, quick.
- Morning, boys.
- Quick, quick, quicker.
- Quick as you like.
- Gym bag.
- Thank you.
Ok, mind your head.
Don't let the bastards
grind you down.
- Thanks.
- Bye, mum.
- Bye, mum.
- Bye.
Hi, erm, do you have any books
on Richard III?
- The king?
- I know who you mean.
Historical books,
not Shakespeare, please.
We have eight titles.
Yes, please. I'll take them.
Which ones?
All of them.
Thank you.
Look, I...
I know you're some sort
of apparition, so...
You can just go away
and leave me alone.
Please.
This is private property.
What is it you're going to see?
- Skyfall. James Bond.
- Oh.
- Mum?
- Yes, darling?
Can you actually get
a licence to kill?
Max says you can.
You just get a form from the
post office and apply for it.
- Like a driving licence.
- You can't, can you, mum?
- No, he's being daft.
- They only cost 15 quid.
Max!
You sure you don't wanna come?
No. I'm gonna put my feet up.
Enjoy the film.
- See you later.
- Bye, mum.
Bye, boys.
They love to paint him
as some kind of monster,
devoid of compassion and pity.
But I read
a contemporary article
from the croyland chronicle
the other day...
Ah, the croyland.
That noted
and oft-quoted medieval organ.
About when
king Richard lost his only son.
"On hearing the news
of his death at Nottingham,"
where they were then residing,
you might have seen
his father and mother
in a state almost bordering
on madness
"by reason
of their sudden grief."
And then, a few months later,
his own wife dies
of tuberculosis.
Poor man.
Must've been heartbroken.
Doesn't sound much like
Shakespeare's villain.
Thank you. And this is just
the circumstantial stuff.
We have facts.
We have hard evidence
to refute every accusation
that Richard's detractors
would put to us.
If we ever get the opportunity.
Exactly! But we're shouting
into the void
- and nobody's listening.
- Oh, shut up.
Thank you.
Because Shakespeare's play is
more attractive than the truth.
I'm sorry, my name's Philippa.
You must be
the Richard III society.
Correct!
Brackets, Edinburgh branch,
close brackets.
At your... disposal.
There's so many people who seem
to take such a dim view of him.
They do indeed.
Well, they can't all be wrong,
can they?
Have you ever heard
gossip about yourself
and thought, "how can they
say that about me"
when they don't even know me?"
Most of what is written
about king Richard
is based on tudor history
because Henry vii
won the battle of bosworth.
If you get in quick
with the first lie,
and repeat it often enough,
then it becomes the truth.
And Richard wasn't around
to defend himself, was he?
I'd like to join your society.
Oh, hail fellow well met!
You must commune
with us, Philippa.
I'm about to procure a round of
hook Norton's old hooky ales.
Oh, thanks. I'll just
have a ginger beer, please.
"If you can bear
to hear the truth you've spoken"
twisted by knaves
to make a trap for fools,
or watch the things
you gave your life to, broken,
and stoop and build them up
"with worn-out tools."
I'll get the drinks in.
Six pints of old hooky ale,
and a ginger beer, please.
He's very eloquent.
Does he work in a theatre?
No. Carphone warehouse.
Just till he gets back
on his feet again.
You sure you want to join
this group?
You look quite normal.
I'm not.
So, why are you all interested
in Richard III?
Everyone has their own reasons,
I suppose.
But the one thing
that binds us ricardians
is that we stand united
against lies and falsehoods,
whether they be peddled
on tudor printing presses
or on Twitter.
- What about you?
- Oh. Not quite sure.
I'd quite like to pay
my respects, though.
You know, maybe
visit his grave one day.
Oh, you'll have a job.
There isn't one.
Depending on who you talk to,
he was either thrown
into the river soar
or his mortal remains
are lost to history.
- Hi, mum.
- Hey. How was it?
- Really good.
- Yeah?
- M dies at the end.
- Oh, great.
- Forty people were killed.
- Yeah?
But James Bond only killed
- 17 people.
- Right.
Which means 23 of them were
killed by unlicensed people.
Oh. Oh, dear.
Er, don't get too comfortable.
It's a school night. Remember?
Go on, I'll be up in a minute.
Goodnight.
- Night, Max.
- Goodnight.
Did you manage to relax?
Yeah, it was nice and quiet,
really.
You went out?
Yeah, just to the corner shop.
For... tomatoes.
Right. I'm away home.
- Goodnight.
- Night.
Mum, you look like a panda.
Oh, thanks, darling.
Don't go to work today, mum.
Stay at home
until you feel better.
Thanks, sweetheart.
Think I will.
Look after your brother,
all right?
I have a condition...
Which I have to manage.
It's called me and, erm...
It flares up when I'm stressed.
It's funny, people find out
this one thing about you
and that's all they can see.
But there's more to me
than that.
I've been trying to work out
why you're here.
I'm wondering
if it's because you're lost.
- Hi.
- Hi.
We think you might be having
some sort of breakdown.
We think
you need to talk to someone.
Sorry, is this some
kind of intervention?
No. You haven't answered
our calls,
you haven't answered our texts.
What have you been doing?
And you should know
Tony's saying that you left
because of your health.
He says he's been covering up
the extent of your me for years.
How can he say that?
It's not even true.
But you're not there to defend
yourself though, are you?
Do you know the principle
"innocent until proven guilty"
was introduced 500 years ago?
By Richard III, actually.
No.
No, neither did I
until about two days ago.
Excuse me.
Where are you going?
- Not back to work.
- What'll you do, Phil?
I don't know. Maybe,
erm... have an adventure?
Jessica, nice to meet you.
Pleased to meet you too,
Philippa.
Welcome
to the king Richard family.
You wrote to me about
greyfriars church and the king?
Yes, nobody now knows
where the church is located,
but you believe that's where
they buried Richard
after the battle of bosworth?
All the sources suggest
he could have been.
My guess is
he'd be under the choir.
It's the part of the church
where they buried
- all the important people.
- Ah, ok.
Er, but, you know,
you really should have a word
with Graham naismith.
He's an amateur historian
I came across.
Lives over there in cornwall.
- Mum!
- Yes, in here. Hey, love.
Did you stay at home all day?
No, I wasn't feeling very well.
- I'm feeling much better now.
- What's for dinner?
Erm, I don't know. I haven't...
I'll do it in a minute.
Can we just order some pizza?
Max knows how to do it.
Yes, ok.
Take my card, it's just there.
Don't tell your dad, ok?
Where is he, by the way?
Entertaining his female suitor.
Ah, makes sense.
I was talking to Jessica
in San Diego and she said
you were the man to speak to
about Richard's grave.
Ah, the holy grail.
Well, if you're interested
in all that,
I can send you a link
if you like.
Oh, Graham, that'd be...
That'd be fantastic, thank you.
The key is to find
Robert herrick's garden.
- Whose?
- Robert herrick.
He was a former
mayor of Leicester
who supposedly built a shrine
in the grounds of his mansion
in the early 1600s to Mark the
spot where Richard was buried.
Sorry, Graham, I can't help
noticing your hair.
It looks a lot
like Richard III's.
Is that deliberate?
Yes.
Robert herrick was mayor
of Leicester in 1593
and I think again in 1605.
There's a map somewhere
in the city archives
which shows
where he built his mansion
and the layout of the grounds.
Graham this is all so useful.
Thank you.
I really like your hair
like that, by the way.
It's like I've been sitting here
talking to Richard himself.
"Naked of all clothing
and laid upon horseback"
with the arms and legs
hanging down on both sides,
the body of king Richard
was brought
"to the Abbey of
monks franciscans at Leicester."
"A miserable spectacle."
- Did the boys get off ok?
- Er, yeah, fine, fine.
You know, I've got
a good feeling about today.
Do you?
Well, I mean, if Tony's
sending you on this course
then he obviously
still thinks highly of you.
Yeah, no, I wouldn't get
too excited, it's just...
And you'll be back by 7:30?
I've got to be away by then,
7:45 the latest.
Yeah, I know. Don't wanna keep
seafood Sarah waiting, do we?
Pardon?
Ok, bye.
As you've probably worked out,
I'm not going on
a work training day thing.
Going to Leicester,
for a lecture.
About you, actually.
In fact, today's all about you.
You're quite young, aren't you?
Thirty-two.
Same age as Alexander the great
when he died.
I'm...
Forty-five.
I've been told I could
easily pass for 37.
Well, some days, I feel like 97.
I was reading that you were an
advocate for the printing press
at a time when it was considered
the work of the devil.
And those same machines
were used to print lies
about you.
Five hundred years of lies.
Upon Edward iv's death,
Richard put the king's
young sons, his own nephews,
in the tower of London.
Then he made his move.
First he put it about that
these boys were illegitimate.
Then on June the 26th,
he declared himself
king Richard III.
The classic coup d'etat.
And of course,
the princes in the tower
were never seen
or heard of again.
- Er...
- Oh. Yes?
Sorry, but his nephews
were illegitimate.
Edward iv had already
married lady Eleanor Butler,
so his marriage
to the princes' mother,
Elizabeth woodville,
was unlawful.
Those boys would never
have been crowned.
They were born out
of an illegal marriage.
Madam, on the royal
family's own website,
you will find Richard
listed there as a usurper.
Then people
are being misinformed.
There's actually
no contemporary evidence
to say he murdered the princes.
Tyrrell's admission
that he killed the boys
on Richard's orders?
Or the writings of
the Italian courtier Mancini.
Unsupported tudor propaganda.
And wilful misrepresentation
of Mancini.
Respectively.
I strongly feel that
he's innocent of their murders.
Oh, you "feel" strongly.
You have a feeling.
A hunch, perhaps?
Like Richard?
Actually, no one who met him
when he was alive
said he had a hunchback.
The opinions
of the greatest historians
of the modern age are
in almost unanimous agreement
that Richard III, who of course
met his ignominious end
not ten miles away
from where we now sit,
was a usurper
and, all things considered,
a pretty unsavoury individual.
The evidence is that...
That he brought the country
the strong leadership it needed
after the death of his brother
and went on to create
a fairer and more just society.
Perhaps you might tell us
your name?
Erm...
Philippa... Langley.
And you're from?
The Richard III society.
Oh, the fan club.
Well, thank you,
Philippa Langley.
But you might like to know
that the study of history
is an academic discipline
based upon rigorous
and dispassionate research
so that one might
take the evidence and study it
and then draw conclusions,
rather than the other way round.
Now, that's not a feeling,
that's a fact. Hmm.
Dr ashdown-hill.
I've read your book.
I was wondering
if you'd sign my copy, please.
Of course!
Well done, by the way, dear.
You stood your ground.
You pay no attention to him,
pompous old queen.
- There you go.
- Thank you.
There's a woman in her 60s
living in Canada,
and a cabinet maker in clapham
who've got more claim
to the throne than Henry vii.
- Or any of the other tudors.
- Pardon?
I've just spent
the last 18 months
tracing the mitochondrial DNA
of Richard's sister
all the way down to
their present-day descendants.
I'm about to publish
the results.
That's amazing!
Er, actually, I was wondering
if I could ask you something.
We'll have to walk and talk.
- Of course.
- I'm already late.
What I wanted to say
is that you've so inspired me,
I want to try and find
greyfriars church.
Oh, that's long since gone.
No, that disappeared
centuries ago.
Right. Well, we know
it had to be on
a main thoroughfare
so the friars could beg alms
from passers-by, right?
And that's to the south
of st Martin's church.
Now the cathedral,
which is to the east
- of the old city wall...
- Taxi!
Yes, that's very impressive.
I know
what you're really looking for,
and, er, it's not an old church.
Oh?
Well, I wish you
the best of luck.
Plenty have tried to find him
and failed.
Gateway house, please.
Well, er, do you have
any advice?
There's a good chance Richard
is under a shopping centre,
forever entombed in a concrete
pile beneath topshop.
Right.
But when the dissolution
occurred,
the friaries and monasteries
were still regarded
as sacred places.
People are very superstitious
about things like that.
So, although
they may have rebuilt
the surrounding buildings,
the site of a church
like greyfriars, for instance,
was often left undisturbed.
So what are you saying?
Look for an open space.
Ok. Thank you. All right.
"From this spot were scattered
into the river soar
the remains of Richard III."
What was that? On the bridge?
- I thought it'd be funny.
- Well, it wasn't.
Sorry, did you just talk?
How come
you've never spoken before?
You've never asked me anything
before.
Right.
Wait, you don't happen to know
where you are, do you?
- Might help.
- Watch out.
You were dead. Sorry.
- Are you lost?
- Sorry?
Erm...
Excuse me, could you, erm...
Could you tell me what
that letter represents, please?
Just means reserved.
It's the social services
car park.
That bay's reserved
for one of the managers.
Of course. Reserved.
Thanks.
Oh.
Oh, shit. Shit.
Thanks.
Shit, shit.
Oh, fuck. Sorry.
No! No! No, no, no!
Oh, no!
I'm so sorry.
Glass?
I'd better not.
No, don't want to be ill for,
er, work tomorrow, do we?
Was Sarah ok?
Sarah's fine. Sarah's normal.
Tony rang.
I know you haven't been
in work for the last two weeks.
I'm not actually that bothered
that you lied to me
or selfishly ruined my evening,
but what about the boys?
I told you we can't afford
for you to be out of work.
I know, I know.
It's none of my business,
but were you with someone today?
No, absolutely not.
Sorry, what do you mean, John?
Well, I... you're clearly
hiding something from me.
I mean, where were you today?
- Erm, Leicester.
- Leicester?
Look, I've had an idea.
Now, just listen.
It's not as mad as it's...
Probably going to sound,
but, erm, well, I've been
doing a lot of research.
All the information
I need to find him,
well, it's all out there
but it's in...
Lots of different little pieces
scattered all over the place
and I... I don't think anybody's
brought it all together before,
but I...
I know I can find him.
Who?
Richard.
Richard who?
Sorry, the third.
The king?
If I can find him,
I can give him a voice.
I think you need help.
John, if you...
If you could just understand
the way it's made me feel.
You know, when I'm in the middle
of my research,
when I'm thinking about
what I can do for him, I...
I feel energised.
I feel happy.
- Do you?
- Yes.
And this, is that why
you wanted me to leave?
Because I didn't make you
feel energised or happy?
- You walked out, John.
- It was constructive dismissal.
Always looking for something,
isn't that what you
always used to say about me?
Well... well, now I actually am.
Richard III.
I remember there was a picture
in the textbook at school
of Richard,
and he creeped me out.
It's the evil hunchback that
killed the princes in the tower.
Yes, but he didn't kill
his nephews and he wasn't evil.
I don't believe
he even had a hunchback.
That's all stuff the tudors put
about to trash his reputation.
He was a good man.
I'm convinced of it.
But nobody's interested.
If I can find him,
then they would be.
What are you talking about?
Ok, imagine this.
You're Henry vii.
You're... you're the new king
and you need everyone
to hate the king
that came before you, Richard.
So you'd think that in your
first speech to the country,
which was recorded
in the parliamentary archives,
that you might mention
the fact that he'd killed
those two little princes,
wouldn't you?
But he doesn't.
You're starting to
sound slightly mad.
He doesn't mention them. Why?
Because they must've
still been alive.
You know, I...
I think you might be right.
If he didn't kill them
and he wasn't a hunchback...
Oh, my god, I think I've got it.
Of course, the hump.
He must've stuffed the princes
up the back of his jumper!
There, you've cracked it!
Hello?
Yes, I'd like to speak to, erm,
Richard Buckley, please.
Archaeological services.
Stay wide.
Keep your shape.
Support the scrum half.
I just thought as a Leicester
company, you might be
interested in sponsoring
the search for a king.
Hello, er, this is a message
from Philippa Langley
for Richard Buckley.
Think there's a dig that
he might be interested in.
My phone number is 07...
Oh, my god!
- Did you see that?
- He's fine.
Oh, my god, darling, are you ok?
Please don't take
this the wrong way.
No.
But even from my perspective,
this is starting to look a bit
like an unhealthy obsession?
I can't believe
you just said that.
I'm doing this for you.
Do you know what people
say about you?
I'm sure it's not
particularly flattering.
Do you know
who William Shakespeare is?
Ok, well, he was
a very celebrated writer,
and everyone thinks he's amazing
and he wrote a play about you.
And there's this bit
where you're supposedly
- talking about yourself.
- Go on.
"So lame and unfashionable
that dogs bark at me
as I halt by them."
You're so weird,
that you even freak out dogs.
That's a bit harsh.
Thank you for your enquiry,
but this is not something
we wish to pursue.
Unfortunately,
we are unable to assist you.
This is not
the sort of project...
Is this a joke?
It's getting rather annoying.
- The answer is no.
- Sadly, no.
Unfortunately, your application
has been rejected.
Your enquiry
was not appropriate.
The answer is no.
As you all know,
I've been doing some research
into finding
king Richard's grave,
with the intention of
giving him a proper burial
with a royal coat of arms
on his tomb
and restoring him to
his rightful place in history.
And a "hey, nonny nonny" to you.
Well, for personal reasons,
I'm going to have to suspend
my research indefinitely...
This is a travesty!
You can't stop now!
- I won't allow it!
- Keith!
If you don't mind me saying,
perhaps the kindest thing
is to set the girl free.
Many a ricardian,
and I'm certainly not looking
at you, you personally,
has wandered down that same path
only to discover little more
than the calcified remains
of his own ambition.
What's happened, Philippa?
I've been trying
to generate interest
from possible sponsors,
but I haven't had any luck,
and I can't get through to
a guy called Richard Buckley,
a Leicester archaeologist.
Philippa,
I used to live next door
to the lord mayor of Leicester.
The current lord mayor.
We used to be neighbours.
Well, anyway, my mind's
made up on this.
I could ask him if he'd help.
Dad, how heavy is 330 pounds?
Hello! Is anyone in there?
About two of me.
And that's how heavy
the Cannon balls are.
And they could fire them
two miles!
Imagine one of those
landing on your foot.
- Hey.
- Hi, mum.
- Hi.
- Hey.
- Found him yet?
- Very funny.
So, how are you?
Psoriasis is back on my elbows.
Work's a bit shit,
but just trying to make the best
of it, like everyone else.
Well, almost everyone else.
I spoke to awusi, from work.
Hmm! And what did she
have to say?
I should know my place?
Start baking cakes?
People do like cake.
Hmm.
John, I... I need to ask you
to do something.
No.
You don't know
what it is I'm gonna say.
Well, whatever it is, no.
I need you to let your flat go
and move back in with us.
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
I feel like I'm being
cuckolded by a ghost.
John, I just...
I really need to do this.
I'm sorry.
It's colossal, isn't it, dad?
It is.
The thing about mons Meg
is it soon became obsolete
because it was so heavy,
they couldn't move it anywhere.
So it wasn't so much
a colossal gun in the end
as a colossal waste of time.
He was talking to you,
but really
he was saying that to mum.
Ok, boys, it's nearly time
for the one o'clock gun.
- Shall we go?
- Yeah.
The grass is always greener
- for you, Philippa, isn't it?
- Hurry up, raife.
Other women seem
perfectly happy with their lot.
I don't think they are.
Is, erm, is that the picture
you were shown at school?
- That one?
- Yes.
The tudors doctored
that painting.
Really?
It was x-rayed and proved
that they retouched it
to make him look evil.
Look at the thumb.
It's been sharpened into a claw.
They narrowed his eyes
and made his lips
thinner and meaner.
That is what he really
looked like.
Normal eyes, normal mouth,
normal thumb. See?
Yes, but how can you
possibly find him on your own?
And even if you do, what then?
You're trying
to make him perfect.
He wasn't. None of us is.
We always try to
demonise people,
or sanctify them.
You know, we're...
You know,
we're all in the middle.
I mean, I'm sure Mother Teresa
left the top off the milk
now and then.
And, er, I'll bet that
genghis Khan
occasionally picked up
bits of litter.
Yeah. Human.
Not perfect and not a...
Not a demon either.
You always do
the same thing, Philippa.
You pretend to ask me something,
but the truth is, you just
put a gun against my head.
Hi. Er, Philippa Langley
here to see mr Buckley, please.
And which company are you from?
Oh, no. I'm not with a company,
but he is expecting me.
Cheers.
Erm, actually, sorry.
You don't...
You don't happen to have
a knife, do you, at all?
You're gonna have to take this
meeting on your own, Mathew.
I've got too much to do.
The bloody thing's
been forced on us anyway.
Richard,
this is Philippa Langley.
- Hello. Richard Buckley.
- Hello. Erm...
This is my deputy,
Mathew Morris.
Sorry, can I sit down, please?
Er, yes, there, of course.
Erm...
Thank you.
Is anything...
Anything the matter?
So sorry, I've got me
and it's a real illness.
It... it comes on
at times of stress.
Would you like a glass of water?
Yes, please,
that'd be lovely. Thank you.
- Would you like to reschedule?
- No.
Erm, actually, I've...
I've... got a cake for you.
- Not for me.
- Thank you very much.
It's, er, lemon drizzle.
Your receptionist
gave me a knife.
Thank you.
- Thank you so much.
- Pleasure.
So you're a friend of the mayor?
- No.
- Oh, I thought...
My friend used to live next
door to him, so I sort of...
I sort of used him
to get to you.
- And it worked.
- Hmm.
- So, er, what is it you wanted?
- Thank you.
Erm...
I've... I've got
a archaeological proposal
about Richard III that might...
I hope would be
of interest to you.
Ok.
I'm planning to raise the funds
to pay you, of course.
Ok.
Do you want me to start talking
about it now?
Please do.
- I want to dig for Richard.
- For Richard?
Yes.
And what is it
you want to dig for?
Richard.
The third.
Yes, in connection
with Richard III,
what is it
you're hoping to find?
Him. Him.
- Him?
- Yes.
I think I know where he is.
I'm really sorry.
I think I need some air.
Oh, of course.
- I'm so sorry.
- Let me help you.
- Would you mind?
- Could you?
- Yes, of course. Of course.
- There we are.
There we go.
- Thank you.
- That's the way.
So, where do you think he is?
It's my understanding that
his remains were thrown into...
He wasn't thrown
into the river soar.
I read that in your book
and that rumour
has been since discredited.
Well, you may well be right.
He may be out there somewhere.
But even if we...
Even if we can pinpoint
where greyfriars once stood,
finding him would be
virtually impossible.
Literally finding a needle
in a haystack would be easier.
Well, according to
the historian John ashdown-hill,
the site of greyfriars
would probably still be
an open space somewhere.
So, can you help me?
No.
- Oh.
- I don't look for people.
If you go and look
for a single thing...
He just called me a thing.
Please don't call him that.
He is a person, not a thing.
Ok, I'm just saying,
I don't go looking
for one specific thing.
He just said it again.
- You just said it again.
- Sorry.
Er, the point I'm trying to make
is that's not how
archaeology works.
All right, well, erm...
Well, how about
we look for a church?
The whole church,
not just Richard?
What can you show us to back up
any of what you're saying?
Actually, would you mind?
Thank you so much.
Well, here's the relevant
parts of my research.
Well, why don't you
leave this with me,
- and I'll get back to you?
- Of course, yes.
I've got copies.
You can keep that.
Thank you.
- So, are you feeling better now?
- Much.
Goodbye, mr Buckley.
- Richard.
- The third, yes.
No. That's my name. Richard.
Of course it is.
Goodbye, Richard.
- Thank you for the cake.
- My pleasure.
- Bye, Mathew.
- Goodbye.
- Yes.
- Thank you.
I'll tell the lord mayor's
office that we've met her,
duty done, and email her
thanks, but no, thanks.
Yep, ok.
It's funny.
I do enjoy talking to you.
If it's to tell me again
how ugly I am,
I'd, er, rather
you didn't bother.
There's something
I've been meaning to ask you.
- The princes in the tower.
- Hmm.
- Your nephews.
- What about them?
Well, what...
What happened to them?
What do you think
happened to them?
I don't know.
Well, lots of people say you
killed them or had them killed
so you could become king, but...
Did you?
You're really asking me that?
Well, I know Edward
also had five daughters.
And then there was your
older brother George's son.
And your sister had seven sons,
and they all had claims
to the throne.
So if you killed one,
you'd have to kill them all.
And that's what I tell people.
No. I... I'm sorry.
Please don't go.
I'm just trying to understand.
I'm sorry.
- Hey.
- How did it go?
Erm, hard to say. Ok, I think.
I don't know.
It's just, suddenly,
it feels like, erm...
Well, it's a bit scary
because it's...
I feel it's the last-chance
saloon, you know?
How'd it go with, erm,
sea... Sarah.
Yes, go on, seafood Sarah.
I know what
you and the boys call her.
- Sorry.
- Anyway, we split up.
Oh, no! Why?
Because she bored
the bloody pants off me.
A bit too normal, then.
Every sentence started
with, "to tell the truth."
Why would she automatically
assume I thought she was lying?
Nothing else?
- She had big feet.
- There it is.
You know, er, Richard III,
he may have been, er,
a wise and just leader
and I'm sure
had he lived longer,
he would've avoided
all the bloodshed
of the reformation
and, you know, whatever.
But would he have sold
his collection
of sex pistols memorabilia
to help pay for a new kitchen?
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
All day long. No question.
Would he have driven 15 miles,
on a Sunday,
to a service station
to buy his pregnant wife
a greggs cheese and onion pasty?
No, he would've ridden there.
On his white steed.
That's what he would have done.
Do we really want to go
down that path again?
- Probably not.
- No.
- Night, love.
- Goodnight.
Sleep well.
How did it go?
"The university
faces challenging times."
"Profound regret.
Blah-di-bloody-blah."
They're shutting us down?
They've withdrawn
their funding. Fuck!
I've just ordered new laptops
for everyone.
We're not shutting down, ok?
Instead of working exclusively
for the university,
we'll just have to find funding
from other sources.
Mathew, did you send
that email to, er, Philippa?
The cake lady?
Er, no, I don't think
I have yet, no.
Good. Don't.
Arrange another meeting.
When I got the call,
I was convinced it would be,
- "thanks, but no, thanks."
- Oh, no, no, no.
- Don't be silly.
- It's a new era for us.
We are available for hire.
Ah, there we are.
Oh, wow.
So, that's st Martin's church.
Now the cathedral.
That's Robert herrick's garden.
We found it in
the council archives.
I've heard about this map,
but I never thought I'd see it.
What's that there?
Some sort of garden feature.
A pagoda?
Well, herrick was rumoured
to have a king
buried in his back garden.
A circular feature with
four pathways leading to it
says, "come and have a look
at what I've got."
Hmm!
It's hard to be precise
about where that is, though.
Erm, maps from that long ago
very often weren't to scale.
Right.
What about
if we just superimpose this
over a modern map?
No, that won't work because...
Well, I don't know why not,
actually.
Erm, has that been done before,
Mathew?
- Worth a try, surely?
- Hmm.
Hmm.
So, here is the modern map.
And here's the old one.
Er, Leicester cathedral
was then, erm, at st Martin's.
Friar Lane is, er...
Oh, still the same,
just, er, spelt differently.
Now, cank street.
Where's cank street?
Cank street is now st Martin's.
And, er, high street
is southgates.
Well, if
the herrick map is accurate...
And to scale.
Whatever it is
in herrick's garden
is now right in the middle of
the social services car park.
It's still an open space.
Perhaps we should start
looking there.
For greyfriars.
If we're saying this
is about finding the church,
then on that basis... I'm in.
Thank you.
- It won't be cheap.
- I'll raise the funds.
You need the council
to help with that
- and with all the permits.
- I'll help.
I know.
I'm Sarah levitt and I'm head
of arts and museums
for Leicester city council.
And now Philippa is here
to answer any queries
that we may have.
Thank you.
Philippa. Martin Peters.
I run an organisation
which promotes leicestershire.
- Hi.
- What's your funding plan?
Well, I wanted to put it out to
a number of interested parties,
including yourself.
Erm, the council,
Leicester university.
And then hopefully
make up any shortfall
by pitching it
to potential sponsors.
Richard Taylor, Leicester uni.
Now, we, potentially,
might have some funding
we could put in.
But I'm concerned
about your costs.
I mean,
radar survey of the site.
Digging up the car park.
Paying
for everyone's car parking
whilst the dig
is being carried out.
Reinstating the car park.
I mean... what is your budget?
Forty, 50k?
Thirty-five.
And the rest?
The thing is, we don't know
how long the car park will
remain just that, a car park.
There are rumours
that the site might be sold
and redeveloped.
And then that chance
is gone forever.
I... I believe that this is a
very important historical site.
I've the strongest feeling
about this.
You see, for me,
a feeling is what you get
when you sit on a bus seat
that's still warm.
Supposing, against all the odds,
that you do find a body,
that you believe to be that
of Richard III,
how can you possibly prove
that it's him?
Well, actually...
Because it's got
all the hallmarks
of being a wild-goose chase.
If you could just let
Philippa answer.
Thank you.
Actually, erm,
the historian John ashdown-hill
has traced living descendants
of Richard's
back through 500 years
of the female mitochondrial
DNA line.
So... a simple DNA test
would establish definitively
whether any remains were his.
Any other questions? No?
Thank you, Philippa.
If you'd like to wait
downstairs,
we'll discuss this further.
Sure. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Now, I'm sure this woman
means well,
but it's important
to acknowledge
that she's an amateur.
And she has an emotional dynamic
which I don't think
is very helpful.
My concern is for the reputation
of the university,
should this whole thing
become a fiasco.
Huh! I mean, Richard III,
under a car park.
- Hi.
- Hi.
It's been approved.
Congratulations.
- What? No!
- Yes.
- No!
- Yes.
Oh, and you are also
fully funded.
Martin Peters from
leicestershire promotions
has agreed to give you
the full 35k.
He thinks the publicity
would be great for the city,
- and I agree.
- Oh, my goodness.
Oh, thank you so much.
Now, can I give you
a piece of advice?
Of course, yes.
Please don't mention
your feelings again.
Right, yes, of course.
- I keep doing that.
- Yes.
People love to use that
as a stick to beat you with.
- Especially if you're a woman.
- Of course. Thank you so much.
This is the equivalent of
someone with a homemade rocket
saying they're gonna reach
the moon.
That's how we should
look at this.
Be hilarious if she actually
found him though, wouldn't it?
Would it? Be hilarious?
- Hello.
- She seemed nice.
Sarah? Yeah, she is. Very.
Erm...
I didn't think I was gonna
see you again
after, you know,
the other night.
I'm sorry, I... I mean,
I know it's a touchy subject.
I believe you, by the way.
I definitely don't think
you did... kill them.
Just to clear that up.
I thought you were really
impressive with those people.
Thank you.
Exciting, isn't it?
I think it's a waste
of money. In my experience,
you hardly ever get anything
definitive from radar surveys.
Results from the radar survey.
All negative.
Well, that can't be right.
They didn't spot anything, John.
There's no walls,
no foundation, no graves.
There must've been something
there before the car park.
There's no way they'll let me
go ahead with the dig now.
What does Richard say?
- Richard?
- Hmm.
- Why don't you ask his opinion?
- He doesn't mean me.
- Buckley?
- Hmm.
Richard Buckley, yes, of course.
I did warn you.
Yes, I know. I know.
But what do we do now?
Well, have you spoken
to Sarah levitt this morning?
No. Why?
More bad news, I'm afraid.
Leicestershire promotions
have pulled out.
But that's all our funding.
Sarah did say the council
will still support you for now,
but you're gonna need to raise
new finance very quickly.
Well, what about
Leicester university?
Surely with you involved,
they can't just ignore me?
Leicester university is not
a benevolent seat of learning.
It's a business.
And they've recently
dispensed with my services.
Oh, Richard, I'm so sorry.
I had no idea. I...
Have faith in your research,
Philippa.
Have faith in yourself.
If you're asking if
I'm still in, the answer's yes.
Thank you. Thank you, Richard.
Yes, bye.
Hooray for Richard Buckley.
At least he hasn't abandoned us.
- What about the funds you need?
- I don't know, really.
I... suppose
I'll have to think of something.
The main thing is that
they haven't closed us down.
Completely.
- Dad?
- Yes, raife?
Mum talks to herself.
Well, we all do.
Er, a few blisters, but, er...
- Well?
- He's asking too much for it.
What you wanna do
is go in at 3,750.
Tell him four's your top offer,
and settle for 4,250.
- Agreed.
- Agreed.
- Hi, mum.
- Mum!
- Hello, darlings.
- Any luck?
Erm, managed to claw back 5,000
from leicestershire promotions.
- But that's about it.
- Oh, that's... good.
Suddenly everyone's
got cold feet.
- Mum!
- I don't quite know what to do.
- Yes, darling?
- Ok, well, look. Not now.
Perhaps it's, you know,
an opportunity
- to take stock of everything.
- What do you mean?
Well, you know, I don't plan
on spending the rest of my life
- sleeping on a sofa.
- Mum.
- Yes?
- Dad's getting a new car!
Is he really? Very nice.
Perhaps he can drop you
right in front of the school
now, can't he? Hmm?
She hasn't made us
any dinner again.
- It's disgraceful.
- Shut up, raife.
Yeah, shut up, raife.
Come on, let's go
into town, get a bite.
- Come on through.
- Get out of her hair.
Everybody, this is,
erm, Annette, Hamish
from the society. Max and raife.
And this is my, erm...
Well, this is John.
- Ex-husband.
- Yeah.
What are you doing?
Are you coming, going?
We're gonna go into town,
get a bite.
Quick as you can.
We will stay out
as long as is humanly possible.
Take your time. Come through.
If I had two sons,
I would make sure
they had something to eat
before I went looking
for Richard III.
I'm wondering now
if we make a direct appeal
to the ricardians
to raise some funds for the dig.
- A crowd fund.
- Yes, exactly that.
Er, what do you want to call it?
Oh, I couldn't decide
between digging the king
because it works on two levels.
We are actually digging for him
and also want people to...
"Dig" Richard.
Yeah, I-I got that.
What's the other title?
- Looking for Richard project.
- Call it that.
Right.
Should that be "sudden
and unexpected shortfall"?
- Hmm.
- Ok.
That's good.
- Happy?
- I think so.
Certainly better
than what I had.
- Send?
- Yeah.
That's it.
Three and half thousand
society members.
If everyone sends in a pound,
be a good start, wouldn't it?
I'd say. Thank you so much.
There are still emails
coming in from america,
Australia, South Africa,
Germany, Canada, Brazil.
So, how much has been pledged?
Oh, well, the current total is,
er...
26,374 and rising.
I can't believe it.
Our own chairman has
donated 5,000 all by himself.
- Phil stone?
- Yeah.
And another 2,000
from an anonymous source.
People have been so generous,
it's overwhelming.
I think it's gonna happen.
Can we keep this clear, please?
Over here, please.
Oh, very patriotic.
- Right.
- Thank you.
- Good luck.
- Thank you very much.
I'll need it.
The train
now standing at platform three
is the 10:25 service
to inverness.
Calling at haymarket,
falkirk, stirling, dunblane,
gleneagles, Perth, dunkeld,
pitlochry, Blair atholl...
What's wrong?
Where's the new car?
The boys said
you were getting a new car.
What?
It was you, wasn't it?
Two thousand pounds
for the appeal.
It was the boys' idea.
They insisted.
You're a good man, John.
Hmm. That's fair.
Hi, Richard. What's happening?
As we discussed, three trenches.
Maximum the budget will allow.
And in order to give ourselves
the best chance
of finding
one of the walls of greyfriars,
I'm gonna cut them
north to south.
Here. One there.
And another one over there.
- Trench one will start here.
- Ok.
And run all the way
down this way
to round about here.
- To about here?
- That's right, yeah.
Ooh, by the way,
I meant to tell you,
I signed the exhumation licence.
The paperwork arrived
at the office this morning.
I couldn't remember
if you had any comments.
I just wanted to get it
out of the way.
Saves a lot of fannying around.
Course, it's not an issue
unless we find him.
Er, does it matter
what end we start at?
Er... no.
Can we start at this end,
do you think?
- Any particular reason?
- No.
- Ok.
- Great.
- Groovy wellies.
- Thanks.
Philippa.
John!
So glad you could make it!
- Who's that fellow over there?
- What?
Oh, that's, erm...
That's Richard Taylor.
He's from Leicester university.
Why?
I rather thought you were the
driving force behind this dig,
but from what I could hear,
apparently, it's all down
to the university.
What?
We're very excited
about what we might find.
Very excited.
And so, with the university
leading the search,
we can say with confidence
that if he's out there,
we will find him.
- Richard.
- Ok?
- That's great.
- Good.
- Thank you.
- What's going on?
Just a little interview
for the university website.
Erm, Leicester uni isn't leading
the search for Richard. I am.
You put in a little bit of
funding right at the last minute
- and that's it.
- Come on now, Philippa.
- We're all in this together.
- Philippa.
- Excuse me.
- Hm-hmm.
Someone getting too big
for their fancy boots.
What is it?
Philippa,
we've found some leg bones.
- Leg bones?
- No feet with them.
Just the lower legs
sticking out into the trench.
Looks like the feet were cut off
when they dug down
to put in sewage pipes
a couple of hundred years ago.
What about the rest of the body?
Well, if it's a complete burial,
it's under there
outside the trench.
It's almost certain this whole
area is outside the church,
which is our focus, remember?
Probably a friar buried
in a little adjoining graveyard.
Given the budget constraints
we're not gonna waste time
and money digging it out,
but, er, not a bad start, eh?
What's the matter?
I'm worried.
What about?
I won't find you.
Or that I will.
There seems to be
some excitement this morning.
Yes, we found the shadow
of a stone wall,
which could be the cloister
wall of greyfriars church
in this trench here.
And once we work out
the geography of the church,
we need to find the choir,
because that's where they buried
important people, apparently.
I also believe that the bones
we found in trench one
could be very significant here.
- I'm so fed up.
- You're the client, Philippa.
You're entitled to ask
for whatever you want.
They never miss a chance
to put me in my place.
It's exhausting.
Don't let them push you around.
I'll try my best.
Thanks, John.
We're all thinking of you here.
Stay strong and chin up, eh?
Bye-bye.
Bye, love.
This looks really promising.
I think this trench cuts across
the east end of the church.
So we are pretty close
to the choir here.
If we keep working
in this direction,
- give it another...
- Richard.
- Can I have a word, please?
- Of course.
I want to exhume
the rest of the remains
in trench one, please.
Philippa, I've already told you,
those are almost certainly
the remains of a friar.
I don't think there's
any doubt about it, Richard.
The depth they're buried at,
and they're too far west
to be in the choir.
- I agree.
- I want to dig him up, please.
I've stuck my neck out for you
because till now, I felt your
research was sound and thorough.
I think it's him.
Don't you think you've become
fixated on these bones
just because they were
the first ones we discovered?
What if that is part
of the choir, hmm? Over there?
What if you're wrong
and it is him?
Myself and all
the professionals,
the assembled academics
all say concentrate here
in trench three,
but you say, "no,
let's concentrate over there,"
because that's where you think
he is. Do you see my problem?
I want to exhume
the rest of those bones!
We can't.
We don't have the money to!
I've got about 800 left
in the fund. Will that cover it?
I suppose so.
Well, can you just do it then?
Please.
Jo, dig out the remains
in trench one.
- Really?
- Yes, really.
She's paying for it.
Let's give her what she wants.
I'm going home.
I can't bear it.
I'm going for a walk.
Fancy a brew, Jo?
Hello, Jo?
Wait.
Wait!
There's a wound to the skull.
It's not visible
from the surface,
but when you turn it over,
you can see a slicing blow
that has taken
some skull with it.
It would have killed him
almost instantly.
"Killed the boar,
shaved his head."
That's a Welsh poet's
description
of the death of Richard
from the 15th century.
Richard's personal emblem
was a boar.
It's the body of an adult male,
aged somewhere between
20 and 40.
Richard was 32.
But there's something else.
I've just been excavating
the spinal column,
and if you look at it
along here, it's unmistakable.
There's an abnormal curvature.
Hello.
These remains
are those of a hunchback.
Tudor apologists
will have a field day.
It doesn't matter.
He's perfect.
They're calling you
from the dig.
They're saying to tell you...
Trauma to the skull
and a curved spine.
Of course, it's not certain
that this is Richard.
There are still DNA tests
and so forth to be carried out.
But I'm struck peering down
at the mortal remains
that this is a person,
a father, a brother, a son.
Philippa, could we
have a word with you?
Yes, of course. Erm...
Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry.
Hold on, erm...
I've really got to take this.
I'm sorry, John.
Anything to add, sir?
It's a testimony
to the research...
- John?
- Hey.
I just wondered how everything
was going.
John, you're not
gonna believe this.
Where the hell is Buckley?
Found him.
- Boys. Boys! Boys.
- What are you doing?
Your mum, your mother's
just found Richard III.
- Kingfinder!
- Yeah!
Yes, mum!
I knew you could do it!
Well done, mum!
Listen, I've got to go.
- I love you lots, all of you.
- Love you too.
Very much.
He's here. He's here.
- Where were you?
- I was... busy.
Is it definitely him?
Well, I don't think
there's any doubt.
You've bloody missed it all.
We're playing catch-up now.
Vice chancellor's here.
Vice chancellor.
- Could you just...?
- Oh, yeah.
What do you mean, "we"?
The university
withdrew my funding.
It's a very fluid situation.
- Mr burgess.
- Things can change very rapidly.
Are changing very rapidly.
Will change. Mr burgess.
Philippa!
I just can't believe it!
He was right where
I said he'd be, in trench one.
- You went with your feelings?
- I did.
Oh, god!
Thank you!
Who's that?
Right, that's Bob burgess.
He's the vice chancellor.
The university have got their
big guns here double quick.
That's nice.
Archaeology department,
the university of Leicester.
Look, you have no idea
the impact
that this is gonna
have on the city!
How he famously promised
his kingdom for a horse.
But what happened to
the body of king Richard III
after his defeat at
the battle of bosworth
has remained a mystery
for more than 500 years.
Until now. Maybe.
They believe they've uncovered
the remains
of long-lost royalty.
He happens to be
king Richard III.
- Richard. Hi.
- Philippa. Hi. Excited?
Nervous.
So how's it gonna work today?
Who says what?
Leicester uni have a whole
running order worked out.
- Did they not consult you?
- No.
So who's chairing it?
- What?
- We'd better get inside.
Having received the
results of the DNA analysis,
I now call upon Richard Buckley,
the lead archaeologist
of this project,
to deliver today's
astonishing announcement
from the university
of Leicester. Thank you.
The glare of worldwide publicity
has not detracted in any way
from our intent and purpose
to conduct world-class research
on our discovery,
which is a hallmark
of the university of Leicester.
Ladies and gentlemen,
it is the academic conclusion
of the university of Leicester
that beyond reasonable doubt,
the individual exhumed
at greyfriars
on the 5th of September 2012...
Is indeed king Richard III,
son of York,
the last plantagenet king
of england.
Well done. Well done.
Philippa should have
been up on that podium with us.
Don't go off-piste.
The world's press is here.
It's about putting you and the
university front and centre.
At least I've got the good grace
to feel guilty.
Now, now.
Must dash.
Philippa. How are you?
Sorry about the, er, seating.
You haven't responded
to my emails.
What's happening
with the burial?
Oh, the tomb?
Have you seen the design?
Very striking. I'll get them
to email it to you.
It needs to have
a royal coat of arms on it.
That's very important.
It's a proper acknowledgement
of who he was.
- A sign of respect.
- Yeah.
I think this was discussed
by the burial committee,
and they didn't think
that a coat of arms
- is the correct protocol here.
- Sorry, why not?
The committee felt that
the physical evidence
gathered from the dig, the...
Hunch spine and so on,
does tend to support
the historical view
that Richard was a usurper.
Richard. Benedict cumberbatch
has agreed to do a reading
- at the re-internment!
- Oh, that is...
That's a goal!
Benedict cumberbatch.
Tell Tom I'll be there
in a minute.
Yeah.
I was tied up all yesterday
on what to put
on the souvenir bars
of the Richard III chocolate.
Be shot glasses
and bookmarks tomorrow.
Welcome to my world. Ok.
He was not a usurper.
And the diagnosis was scoliosis,
curvature of the spine.
Not a hunchback.
Well, the committee felt
that the condition,
or whatever its precise label,
does suggest
that there is more truth
to Shakespeare's account
of Richard's life
than perhaps you
and your supporters
would like to admit to.
So twisted spine equals
twisted personality, does it?
No, no, no.
That's not what the committee
is saying.
It's... it's...
Let's just calm down.
He was a legitimate king.
And his right to a royal coat
of arms on his tomb
is unarguable.
I will fight you
all the way on this, Richard.
Well, the decision of the burial
rests with the holder
of the exhumation licence,
which through Richard Buckley,
is the university of Leicester.
I thought you fired him.
We reinstated him.
And we've awarded him
a doctorate.
When did that happen?
Quite recently.
I specified a royal coat of arms
as a condition of his reburial.
But Richard Buckley
didn't include it
on the exhumation licence.
Well, that is unfortunate...
For you.
Sorry.
Excuse me.
Are you Philippa?
Yes.
Would you come and give a talk
to our school
about finding Richard III,
please?
Oh, that's very flattering.
What made you come and ask me?
That man over there.
He told us that you
were the one to talk to.
Did he?
Well, I'm sure
we can arrange something.
All I ever wanted
was to find you...
And show everyone you
were always the rightful king.
But they're taking you
away from me again.
Why don't you say
what you came here to say?
I don't want to let you go.
You know the truth.
Nothing else matters.
Goodbye.
Thank you, Philippa.
You're welcome.
Hmm. I'm surprised
to see him here.
He must've joined the fan club.
- Philippa.
- Oh, hi.
It's dr Buckley now, is it?
Oh, no, that's just for,
you know,
business cards and stuff.
Silly.
Are you going to
the big banquet later?
I made sure you got an invite.
I've gotta go and change.
I'll save you a place at the
top table. I'll see you later.
Where's mummy?
- I don't know, bubba.
- Richard?
Erm... no, I'm... I'm Pete.
Have we met?
I'm so sorry, it's my mistake.
- You're an actor, aren't you?
- Yes.
I saw you play Richard
in Edinburgh.
Oh, right. Yeah, well,
we thought we'd come down
- and see him off.
- Right.
I have to say,
you played him beautifully.
Oh.
Your performance,
it really, erm...
Stayed with me.
Thank you very much.
That's... thanks.
Where's mummy gone?
Erm, I think we better go
and find mummy.
Er, very nice to meet you.
- Philippa.
- Philippa.
- Say bye.
- Bye!
- Bye, love!
- Have a nice day!
You too.
Hello.
My name is Philippa Langley.
And I'm here today
to tell you a story
about a person
who was judged unfairly in life
and never given the opportunity
to show their true potential.
Thank you.
- Hi, Hon!
- Hey.
Thank you.
- This is it then.
- Hmm.
- Nervous?
- A bit.
You'll be all right.
First in every morning,
last out.
How are my panda eyes?
They're fine. Bad night?
Er, no, this is actually me
after a good night's sleep.
I value each and every member
of my team
and I let head office know this.
But the new management have
pushed for a list of six of you
for the super team.
So, the names I've put forward
are Brodie...
- Jamie.
- Yes!
- Laura.
- Brilliant!
- Andy.
- Right!
- Daniel.
- Yeah!
And, er...
- Kirsty.
- Oh.
So congratulations to those six.
Let's have a few minutes
to digest everything
and then back to work.
I can't believe it.
- Not now.
- Yeah.
- No.
- Yeah, now.
Kirsty? She hasn't
been here five minutes!
I think you're very
competent and valued, Philippa.
But after careful consideration,
I have decided
that you are at the right level
for you.
Are you actually reading
from an hr manual?
No, no.
Look, we both know
you've had issues.
Me isn't skiving. I suffer
from chronic fatigue, Tony.
It's a real illness.
And yet have I ever missed
a deadline?
I thought it was time to give
the younger ones
a chance to shine.
Well, if you want people
who are good at being under 40,
I will admit
I am struggling there.
But so are you.
Hair wax isn't fooling anyone.
It's Clay, actually.
I can't face it.
What would improve things
for you?
A penis.
Well, you can have mine.
It's not very busy these days.
Trying to make me laugh
isn't helping much, John.
I just keep getting horrible
flashbacks to when I was ill.
Yeah, don't do anything
impetuous. That's all I ask.
We have two households to run
and we need your wages too.
Boys!
Wait a minute,
are you not eating with us too?
No. I'm, er, going out
for dinner with a woman.
Tomato sauce and salad.
Yes, I met her
on plenty of fish.
No, I don't know much about her.
John, please,
can't you rearrange?
I can't face having to go
to this play tonight.
Not on my own.
Boys, come on now!
Yes, I could,
but I'm not going to.
And one day,
you'll thank me for it.
Oh. You wearing that jacket,
are you?
Yes, I am.
Good luck, biggles.
- My guy's going down.
- My blues are terrible.
- Boys!
- Deploy my troops!
Dinner is served.
- Mum, what are you doing?
- Mum?
- What are you doing?
- You're not listening to me.
You're coming to the theatre.
You're going round
your grandma's.
Come on. Max, it's not me
that has to write that essay.
- Quicker.
- Crazy woman.
- Er, thank you! I wonder why.
- You're a crazy woman.
Don't copy your brother, raife.
Now is the winter
of our discontent
made glorious summer
by this son of York.
And all the clouds that
lour'd upon our house
in the deep bosom
of the ocean buried.
But I, that am rudely stamp'd,
and want love's majesty,
I, that am curtail'd
of this fair proportion,
cheated of feature
by dissembling nature,
deformed, unfinish'd,
sent before my time
into this breathing world,
scarce half made up,
and that so lamely
and unfashionable
that dogs bark at me
as I halt by them,
why, I...
In this weak piping time
of peace...
Have no delight
to pass away the time,
unless to spy my shadow
in the sun
and descant
on mine own deformity.
Therefore, since I cannot
prove a lover,
I am determined
to prove a villain.
Can we just stay here, please?
Look, I know it's tough when
you start a new school, Max,
but you've got to make
an effort, darling.
Just talk about the play, yeah?
Come on.
Hello. I'm Philippa, Max's mum.
- Oh, hi.
- Hi.
- Alex, Lucy's father.
- How do you do?
- Hey.
- And this is my wife, Susan.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- We were just trying to tot up
how many more the wicked
bugger's got to murder
before he gets his sticky mitts
on the crown.
I actually felt quite sorry
for him.
- Because of his hump?
- Oh, no.
It was, erm, all that stuff
about him feeling so ugly,
he couldn't look at himself
in the mirror.
Still, it's not real, is it?
It's just a play.
Yeah,
but it's a historical play.
Shakespeare was writing about
what was to him recent history.
Well, I just don't believe
someone would be that wicked
because of a disability.
Doesn't ring true to me.
And that's your critique
of Shakespeare, is it?
"Doesn't ring true"?
Well, see how you feel about him
after he murders
his two little nephews
in the second half.
I wish the bastards dead
and I would have it
suddenly perform'd.
What sayest thou?
Speak suddenly, be brief.
Your grace may do your pleasure.
Hmm.
Be happy then,
for it is done, my lord.
I think there be six richmonds
in the field.
Five have I slain today
instead of him.
A horse! A horse!
My kingdom for a horse!
God and your arms be praised,
victorious friends.
The day is ours.
The bloody dog is dead.
Sorry. Excuse us.
Come on, Lucy!
Mum, what are you doing? Mum!
Hello, Philippa.
Richard III died in 1485.
Shakespeare didn't write
his play until around 1593.
Sorry, I'm not following you.
You said Shakespeare was
writing about recent history.
He wasn't. He wrote it
over a hundred years
after Richard's death.
All right.
And they reckon
he probably made it up
that he was a hunchback.
But it's just a play, isn't it?
That's what I said.
Ok. Bye.
Max, come on.
I just don't like it
when people put others
down for no reason.
So, your dad's got
a new girlfriend then?
Her name's Sarah
and she likes seafood,
so dad's taking her
to a fish restaurant.
He'll have the steak.
If it's a call,
introduce yourself.
If it's a man,
I talk about the footy.
But throughout all
your conversations, remember,
put on a happy face, and smile.
It's on the phone, Tony.
Well, your voice
can still have a smile in it.
"Hello. And how are you today?"
Thank you, Kirsty. Yes.
You don't have to see a smile
to know that it's there.
Very important.
Please, continue.
If it's a new client,
say something to disarm them.
"Sorry, I've been
a bit hectic today."
Or if it's towards
the end of the week,
tell them about how much
you're looking forward to...
If they're an existing client,
do make sure that you
offer them new opportunities
or alternative campaign
strategies.
That's good, but you
don't want to get trapped.
So, what you need is an...
Exit strategy.
- Come on. Quick, quick, quick.
- Morning, boys.
- Quick, quick, quicker.
- Quick as you like.
- Gym bag.
- Thank you.
Ok, mind your head.
Don't let the bastards
grind you down.
- Thanks.
- Bye, mum.
- Bye, mum.
- Bye.
Hi, erm, do you have any books
on Richard III?
- The king?
- I know who you mean.
Historical books,
not Shakespeare, please.
We have eight titles.
Yes, please. I'll take them.
Which ones?
All of them.
Thank you.
Look, I...
I know you're some sort
of apparition, so...
You can just go away
and leave me alone.
Please.
This is private property.
What is it you're going to see?
- Skyfall. James Bond.
- Oh.
- Mum?
- Yes, darling?
Can you actually get
a licence to kill?
Max says you can.
You just get a form from the
post office and apply for it.
- Like a driving licence.
- You can't, can you, mum?
- No, he's being daft.
- They only cost 15 quid.
Max!
You sure you don't wanna come?
No. I'm gonna put my feet up.
Enjoy the film.
- See you later.
- Bye, mum.
Bye, boys.
They love to paint him
as some kind of monster,
devoid of compassion and pity.
But I read
a contemporary article
from the croyland chronicle
the other day...
Ah, the croyland.
That noted
and oft-quoted medieval organ.
About when
king Richard lost his only son.
"On hearing the news
of his death at Nottingham,"
where they were then residing,
you might have seen
his father and mother
in a state almost bordering
on madness
"by reason
of their sudden grief."
And then, a few months later,
his own wife dies
of tuberculosis.
Poor man.
Must've been heartbroken.
Doesn't sound much like
Shakespeare's villain.
Thank you. And this is just
the circumstantial stuff.
We have facts.
We have hard evidence
to refute every accusation
that Richard's detractors
would put to us.
If we ever get the opportunity.
Exactly! But we're shouting
into the void
- and nobody's listening.
- Oh, shut up.
Thank you.
Because Shakespeare's play is
more attractive than the truth.
I'm sorry, my name's Philippa.
You must be
the Richard III society.
Correct!
Brackets, Edinburgh branch,
close brackets.
At your... disposal.
There's so many people who seem
to take such a dim view of him.
They do indeed.
Well, they can't all be wrong,
can they?
Have you ever heard
gossip about yourself
and thought, "how can they
say that about me"
when they don't even know me?"
Most of what is written
about king Richard
is based on tudor history
because Henry vii
won the battle of bosworth.
If you get in quick
with the first lie,
and repeat it often enough,
then it becomes the truth.
And Richard wasn't around
to defend himself, was he?
I'd like to join your society.
Oh, hail fellow well met!
You must commune
with us, Philippa.
I'm about to procure a round of
hook Norton's old hooky ales.
Oh, thanks. I'll just
have a ginger beer, please.
"If you can bear
to hear the truth you've spoken"
twisted by knaves
to make a trap for fools,
or watch the things
you gave your life to, broken,
and stoop and build them up
"with worn-out tools."
I'll get the drinks in.
Six pints of old hooky ale,
and a ginger beer, please.
He's very eloquent.
Does he work in a theatre?
No. Carphone warehouse.
Just till he gets back
on his feet again.
You sure you want to join
this group?
You look quite normal.
I'm not.
So, why are you all interested
in Richard III?
Everyone has their own reasons,
I suppose.
But the one thing
that binds us ricardians
is that we stand united
against lies and falsehoods,
whether they be peddled
on tudor printing presses
or on Twitter.
- What about you?
- Oh. Not quite sure.
I'd quite like to pay
my respects, though.
You know, maybe
visit his grave one day.
Oh, you'll have a job.
There isn't one.
Depending on who you talk to,
he was either thrown
into the river soar
or his mortal remains
are lost to history.
- Hi, mum.
- Hey. How was it?
- Really good.
- Yeah?
- M dies at the end.
- Oh, great.
- Forty people were killed.
- Yeah?
But James Bond only killed
- 17 people.
- Right.
Which means 23 of them were
killed by unlicensed people.
Oh. Oh, dear.
Er, don't get too comfortable.
It's a school night. Remember?
Go on, I'll be up in a minute.
Goodnight.
- Night, Max.
- Goodnight.
Did you manage to relax?
Yeah, it was nice and quiet,
really.
You went out?
Yeah, just to the corner shop.
For... tomatoes.
Right. I'm away home.
- Goodnight.
- Night.
Mum, you look like a panda.
Oh, thanks, darling.
Don't go to work today, mum.
Stay at home
until you feel better.
Thanks, sweetheart.
Think I will.
Look after your brother,
all right?
I have a condition...
Which I have to manage.
It's called me and, erm...
It flares up when I'm stressed.
It's funny, people find out
this one thing about you
and that's all they can see.
But there's more to me
than that.
I've been trying to work out
why you're here.
I'm wondering
if it's because you're lost.
- Hi.
- Hi.
We think you might be having
some sort of breakdown.
We think
you need to talk to someone.
Sorry, is this some
kind of intervention?
No. You haven't answered
our calls,
you haven't answered our texts.
What have you been doing?
And you should know
Tony's saying that you left
because of your health.
He says he's been covering up
the extent of your me for years.
How can he say that?
It's not even true.
But you're not there to defend
yourself though, are you?
Do you know the principle
"innocent until proven guilty"
was introduced 500 years ago?
By Richard III, actually.
No.
No, neither did I
until about two days ago.
Excuse me.
Where are you going?
- Not back to work.
- What'll you do, Phil?
I don't know. Maybe,
erm... have an adventure?
Jessica, nice to meet you.
Pleased to meet you too,
Philippa.
Welcome
to the king Richard family.
You wrote to me about
greyfriars church and the king?
Yes, nobody now knows
where the church is located,
but you believe that's where
they buried Richard
after the battle of bosworth?
All the sources suggest
he could have been.
My guess is
he'd be under the choir.
It's the part of the church
where they buried
- all the important people.
- Ah, ok.
Er, but, you know,
you really should have a word
with Graham naismith.
He's an amateur historian
I came across.
Lives over there in cornwall.
- Mum!
- Yes, in here. Hey, love.
Did you stay at home all day?
No, I wasn't feeling very well.
- I'm feeling much better now.
- What's for dinner?
Erm, I don't know. I haven't...
I'll do it in a minute.
Can we just order some pizza?
Max knows how to do it.
Yes, ok.
Take my card, it's just there.
Don't tell your dad, ok?
Where is he, by the way?
Entertaining his female suitor.
Ah, makes sense.
I was talking to Jessica
in San Diego and she said
you were the man to speak to
about Richard's grave.
Ah, the holy grail.
Well, if you're interested
in all that,
I can send you a link
if you like.
Oh, Graham, that'd be...
That'd be fantastic, thank you.
The key is to find
Robert herrick's garden.
- Whose?
- Robert herrick.
He was a former
mayor of Leicester
who supposedly built a shrine
in the grounds of his mansion
in the early 1600s to Mark the
spot where Richard was buried.
Sorry, Graham, I can't help
noticing your hair.
It looks a lot
like Richard III's.
Is that deliberate?
Yes.
Robert herrick was mayor
of Leicester in 1593
and I think again in 1605.
There's a map somewhere
in the city archives
which shows
where he built his mansion
and the layout of the grounds.
Graham this is all so useful.
Thank you.
I really like your hair
like that, by the way.
It's like I've been sitting here
talking to Richard himself.
"Naked of all clothing
and laid upon horseback"
with the arms and legs
hanging down on both sides,
the body of king Richard
was brought
"to the Abbey of
monks franciscans at Leicester."
"A miserable spectacle."
- Did the boys get off ok?
- Er, yeah, fine, fine.
You know, I've got
a good feeling about today.
Do you?
Well, I mean, if Tony's
sending you on this course
then he obviously
still thinks highly of you.
Yeah, no, I wouldn't get
too excited, it's just...
And you'll be back by 7:30?
I've got to be away by then,
7:45 the latest.
Yeah, I know. Don't wanna keep
seafood Sarah waiting, do we?
Pardon?
Ok, bye.
As you've probably worked out,
I'm not going on
a work training day thing.
Going to Leicester,
for a lecture.
About you, actually.
In fact, today's all about you.
You're quite young, aren't you?
Thirty-two.
Same age as Alexander the great
when he died.
I'm...
Forty-five.
I've been told I could
easily pass for 37.
Well, some days, I feel like 97.
I was reading that you were an
advocate for the printing press
at a time when it was considered
the work of the devil.
And those same machines
were used to print lies
about you.
Five hundred years of lies.
Upon Edward iv's death,
Richard put the king's
young sons, his own nephews,
in the tower of London.
Then he made his move.
First he put it about that
these boys were illegitimate.
Then on June the 26th,
he declared himself
king Richard III.
The classic coup d'etat.
And of course,
the princes in the tower
were never seen
or heard of again.
- Er...
- Oh. Yes?
Sorry, but his nephews
were illegitimate.
Edward iv had already
married lady Eleanor Butler,
so his marriage
to the princes' mother,
Elizabeth woodville,
was unlawful.
Those boys would never
have been crowned.
They were born out
of an illegal marriage.
Madam, on the royal
family's own website,
you will find Richard
listed there as a usurper.
Then people
are being misinformed.
There's actually
no contemporary evidence
to say he murdered the princes.
Tyrrell's admission
that he killed the boys
on Richard's orders?
Or the writings of
the Italian courtier Mancini.
Unsupported tudor propaganda.
And wilful misrepresentation
of Mancini.
Respectively.
I strongly feel that
he's innocent of their murders.
Oh, you "feel" strongly.
You have a feeling.
A hunch, perhaps?
Like Richard?
Actually, no one who met him
when he was alive
said he had a hunchback.
The opinions
of the greatest historians
of the modern age are
in almost unanimous agreement
that Richard III, who of course
met his ignominious end
not ten miles away
from where we now sit,
was a usurper
and, all things considered,
a pretty unsavoury individual.
The evidence is that...
That he brought the country
the strong leadership it needed
after the death of his brother
and went on to create
a fairer and more just society.
Perhaps you might tell us
your name?
Erm...
Philippa... Langley.
And you're from?
The Richard III society.
Oh, the fan club.
Well, thank you,
Philippa Langley.
But you might like to know
that the study of history
is an academic discipline
based upon rigorous
and dispassionate research
so that one might
take the evidence and study it
and then draw conclusions,
rather than the other way round.
Now, that's not a feeling,
that's a fact. Hmm.
Dr ashdown-hill.
I've read your book.
I was wondering
if you'd sign my copy, please.
Of course!
Well done, by the way, dear.
You stood your ground.
You pay no attention to him,
pompous old queen.
- There you go.
- Thank you.
There's a woman in her 60s
living in Canada,
and a cabinet maker in clapham
who've got more claim
to the throne than Henry vii.
- Or any of the other tudors.
- Pardon?
I've just spent
the last 18 months
tracing the mitochondrial DNA
of Richard's sister
all the way down to
their present-day descendants.
I'm about to publish
the results.
That's amazing!
Er, actually, I was wondering
if I could ask you something.
We'll have to walk and talk.
- Of course.
- I'm already late.
What I wanted to say
is that you've so inspired me,
I want to try and find
greyfriars church.
Oh, that's long since gone.
No, that disappeared
centuries ago.
Right. Well, we know
it had to be on
a main thoroughfare
so the friars could beg alms
from passers-by, right?
And that's to the south
of st Martin's church.
Now the cathedral,
which is to the east
- of the old city wall...
- Taxi!
Yes, that's very impressive.
I know
what you're really looking for,
and, er, it's not an old church.
Oh?
Well, I wish you
the best of luck.
Plenty have tried to find him
and failed.
Gateway house, please.
Well, er, do you have
any advice?
There's a good chance Richard
is under a shopping centre,
forever entombed in a concrete
pile beneath topshop.
Right.
But when the dissolution
occurred,
the friaries and monasteries
were still regarded
as sacred places.
People are very superstitious
about things like that.
So, although
they may have rebuilt
the surrounding buildings,
the site of a church
like greyfriars, for instance,
was often left undisturbed.
So what are you saying?
Look for an open space.
Ok. Thank you. All right.
"From this spot were scattered
into the river soar
the remains of Richard III."
What was that? On the bridge?
- I thought it'd be funny.
- Well, it wasn't.
Sorry, did you just talk?
How come
you've never spoken before?
You've never asked me anything
before.
Right.
Wait, you don't happen to know
where you are, do you?
- Might help.
- Watch out.
You were dead. Sorry.
- Are you lost?
- Sorry?
Erm...
Excuse me, could you, erm...
Could you tell me what
that letter represents, please?
Just means reserved.
It's the social services
car park.
That bay's reserved
for one of the managers.
Of course. Reserved.
Thanks.
Oh.
Oh, shit. Shit.
Thanks.
Shit, shit.
Oh, fuck. Sorry.
No! No! No, no, no!
Oh, no!
I'm so sorry.
Glass?
I'd better not.
No, don't want to be ill for,
er, work tomorrow, do we?
Was Sarah ok?
Sarah's fine. Sarah's normal.
Tony rang.
I know you haven't been
in work for the last two weeks.
I'm not actually that bothered
that you lied to me
or selfishly ruined my evening,
but what about the boys?
I told you we can't afford
for you to be out of work.
I know, I know.
It's none of my business,
but were you with someone today?
No, absolutely not.
Sorry, what do you mean, John?
Well, I... you're clearly
hiding something from me.
I mean, where were you today?
- Erm, Leicester.
- Leicester?
Look, I've had an idea.
Now, just listen.
It's not as mad as it's...
Probably going to sound,
but, erm, well, I've been
doing a lot of research.
All the information
I need to find him,
well, it's all out there
but it's in...
Lots of different little pieces
scattered all over the place
and I... I don't think anybody's
brought it all together before,
but I...
I know I can find him.
Who?
Richard.
Richard who?
Sorry, the third.
The king?
If I can find him,
I can give him a voice.
I think you need help.
John, if you...
If you could just understand
the way it's made me feel.
You know, when I'm in the middle
of my research,
when I'm thinking about
what I can do for him, I...
I feel energised.
I feel happy.
- Do you?
- Yes.
And this, is that why
you wanted me to leave?
Because I didn't make you
feel energised or happy?
- You walked out, John.
- It was constructive dismissal.
Always looking for something,
isn't that what you
always used to say about me?
Well... well, now I actually am.
Richard III.
I remember there was a picture
in the textbook at school
of Richard,
and he creeped me out.
It's the evil hunchback that
killed the princes in the tower.
Yes, but he didn't kill
his nephews and he wasn't evil.
I don't believe
he even had a hunchback.
That's all stuff the tudors put
about to trash his reputation.
He was a good man.
I'm convinced of it.
But nobody's interested.
If I can find him,
then they would be.
What are you talking about?
Ok, imagine this.
You're Henry vii.
You're... you're the new king
and you need everyone
to hate the king
that came before you, Richard.
So you'd think that in your
first speech to the country,
which was recorded
in the parliamentary archives,
that you might mention
the fact that he'd killed
those two little princes,
wouldn't you?
But he doesn't.
You're starting to
sound slightly mad.
He doesn't mention them. Why?
Because they must've
still been alive.
You know, I...
I think you might be right.
If he didn't kill them
and he wasn't a hunchback...
Oh, my god, I think I've got it.
Of course, the hump.
He must've stuffed the princes
up the back of his jumper!
There, you've cracked it!
Hello?
Yes, I'd like to speak to, erm,
Richard Buckley, please.
Archaeological services.
Stay wide.
Keep your shape.
Support the scrum half.
I just thought as a Leicester
company, you might be
interested in sponsoring
the search for a king.
Hello, er, this is a message
from Philippa Langley
for Richard Buckley.
Think there's a dig that
he might be interested in.
My phone number is 07...
Oh, my god!
- Did you see that?
- He's fine.
Oh, my god, darling, are you ok?
Please don't take
this the wrong way.
No.
But even from my perspective,
this is starting to look a bit
like an unhealthy obsession?
I can't believe
you just said that.
I'm doing this for you.
Do you know what people
say about you?
I'm sure it's not
particularly flattering.
Do you know
who William Shakespeare is?
Ok, well, he was
a very celebrated writer,
and everyone thinks he's amazing
and he wrote a play about you.
And there's this bit
where you're supposedly
- talking about yourself.
- Go on.
"So lame and unfashionable
that dogs bark at me
as I halt by them."
You're so weird,
that you even freak out dogs.
That's a bit harsh.
Thank you for your enquiry,
but this is not something
we wish to pursue.
Unfortunately,
we are unable to assist you.
This is not
the sort of project...
Is this a joke?
It's getting rather annoying.
- The answer is no.
- Sadly, no.
Unfortunately, your application
has been rejected.
Your enquiry
was not appropriate.
The answer is no.
As you all know,
I've been doing some research
into finding
king Richard's grave,
with the intention of
giving him a proper burial
with a royal coat of arms
on his tomb
and restoring him to
his rightful place in history.
And a "hey, nonny nonny" to you.
Well, for personal reasons,
I'm going to have to suspend
my research indefinitely...
This is a travesty!
You can't stop now!
- I won't allow it!
- Keith!
If you don't mind me saying,
perhaps the kindest thing
is to set the girl free.
Many a ricardian,
and I'm certainly not looking
at you, you personally,
has wandered down that same path
only to discover little more
than the calcified remains
of his own ambition.
What's happened, Philippa?
I've been trying
to generate interest
from possible sponsors,
but I haven't had any luck,
and I can't get through to
a guy called Richard Buckley,
a Leicester archaeologist.
Philippa,
I used to live next door
to the lord mayor of Leicester.
The current lord mayor.
We used to be neighbours.
Well, anyway, my mind's
made up on this.
I could ask him if he'd help.
Dad, how heavy is 330 pounds?
Hello! Is anyone in there?
About two of me.
And that's how heavy
the Cannon balls are.
And they could fire them
two miles!
Imagine one of those
landing on your foot.
- Hey.
- Hi, mum.
- Hi.
- Hey.
- Found him yet?
- Very funny.
So, how are you?
Psoriasis is back on my elbows.
Work's a bit shit,
but just trying to make the best
of it, like everyone else.
Well, almost everyone else.
I spoke to awusi, from work.
Hmm! And what did she
have to say?
I should know my place?
Start baking cakes?
People do like cake.
Hmm.
John, I... I need to ask you
to do something.
No.
You don't know
what it is I'm gonna say.
Well, whatever it is, no.
I need you to let your flat go
and move back in with us.
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
I feel like I'm being
cuckolded by a ghost.
John, I just...
I really need to do this.
I'm sorry.
It's colossal, isn't it, dad?
It is.
The thing about mons Meg
is it soon became obsolete
because it was so heavy,
they couldn't move it anywhere.
So it wasn't so much
a colossal gun in the end
as a colossal waste of time.
He was talking to you,
but really
he was saying that to mum.
Ok, boys, it's nearly time
for the one o'clock gun.
- Shall we go?
- Yeah.
The grass is always greener
- for you, Philippa, isn't it?
- Hurry up, raife.
Other women seem
perfectly happy with their lot.
I don't think they are.
Is, erm, is that the picture
you were shown at school?
- That one?
- Yes.
The tudors doctored
that painting.
Really?
It was x-rayed and proved
that they retouched it
to make him look evil.
Look at the thumb.
It's been sharpened into a claw.
They narrowed his eyes
and made his lips
thinner and meaner.
That is what he really
looked like.
Normal eyes, normal mouth,
normal thumb. See?
Yes, but how can you
possibly find him on your own?
And even if you do, what then?
You're trying
to make him perfect.
He wasn't. None of us is.
We always try to
demonise people,
or sanctify them.
You know, we're...
You know,
we're all in the middle.
I mean, I'm sure Mother Teresa
left the top off the milk
now and then.
And, er, I'll bet that
genghis Khan
occasionally picked up
bits of litter.
Yeah. Human.
Not perfect and not a...
Not a demon either.
You always do
the same thing, Philippa.
You pretend to ask me something,
but the truth is, you just
put a gun against my head.
Hi. Er, Philippa Langley
here to see mr Buckley, please.
And which company are you from?
Oh, no. I'm not with a company,
but he is expecting me.
Cheers.
Erm, actually, sorry.
You don't...
You don't happen to have
a knife, do you, at all?
You're gonna have to take this
meeting on your own, Mathew.
I've got too much to do.
The bloody thing's
been forced on us anyway.
Richard,
this is Philippa Langley.
- Hello. Richard Buckley.
- Hello. Erm...
This is my deputy,
Mathew Morris.
Sorry, can I sit down, please?
Er, yes, there, of course.
Erm...
Thank you.
Is anything...
Anything the matter?
So sorry, I've got me
and it's a real illness.
It... it comes on
at times of stress.
Would you like a glass of water?
Yes, please,
that'd be lovely. Thank you.
- Would you like to reschedule?
- No.
Erm, actually, I've...
I've... got a cake for you.
- Not for me.
- Thank you very much.
It's, er, lemon drizzle.
Your receptionist
gave me a knife.
Thank you.
- Thank you so much.
- Pleasure.
So you're a friend of the mayor?
- No.
- Oh, I thought...
My friend used to live next
door to him, so I sort of...
I sort of used him
to get to you.
- And it worked.
- Hmm.
- So, er, what is it you wanted?
- Thank you.
Erm...
I've... I've got
a archaeological proposal
about Richard III that might...
I hope would be
of interest to you.
Ok.
I'm planning to raise the funds
to pay you, of course.
Ok.
Do you want me to start talking
about it now?
Please do.
- I want to dig for Richard.
- For Richard?
Yes.
And what is it
you want to dig for?
Richard.
The third.
Yes, in connection
with Richard III,
what is it
you're hoping to find?
Him. Him.
- Him?
- Yes.
I think I know where he is.
I'm really sorry.
I think I need some air.
Oh, of course.
- I'm so sorry.
- Let me help you.
- Would you mind?
- Could you?
- Yes, of course. Of course.
- There we are.
There we go.
- Thank you.
- That's the way.
So, where do you think he is?
It's my understanding that
his remains were thrown into...
He wasn't thrown
into the river soar.
I read that in your book
and that rumour
has been since discredited.
Well, you may well be right.
He may be out there somewhere.
But even if we...
Even if we can pinpoint
where greyfriars once stood,
finding him would be
virtually impossible.
Literally finding a needle
in a haystack would be easier.
Well, according to
the historian John ashdown-hill,
the site of greyfriars
would probably still be
an open space somewhere.
So, can you help me?
No.
- Oh.
- I don't look for people.
If you go and look
for a single thing...
He just called me a thing.
Please don't call him that.
He is a person, not a thing.
Ok, I'm just saying,
I don't go looking
for one specific thing.
He just said it again.
- You just said it again.
- Sorry.
Er, the point I'm trying to make
is that's not how
archaeology works.
All right, well, erm...
Well, how about
we look for a church?
The whole church,
not just Richard?
What can you show us to back up
any of what you're saying?
Actually, would you mind?
Thank you so much.
Well, here's the relevant
parts of my research.
Well, why don't you
leave this with me,
- and I'll get back to you?
- Of course, yes.
I've got copies.
You can keep that.
Thank you.
- So, are you feeling better now?
- Much.
Goodbye, mr Buckley.
- Richard.
- The third, yes.
No. That's my name. Richard.
Of course it is.
Goodbye, Richard.
- Thank you for the cake.
- My pleasure.
- Bye, Mathew.
- Goodbye.
- Yes.
- Thank you.
I'll tell the lord mayor's
office that we've met her,
duty done, and email her
thanks, but no, thanks.
Yep, ok.
It's funny.
I do enjoy talking to you.
If it's to tell me again
how ugly I am,
I'd, er, rather
you didn't bother.
There's something
I've been meaning to ask you.
- The princes in the tower.
- Hmm.
- Your nephews.
- What about them?
Well, what...
What happened to them?
What do you think
happened to them?
I don't know.
Well, lots of people say you
killed them or had them killed
so you could become king, but...
Did you?
You're really asking me that?
Well, I know Edward
also had five daughters.
And then there was your
older brother George's son.
And your sister had seven sons,
and they all had claims
to the throne.
So if you killed one,
you'd have to kill them all.
And that's what I tell people.
No. I... I'm sorry.
Please don't go.
I'm just trying to understand.
I'm sorry.
- Hey.
- How did it go?
Erm, hard to say. Ok, I think.
I don't know.
It's just, suddenly,
it feels like, erm...
Well, it's a bit scary
because it's...
I feel it's the last-chance
saloon, you know?
How'd it go with, erm,
sea... Sarah.
Yes, go on, seafood Sarah.
I know what
you and the boys call her.
- Sorry.
- Anyway, we split up.
Oh, no! Why?
Because she bored
the bloody pants off me.
A bit too normal, then.
Every sentence started
with, "to tell the truth."
Why would she automatically
assume I thought she was lying?
Nothing else?
- She had big feet.
- There it is.
You know, er, Richard III,
he may have been, er,
a wise and just leader
and I'm sure
had he lived longer,
he would've avoided
all the bloodshed
of the reformation
and, you know, whatever.
But would he have sold
his collection
of sex pistols memorabilia
to help pay for a new kitchen?
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
All day long. No question.
Would he have driven 15 miles,
on a Sunday,
to a service station
to buy his pregnant wife
a greggs cheese and onion pasty?
No, he would've ridden there.
On his white steed.
That's what he would have done.
Do we really want to go
down that path again?
- Probably not.
- No.
- Night, love.
- Goodnight.
Sleep well.
How did it go?
"The university
faces challenging times."
"Profound regret.
Blah-di-bloody-blah."
They're shutting us down?
They've withdrawn
their funding. Fuck!
I've just ordered new laptops
for everyone.
We're not shutting down, ok?
Instead of working exclusively
for the university,
we'll just have to find funding
from other sources.
Mathew, did you send
that email to, er, Philippa?
The cake lady?
Er, no, I don't think
I have yet, no.
Good. Don't.
Arrange another meeting.
When I got the call,
I was convinced it would be,
- "thanks, but no, thanks."
- Oh, no, no, no.
- Don't be silly.
- It's a new era for us.
We are available for hire.
Ah, there we are.
Oh, wow.
So, that's st Martin's church.
Now the cathedral.
That's Robert herrick's garden.
We found it in
the council archives.
I've heard about this map,
but I never thought I'd see it.
What's that there?
Some sort of garden feature.
A pagoda?
Well, herrick was rumoured
to have a king
buried in his back garden.
A circular feature with
four pathways leading to it
says, "come and have a look
at what I've got."
Hmm!
It's hard to be precise
about where that is, though.
Erm, maps from that long ago
very often weren't to scale.
Right.
What about
if we just superimpose this
over a modern map?
No, that won't work because...
Well, I don't know why not,
actually.
Erm, has that been done before,
Mathew?
- Worth a try, surely?
- Hmm.
Hmm.
So, here is the modern map.
And here's the old one.
Er, Leicester cathedral
was then, erm, at st Martin's.
Friar Lane is, er...
Oh, still the same,
just, er, spelt differently.
Now, cank street.
Where's cank street?
Cank street is now st Martin's.
And, er, high street
is southgates.
Well, if
the herrick map is accurate...
And to scale.
Whatever it is
in herrick's garden
is now right in the middle of
the social services car park.
It's still an open space.
Perhaps we should start
looking there.
For greyfriars.
If we're saying this
is about finding the church,
then on that basis... I'm in.
Thank you.
- It won't be cheap.
- I'll raise the funds.
You need the council
to help with that
- and with all the permits.
- I'll help.
I know.
I'm Sarah levitt and I'm head
of arts and museums
for Leicester city council.
And now Philippa is here
to answer any queries
that we may have.
Thank you.
Philippa. Martin Peters.
I run an organisation
which promotes leicestershire.
- Hi.
- What's your funding plan?
Well, I wanted to put it out to
a number of interested parties,
including yourself.
Erm, the council,
Leicester university.
And then hopefully
make up any shortfall
by pitching it
to potential sponsors.
Richard Taylor, Leicester uni.
Now, we, potentially,
might have some funding
we could put in.
But I'm concerned
about your costs.
I mean,
radar survey of the site.
Digging up the car park.
Paying
for everyone's car parking
whilst the dig
is being carried out.
Reinstating the car park.
I mean... what is your budget?
Forty, 50k?
Thirty-five.
And the rest?
The thing is, we don't know
how long the car park will
remain just that, a car park.
There are rumours
that the site might be sold
and redeveloped.
And then that chance
is gone forever.
I... I believe that this is a
very important historical site.
I've the strongest feeling
about this.
You see, for me,
a feeling is what you get
when you sit on a bus seat
that's still warm.
Supposing, against all the odds,
that you do find a body,
that you believe to be that
of Richard III,
how can you possibly prove
that it's him?
Well, actually...
Because it's got
all the hallmarks
of being a wild-goose chase.
If you could just let
Philippa answer.
Thank you.
Actually, erm,
the historian John ashdown-hill
has traced living descendants
of Richard's
back through 500 years
of the female mitochondrial
DNA line.
So... a simple DNA test
would establish definitively
whether any remains were his.
Any other questions? No?
Thank you, Philippa.
If you'd like to wait
downstairs,
we'll discuss this further.
Sure. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Now, I'm sure this woman
means well,
but it's important
to acknowledge
that she's an amateur.
And she has an emotional dynamic
which I don't think
is very helpful.
My concern is for the reputation
of the university,
should this whole thing
become a fiasco.
Huh! I mean, Richard III,
under a car park.
- Hi.
- Hi.
It's been approved.
Congratulations.
- What? No!
- Yes.
- No!
- Yes.
Oh, and you are also
fully funded.
Martin Peters from
leicestershire promotions
has agreed to give you
the full 35k.
He thinks the publicity
would be great for the city,
- and I agree.
- Oh, my goodness.
Oh, thank you so much.
Now, can I give you
a piece of advice?
Of course, yes.
Please don't mention
your feelings again.
Right, yes, of course.
- I keep doing that.
- Yes.
People love to use that
as a stick to beat you with.
- Especially if you're a woman.
- Of course. Thank you so much.
This is the equivalent of
someone with a homemade rocket
saying they're gonna reach
the moon.
That's how we should
look at this.
Be hilarious if she actually
found him though, wouldn't it?
Would it? Be hilarious?
- Hello.
- She seemed nice.
Sarah? Yeah, she is. Very.
Erm...
I didn't think I was gonna
see you again
after, you know,
the other night.
I'm sorry, I... I mean,
I know it's a touchy subject.
I believe you, by the way.
I definitely don't think
you did... kill them.
Just to clear that up.
I thought you were really
impressive with those people.
Thank you.
Exciting, isn't it?
I think it's a waste
of money. In my experience,
you hardly ever get anything
definitive from radar surveys.
Results from the radar survey.
All negative.
Well, that can't be right.
They didn't spot anything, John.
There's no walls,
no foundation, no graves.
There must've been something
there before the car park.
There's no way they'll let me
go ahead with the dig now.
What does Richard say?
- Richard?
- Hmm.
- Why don't you ask his opinion?
- He doesn't mean me.
- Buckley?
- Hmm.
Richard Buckley, yes, of course.
I did warn you.
Yes, I know. I know.
But what do we do now?
Well, have you spoken
to Sarah levitt this morning?
No. Why?
More bad news, I'm afraid.
Leicestershire promotions
have pulled out.
But that's all our funding.
Sarah did say the council
will still support you for now,
but you're gonna need to raise
new finance very quickly.
Well, what about
Leicester university?
Surely with you involved,
they can't just ignore me?
Leicester university is not
a benevolent seat of learning.
It's a business.
And they've recently
dispensed with my services.
Oh, Richard, I'm so sorry.
I had no idea. I...
Have faith in your research,
Philippa.
Have faith in yourself.
If you're asking if
I'm still in, the answer's yes.
Thank you. Thank you, Richard.
Yes, bye.
Hooray for Richard Buckley.
At least he hasn't abandoned us.
- What about the funds you need?
- I don't know, really.
I... suppose
I'll have to think of something.
The main thing is that
they haven't closed us down.
Completely.
- Dad?
- Yes, raife?
Mum talks to herself.
Well, we all do.
Er, a few blisters, but, er...
- Well?
- He's asking too much for it.
What you wanna do
is go in at 3,750.
Tell him four's your top offer,
and settle for 4,250.
- Agreed.
- Agreed.
- Hi, mum.
- Mum!
- Hello, darlings.
- Any luck?
Erm, managed to claw back 5,000
from leicestershire promotions.
- But that's about it.
- Oh, that's... good.
Suddenly everyone's
got cold feet.
- Mum!
- I don't quite know what to do.
- Yes, darling?
- Ok, well, look. Not now.
Perhaps it's, you know,
an opportunity
- to take stock of everything.
- What do you mean?
Well, you know, I don't plan
on spending the rest of my life
- sleeping on a sofa.
- Mum.
- Yes?
- Dad's getting a new car!
Is he really? Very nice.
Perhaps he can drop you
right in front of the school
now, can't he? Hmm?
She hasn't made us
any dinner again.
- It's disgraceful.
- Shut up, raife.
Yeah, shut up, raife.
Come on, let's go
into town, get a bite.
- Come on through.
- Get out of her hair.
Everybody, this is,
erm, Annette, Hamish
from the society. Max and raife.
And this is my, erm...
Well, this is John.
- Ex-husband.
- Yeah.
What are you doing?
Are you coming, going?
We're gonna go into town,
get a bite.
Quick as you can.
We will stay out
as long as is humanly possible.
Take your time. Come through.
If I had two sons,
I would make sure
they had something to eat
before I went looking
for Richard III.
I'm wondering now
if we make a direct appeal
to the ricardians
to raise some funds for the dig.
- A crowd fund.
- Yes, exactly that.
Er, what do you want to call it?
Oh, I couldn't decide
between digging the king
because it works on two levels.
We are actually digging for him
and also want people to...
"Dig" Richard.
Yeah, I-I got that.
What's the other title?
- Looking for Richard project.
- Call it that.
Right.
Should that be "sudden
and unexpected shortfall"?
- Hmm.
- Ok.
That's good.
- Happy?
- I think so.
Certainly better
than what I had.
- Send?
- Yeah.
That's it.
Three and half thousand
society members.
If everyone sends in a pound,
be a good start, wouldn't it?
I'd say. Thank you so much.
There are still emails
coming in from america,
Australia, South Africa,
Germany, Canada, Brazil.
So, how much has been pledged?
Oh, well, the current total is,
er...
26,374 and rising.
I can't believe it.
Our own chairman has
donated 5,000 all by himself.
- Phil stone?
- Yeah.
And another 2,000
from an anonymous source.
People have been so generous,
it's overwhelming.
I think it's gonna happen.
Can we keep this clear, please?
Over here, please.
Oh, very patriotic.
- Right.
- Thank you.
- Good luck.
- Thank you very much.
I'll need it.
The train
now standing at platform three
is the 10:25 service
to inverness.
Calling at haymarket,
falkirk, stirling, dunblane,
gleneagles, Perth, dunkeld,
pitlochry, Blair atholl...
What's wrong?
Where's the new car?
The boys said
you were getting a new car.
What?
It was you, wasn't it?
Two thousand pounds
for the appeal.
It was the boys' idea.
They insisted.
You're a good man, John.
Hmm. That's fair.
Hi, Richard. What's happening?
As we discussed, three trenches.
Maximum the budget will allow.
And in order to give ourselves
the best chance
of finding
one of the walls of greyfriars,
I'm gonna cut them
north to south.
Here. One there.
And another one over there.
- Trench one will start here.
- Ok.
And run all the way
down this way
to round about here.
- To about here?
- That's right, yeah.
Ooh, by the way,
I meant to tell you,
I signed the exhumation licence.
The paperwork arrived
at the office this morning.
I couldn't remember
if you had any comments.
I just wanted to get it
out of the way.
Saves a lot of fannying around.
Course, it's not an issue
unless we find him.
Er, does it matter
what end we start at?
Er... no.
Can we start at this end,
do you think?
- Any particular reason?
- No.
- Ok.
- Great.
- Groovy wellies.
- Thanks.
Philippa.
John!
So glad you could make it!
- Who's that fellow over there?
- What?
Oh, that's, erm...
That's Richard Taylor.
He's from Leicester university.
Why?
I rather thought you were the
driving force behind this dig,
but from what I could hear,
apparently, it's all down
to the university.
What?
We're very excited
about what we might find.
Very excited.
And so, with the university
leading the search,
we can say with confidence
that if he's out there,
we will find him.
- Richard.
- Ok?
- That's great.
- Good.
- Thank you.
- What's going on?
Just a little interview
for the university website.
Erm, Leicester uni isn't leading
the search for Richard. I am.
You put in a little bit of
funding right at the last minute
- and that's it.
- Come on now, Philippa.
- We're all in this together.
- Philippa.
- Excuse me.
- Hm-hmm.
Someone getting too big
for their fancy boots.
What is it?
Philippa,
we've found some leg bones.
- Leg bones?
- No feet with them.
Just the lower legs
sticking out into the trench.
Looks like the feet were cut off
when they dug down
to put in sewage pipes
a couple of hundred years ago.
What about the rest of the body?
Well, if it's a complete burial,
it's under there
outside the trench.
It's almost certain this whole
area is outside the church,
which is our focus, remember?
Probably a friar buried
in a little adjoining graveyard.
Given the budget constraints
we're not gonna waste time
and money digging it out,
but, er, not a bad start, eh?
What's the matter?
I'm worried.
What about?
I won't find you.
Or that I will.
There seems to be
some excitement this morning.
Yes, we found the shadow
of a stone wall,
which could be the cloister
wall of greyfriars church
in this trench here.
And once we work out
the geography of the church,
we need to find the choir,
because that's where they buried
important people, apparently.
I also believe that the bones
we found in trench one
could be very significant here.
- I'm so fed up.
- You're the client, Philippa.
You're entitled to ask
for whatever you want.
They never miss a chance
to put me in my place.
It's exhausting.
Don't let them push you around.
I'll try my best.
Thanks, John.
We're all thinking of you here.
Stay strong and chin up, eh?
Bye-bye.
Bye, love.
This looks really promising.
I think this trench cuts across
the east end of the church.
So we are pretty close
to the choir here.
If we keep working
in this direction,
- give it another...
- Richard.
- Can I have a word, please?
- Of course.
I want to exhume
the rest of the remains
in trench one, please.
Philippa, I've already told you,
those are almost certainly
the remains of a friar.
I don't think there's
any doubt about it, Richard.
The depth they're buried at,
and they're too far west
to be in the choir.
- I agree.
- I want to dig him up, please.
I've stuck my neck out for you
because till now, I felt your
research was sound and thorough.
I think it's him.
Don't you think you've become
fixated on these bones
just because they were
the first ones we discovered?
What if that is part
of the choir, hmm? Over there?
What if you're wrong
and it is him?
Myself and all
the professionals,
the assembled academics
all say concentrate here
in trench three,
but you say, "no,
let's concentrate over there,"
because that's where you think
he is. Do you see my problem?
I want to exhume
the rest of those bones!
We can't.
We don't have the money to!
I've got about 800 left
in the fund. Will that cover it?
I suppose so.
Well, can you just do it then?
Please.
Jo, dig out the remains
in trench one.
- Really?
- Yes, really.
She's paying for it.
Let's give her what she wants.
I'm going home.
I can't bear it.
I'm going for a walk.
Fancy a brew, Jo?
Hello, Jo?
Wait.
Wait!
There's a wound to the skull.
It's not visible
from the surface,
but when you turn it over,
you can see a slicing blow
that has taken
some skull with it.
It would have killed him
almost instantly.
"Killed the boar,
shaved his head."
That's a Welsh poet's
description
of the death of Richard
from the 15th century.
Richard's personal emblem
was a boar.
It's the body of an adult male,
aged somewhere between
20 and 40.
Richard was 32.
But there's something else.
I've just been excavating
the spinal column,
and if you look at it
along here, it's unmistakable.
There's an abnormal curvature.
Hello.
These remains
are those of a hunchback.
Tudor apologists
will have a field day.
It doesn't matter.
He's perfect.
They're calling you
from the dig.
They're saying to tell you...
Trauma to the skull
and a curved spine.
Of course, it's not certain
that this is Richard.
There are still DNA tests
and so forth to be carried out.
But I'm struck peering down
at the mortal remains
that this is a person,
a father, a brother, a son.
Philippa, could we
have a word with you?
Yes, of course. Erm...
Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry.
Hold on, erm...
I've really got to take this.
I'm sorry, John.
Anything to add, sir?
It's a testimony
to the research...
- John?
- Hey.
I just wondered how everything
was going.
John, you're not
gonna believe this.
Where the hell is Buckley?
Found him.
- Boys. Boys! Boys.
- What are you doing?
Your mum, your mother's
just found Richard III.
- Kingfinder!
- Yeah!
Yes, mum!
I knew you could do it!
Well done, mum!
Listen, I've got to go.
- I love you lots, all of you.
- Love you too.
Very much.
He's here. He's here.
- Where were you?
- I was... busy.
Is it definitely him?
Well, I don't think
there's any doubt.
You've bloody missed it all.
We're playing catch-up now.
Vice chancellor's here.
Vice chancellor.
- Could you just...?
- Oh, yeah.
What do you mean, "we"?
The university
withdrew my funding.
It's a very fluid situation.
- Mr burgess.
- Things can change very rapidly.
Are changing very rapidly.
Will change. Mr burgess.
Philippa!
I just can't believe it!
He was right where
I said he'd be, in trench one.
- You went with your feelings?
- I did.
Oh, god!
Thank you!
Who's that?
Right, that's Bob burgess.
He's the vice chancellor.
The university have got their
big guns here double quick.
That's nice.
Archaeology department,
the university of Leicester.
Look, you have no idea
the impact
that this is gonna
have on the city!
How he famously promised
his kingdom for a horse.
But what happened to
the body of king Richard III
after his defeat at
the battle of bosworth
has remained a mystery
for more than 500 years.
Until now. Maybe.
They believe they've uncovered
the remains
of long-lost royalty.
He happens to be
king Richard III.
- Richard. Hi.
- Philippa. Hi. Excited?
Nervous.
So how's it gonna work today?
Who says what?
Leicester uni have a whole
running order worked out.
- Did they not consult you?
- No.
So who's chairing it?
- What?
- We'd better get inside.
Having received the
results of the DNA analysis,
I now call upon Richard Buckley,
the lead archaeologist
of this project,
to deliver today's
astonishing announcement
from the university
of Leicester. Thank you.
The glare of worldwide publicity
has not detracted in any way
from our intent and purpose
to conduct world-class research
on our discovery,
which is a hallmark
of the university of Leicester.
Ladies and gentlemen,
it is the academic conclusion
of the university of Leicester
that beyond reasonable doubt,
the individual exhumed
at greyfriars
on the 5th of September 2012...
Is indeed king Richard III,
son of York,
the last plantagenet king
of england.
Well done. Well done.
Philippa should have
been up on that podium with us.
Don't go off-piste.
The world's press is here.
It's about putting you and the
university front and centre.
At least I've got the good grace
to feel guilty.
Now, now.
Must dash.
Philippa. How are you?
Sorry about the, er, seating.
You haven't responded
to my emails.
What's happening
with the burial?
Oh, the tomb?
Have you seen the design?
Very striking. I'll get them
to email it to you.
It needs to have
a royal coat of arms on it.
That's very important.
It's a proper acknowledgement
of who he was.
- A sign of respect.
- Yeah.
I think this was discussed
by the burial committee,
and they didn't think
that a coat of arms
- is the correct protocol here.
- Sorry, why not?
The committee felt that
the physical evidence
gathered from the dig, the...
Hunch spine and so on,
does tend to support
the historical view
that Richard was a usurper.
Richard. Benedict cumberbatch
has agreed to do a reading
- at the re-internment!
- Oh, that is...
That's a goal!
Benedict cumberbatch.
Tell Tom I'll be there
in a minute.
Yeah.
I was tied up all yesterday
on what to put
on the souvenir bars
of the Richard III chocolate.
Be shot glasses
and bookmarks tomorrow.
Welcome to my world. Ok.
He was not a usurper.
And the diagnosis was scoliosis,
curvature of the spine.
Not a hunchback.
Well, the committee felt
that the condition,
or whatever its precise label,
does suggest
that there is more truth
to Shakespeare's account
of Richard's life
than perhaps you
and your supporters
would like to admit to.
So twisted spine equals
twisted personality, does it?
No, no, no.
That's not what the committee
is saying.
It's... it's...
Let's just calm down.
He was a legitimate king.
And his right to a royal coat
of arms on his tomb
is unarguable.
I will fight you
all the way on this, Richard.
Well, the decision of the burial
rests with the holder
of the exhumation licence,
which through Richard Buckley,
is the university of Leicester.
I thought you fired him.
We reinstated him.
And we've awarded him
a doctorate.
When did that happen?
Quite recently.
I specified a royal coat of arms
as a condition of his reburial.
But Richard Buckley
didn't include it
on the exhumation licence.
Well, that is unfortunate...
For you.
Sorry.
Excuse me.
Are you Philippa?
Yes.
Would you come and give a talk
to our school
about finding Richard III,
please?
Oh, that's very flattering.
What made you come and ask me?
That man over there.
He told us that you
were the one to talk to.
Did he?
Well, I'm sure
we can arrange something.
All I ever wanted
was to find you...
And show everyone you
were always the rightful king.
But they're taking you
away from me again.
Why don't you say
what you came here to say?
I don't want to let you go.
You know the truth.
Nothing else matters.
Goodbye.
Thank you, Philippa.
You're welcome.
Hmm. I'm surprised
to see him here.
He must've joined the fan club.
- Philippa.
- Oh, hi.
It's dr Buckley now, is it?
Oh, no, that's just for,
you know,
business cards and stuff.
Silly.
Are you going to
the big banquet later?
I made sure you got an invite.
I've gotta go and change.
I'll save you a place at the
top table. I'll see you later.
Where's mummy?
- I don't know, bubba.
- Richard?
Erm... no, I'm... I'm Pete.
Have we met?
I'm so sorry, it's my mistake.
- You're an actor, aren't you?
- Yes.
I saw you play Richard
in Edinburgh.
Oh, right. Yeah, well,
we thought we'd come down
- and see him off.
- Right.
I have to say,
you played him beautifully.
Oh.
Your performance,
it really, erm...
Stayed with me.
Thank you very much.
That's... thanks.
Where's mummy gone?
Erm, I think we better go
and find mummy.
Er, very nice to meet you.
- Philippa.
- Philippa.
- Say bye.
- Bye!
- Bye, love!
- Have a nice day!
You too.
Hello.
My name is Philippa Langley.
And I'm here today
to tell you a story
about a person
who was judged unfairly in life
and never given the opportunity
to show their true potential.
Thank you.