A BLONDE BOMBSHELL?

What did Richard III really look like? Analysis of his DNA threw up some interesting possibilities, writes Turi King

As someone who studied art history at university, I've long been aware that none of the portraits of Richard III date from his lifetime. In fact, the two earliest portraits left to us today weren't produced until the early part of the 16th century, a generation after his death. One of these is now in the Royal Collection; the other, an arched-frame portrait, is in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries of London. What's interesting is that, though they were produced at roughly the same time, the portraits differ from one another. The Royal Collection painting shows the king with dark-brown hair (it's thought that, at some point, the portrait was altered to change Richard's eye colour from brown to grey). The arched-frame portrait, on the other hand, shows…

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Bbc History (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025

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