The discovery of Richard III beneath a Leicester car park became one of the most extraordinary archaeological detective stories in modern history. In 2012, archaeologists began searching for the lost burial place of England’s notorious medieval king, never knowing whether his remains had survived centuries of destruction and redevelopment.

This documentary follows the investigation from the first trenches to the moment the skeleton was finally identified. Archaeologists uncovered a medieval church, a grave in the precise location where Richard was believed to have been buried, and a skeleton with severe scoliosis and traumatic injuries consistent with the king’s historical descriptions. Scientists then subjected the remains to CT scans, radiocarbon dating, skeletal analysis, facial reconstruction and ancient DNA testing.

The investigation became even more remarkable when researchers traced a living descendant through Richard III’s maternal line. A mitochondrial DNA match, combined with a male Y chromosome and the archaeological and forensic evidence, provided the crucial confirmation: the mysterious skeleton was Richard III, the last English king to die in battle.

From a forgotten grave beneath a parking lot to one of the most famous royal discoveries ever made, this is the remarkable story of how science, archaeology, genealogy and extraordinary luck brought England’s lost king back into history.

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