Richard III was not the limping “bunch back toad” portrayed by Shakespeare but a handsome man whose kinked spine would have been barely noticeable.
These are the findings of new research on the King’s skeleton after it was found in a car park in Leicester.
Experts have previously scoffed at Shakespeare’s description of Richard – because he was a warrior who would not be able to fight properly if badly deformed.
But now they have been proved right by a new 3D reconstruction of one of history’s most famous humps.
Scientists who carried out scans of the King's kinked spine found it had a "well balanced curve" that could have been concealed under clothes or armour.
His head and neck would have been straight, not tilted to one side, and there was also no evidence of a limp.
The findings prove Richard III was not lying when he described himself in his writings as "comely enough" and even "handsome". he 'was the most handsome man in the room after his brother, Edward IV'."