Q&A: Solving a 500 Year Old Cold Case - with Turi King

Could you determine what Richard III was like as a person? How closely are we all related? Turi King answers audience questions following her talk.
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Watch the talk: • Solving a 500 Year Old...
Turi King is a Reader in Genetics and Archaeology and Professor of Public Engagement at the University of Leicester. She is perhaps best known for leading the genetics analysis in the King Richard III case leading to the identification of his remains in 2014 which led to his reinterment in Leicester Cathedral in 2015.
This talk and Q&A was recorded in the Ri on 26 November 2018.
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[@smeeself]

Dr King is now on my list of the six people invited to my fantasy dinner party.

[@interneteditor5258]

Oooh yeah, I'd sit her between Dr Alice Roberts and Phi Harding, if Prof Mary Beard can make it too what a treat!

[@MrBrightlight66]

This is not a subject that would normally interest me. However there is such an extensive presentation talent and extensive multidisciplinary knowledge of what is a very complex subject that I was compelled to follow the whole lot. Simply outstanding.

[@catherinewilkins2760]

From recollection, the story was started, sometime in the 1700 hundreds, when someone excavated Blackfriers, not Greyfriers and found nothing. I heard the story of the old lady and the spur. I also remember seeing the old Blue Boar pub, as a child, which was a replacement on the original site. Fascinating, thank you.

[@drlutfiay8871]

Thank you! A fantastic presentation. Congratulations.

[@havingalook2]

To say Turi is brilliant is such an understatement. Very interesting questions. Thank you for posting.

[@susanbellefeuille]

What an incredibly interesting project and thank you for sharing this with the public. I have great respect for Turi King.

[@ExotiC255]

First of all great talk, loved to hear it, thank you very much. I would love to ask two questions though. First, you said you have no way to access anything of Richard III anymore. Would you like to? Is there more that could be discovered and if so, why was he put back in his tomb already? The second question is more of a "press/boulevard" question. You mentioned that the guy which is called SOM3 on your slides had a recent illegitimacy in the family. You then say that, after you let the cat out of the bag, the mother "remembered" that the father always used to say..... . Could it not be that his mother is one of the sharpest tools in the shed and got herself out of risky waters really quick?

[@kathrynsamuelson1983]

I believe that the historical record gives information about his character. The town of York council mourned him.

[@wktodd]

re: the river rumour. I wonder if ,at sometime in the past, there was a threat to Richard's grave ( from York perhaps ) ,so a rumour was invented to remove the source of the threat ?

[@BoingBB]

That thought crossed my mind too.

[@AnneloesF]

That is a very interesting theory!

[@biddiemutter3481]

Excellent

[@nikileshk2112]

Can we know what is stored in dna by sequencing it

[@mechtheist]

Great lecture. I can't believe they had to rebury everything without saving any material for further analysis. That makes no sense, whose sensibilities are they trying to protect and why?

[@lovintube25]

My guess would be the sensibilities of the Church.

[@interneteditor5258]

@@lovintube25 I'd say the Royal family too?

[@LadyFigment]

"body thrown in the river" -- Could that have been the Alabaster tomb top? Since digging up graves was frowned upon, even back then (unless your a grave robber to sell the body to medical school), could it be possible that the Tomb Top is what was chucked in the river? Has there been a search of the river for artifacts?

[@aussiebloke609]

Dig 'im up and toss 'im in the river? Blow that for a lark - we'll dig a shallow hole, fill it back in quick-like, then skive off to the pub for a few hours on the clock. Who's gonna check?

[@nycbearff]

Well, the shallow hole was dug underneath the floor of the church, so it wasn't quite that easy.

[@BoingBB]

@@nycbearff Many famous important people were buried that way in the past.

[@refuge42]

Were the two boys who were discovered under the stairs related to Richard III the nephews. If they found the bones of the boys they could test them and see if there's a relationship wouldn't that be interesting?!

[@refuge42]

I listen to the q&a and the last question asked was about the nephews and she went into it quite a bit it was very interesting.