Was Richard III a Failure?

THIS IS HISTORY — A DYNASTY TO DIE FOR

Sony Music

History, Society & Culture

4.8 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2026

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

He died at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. And we haven’t been able to stop talking about him since. Yes, it’s time to consider the story of England’s last Plantagenet king, Richard III — a centuries-old tangle involving alleged murder, Shakespeare, vanquish and one mighty rediscovery. In this debut episode of History’s Greatest Fails, Dan Jones and Elizabeth Day argue that the story of Richard’s rise and fall (and rise again) is much more modern that you’d first believe. Not least because of the reality-TV-style discovery of his remains under a Leicester council car park in 2022. In many ways, Richard’s alleged ‘failures’ — which include allegedly killing the Princes in the Tower and overseeing the demise of Plantagenet rule — overshadow Richard III as the reformer that also existed. He introduced trial by jury and translated many laws into English. But those facts are not often what’s associated with him. He’s more likely to be seen as the villainous caricature of Shakespeare’s Richard III. So in this episode, we’ll discover: What Richard's story tells us about failure in the present. How Tudor propaganda codified his ‘failure’, and how How those failures have been revised over over the centuries And the chain of events that propelled the search for his bones – As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime on the royal court on Patreon at patreon.com/thisishistory. And don’t forget to listen to this season’s accompanying bonus episodes for this miniseries, where Dan and Producer Al are dissecting the biggest historical failures as submitted by the royal favourites. This episode, they discuss Wat Tyler’s failed Peasants Rebellion, Tulip Mania, and the South Sea Bubble of 1720. – A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices –– Presented by Dan Jones and Elizabeth Day Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Researcher - Phoebe Joyce Executive Producer - Simon Poole Executive Producer - Dan Jones Executive Producer for Daylight Productions - Elizabeth Day Production Manager - Jen Mistri Production coordinator - Eric Ryan Head of content - Chris Skinner Special thanks to Alex Lawless, Hannah Talbot, and Selina Ream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I should have brought it, but I found a photograph.
0:03.3	I was clearing out a box of photographs, which sounds like a task that only happens in novels, but I was actually doing it. I found a photograph of you in my parents' kitchen. I don't know what you were doing there. I do know. It was my 21st birthday party. I remember that party. Do you? Yeah. And when I was looking at the photos, I didn't really remember much, but I was like, no, there's Elizabeth.
0:24.4	I don't think... first birthday party. I remember that party. Do you? Yeah. And when I was looking at the photo,
0:22.3	I didn't really remember much, but I was like, fuck, no, there's Elizabeth. I don't think I really
0:25.4	knew you that well up until that point, because how we met, we were both at university together,
0:31.7	and I was dating your friend. You were. But I remember you being the year below, and at that stage in life,
0:38.6	it feels like a really big age gap. And I was like, who's this young bug? And I don't think
0:46.3	we ever really spoke that much, but I was just aware that you're in the vicinity. And Rick,
0:51.4	my then boyfriend, referred to you as dollar. He did. That was your name as far as I was concerned. But then I was invited as Rick's Plus One, to your 21st. And it was really lovely because, as you say, it was in your family home. There was a marquee. I remember thinking, well, that's grown up. You're making me sound a bit posh. And over the years, we've fallen in and out of contact because our friendship
1:12.9	was only really established through podcasting. And that's when we reconnected. And I feel like
1:19.3	that's when we had our first proper conversation. And during the course of that conversation,
1:25.4	I remember Richard the third coming up.
1:28.1	Hello, I'm Dan Jones, a medievalist, and I'm thankful I'm not actually in the Middle Ages.
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