Was King Richard III a Psychopath?

Richard III: 'The car park king'

Last updated Tue 5 Mar 2013

  • And Finally
  • University of Leicester
  • Richard III
A facial reconstruction of King Richard III
A facial reconstruction of King Richard III Credit: PA

Psychologists at the University of Leicester say that depictions of the former king as a psychopath are unfounded.

They say they hoped to "flesh out the bones" to get to the character of the man that was found in a car park in Leicester.

Professor Mark Lansdale, head of the University's School of Psychology, and forensic psychologist Dr Julian Boon examined the depiction that King Richard was a murderous psychopath.

They found few signs of the traits psychologists would use to identify psychopaths today. However, they believe the monarch did have a common psychological syndrome known as an intolerance to uncertainty which may have manifested in 'control freak' tendencies.

"This syndrome is associated with a need to seek security following an insecure childhood, as Richard had."

"We believe this is an interesting perspective on Richard's character."

Professor Lansdale.

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