In this edition of The Ricardian Podcast we explore the life and reign of the man who remains England's most contested and controversial king, Richard III. Who was he, what did he want to achieve and how did he become king?

In this episode we are joined by historian, Ricardian biographer and History Hit presenter Matt Lewis, the acclaimed novelist Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily and The King's Mother, and by a stalwart of the Richard III Society's research committee and book blogger, Kenneth Hillier.

Together they piece together the key chapters in the life of Richard Plantagenet – from his birth at Fotheringhay Castle on 2 October 1452 all the way to his accession to the throne in June 1483, leading up to death at the battle of Bosworth on 22 A ...