The Royal Lifestyle and Diet of King Richard III Revealed with New Bone Study

Researchers have taken a closer look at the skeleton of King Richard III, examining its tooth and bone chemistry. Now, they've uncovered fascinating new details about the life and diet of this ancient king.

The scientists conducted isotope analysis of bone and tooth material from King Richard III. More specifically, isotope measurements that relate to geographical location, pollution and diet (strontium, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon and lead) were analyzed in three different locations on the skeleton.

So what did they find? The teeth, which represented Richard's childhood, revealed that the king had moved from Fotheringay castle in eastern England by the time he was seven. The data revealed that during this time, he was in an area of higher rainfall, older rocks and with a changed diet relative to his place of birth in Northamptonshire. By looking at his femur, the researchers found that Richard moved back to eastern England as an adolescent or young adult, and had a diet that matched the highest aristocracy.

That's not all the scientists discovered, though. By looking at his rib, the scientists found that Richard had the greatest change in his diet before his death. It seems he increased his consumption of freshwater fish and birds, which were popular additions to royal banquets at the time and included species such as swan, crane, heron and egret. In addition, it seems as if he drank more wine during his short reign as king.

"This cutting edge research has provided a unique opportunity to shed new light on the diet and environment of a major historical figure-Richard III," said Richard Buckley, lead archaeologist in the Richard III dig, in a news release. "It is very rare indeed in archaeology to be able to identify a named individual with precise dates and a documented life. This has enabled the stable-isotope analysis to show how his environment changed at different times in his life and, perhaps most significantly, identified marked changes in his diet when he became king in 1483."

The findings are published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.