Richard III, 15^th century King of England, was portrayed by Shakespeare as a disfigured hunchback. According to the Richard III Foundation, this was not wholly based in historical fact, but was artistic license being exercised by Shakespeare. When the remains of Richard III were finally found in 2012, scientists were able to study his bone structure to determine the truth, if any, behind this characterization.

The Associated Press reports that the bones of the 15th-century king were found under a parking lot in central London. Since the discovery, scientists have scanned and studied the remains. They concluded that he had a severe case of scoliosis, but he was not as deformed as the character depicted in William Shakespeare’s play.

In fact, the king’s head and neck were straight, but his right shoulder was higher than his left and his upper body was relatively short compared to his limbs. However, clothing adjustments such as padded shoulders would have been sufficient to make his body appear normal.

CBS News explains that the scans and 3D visualization demonstrate that Richard’s spine was curved to the right and it was twisted, giving it a spiral shape. It would have been difficult for those who were not physically close to the monarch to see that he had a deformity.