King Richard III Grave Discovered Underneath Car Park In Leicester

In 2012, Phillipa Langley discovered the skeleton and lost grave of King Richard III underneath a car park in Leicester, the last English King to die in battle.

It was one of the most ambitious archaeological projects ever attempted.

Richard III, the final ruler of the Plantagenet dynasty, was killed in 1485 in the Battle of Bosworth Field, the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses.

His body was taken to Greyfriars in Leicester where it was buried in a crude grave in the friary church.

However, following the friary's dissolution in 1538 and subsequent demolition, Richard's tomb was lost.

An erroneous account arose that Richard's bones had been thrown into the River Soar at the nearby Bow Bridge.

The location of Richard III's body had long been of interest to the members of the Richard III Society, a group established to bring about a reappraisal of the King's tarnished reputation.

In 1975, an article by Audrey Strange was published in the society's journal, The Ricardian, suggesting that his remains were buried under Leicester City Council's car park.

The claim was repeated in 1986, when historian David Baldwin suggested that the remains were still in the Greyfriars area.

He speculated, "It is possible (though now perhaps unlikely) that at some time in the twenty-first century an excavator may yet reveal the slight remains of this famous monarch."

A search for Richard's body began in August 2012, initiated by Philippa Langley (pictured at the top of this article) and the Looking for Richard project with the support of the Richard III Society.

On the first day, a human skeleton belonging to a man in his thirties was uncovered showing signs of severe injuries.

The skeleton, which had several unusual physical features, most notably scoliosis, a severe curvature of the back, was exhumed to allow scientific analysis.

Examination showed that the man had probably been killed either by a blow from a large bladed weapon, probably a halberd, which cut off the back of his skull and exposed the brain, or by a sword thrust that penetrated all the way through the brain.

Other wounds on the skeleton had probably occurred after death as "humiliation injuries", inflicted as a form of posthumous revenge.

The age of the bones at death matched that of Richard when he was killed; they were dated to about the period of his death and were mostly consistent with physical descriptions of the king.

Preliminary DNA analysis showed that mitochondrial DNA extracted from the bones matched that of two matrilineal descendants, one 17th-generation and the other 19th-generation, of Richard's sister Anne of York.

Taking these findings into account along with other historical, scientific and archaeological evidence, the University of Leicester announced on 4 February 2013 that it had concluded beyond reasonable doubt that the skeleton was that of Richard III.

Further osteological examination of his bones showed them to be in generally good condition and largely complete except for the missing feet, which may have been destroyed by Victorian building work.

It was immediately apparent that the body had suffered major injuries, and further evidence of wounds was found as the skeleton was cleaned.

The skull shows signs of two lethal injuries; the base of the back of the skull had been completely cut away by a bladed weapon, which would have exposed the brain, and another bladed weapon had been thrust through the right side of the skull, striking the inside of the left side through the brain.

Elsewhere on the skull, a blow from a pointed weapon had penetrated the crown of the head. Bladed weapons had clipped the skull and sheared off layers of bone, without penetrating it.

Other holes in the skull and lower jaw were found to be consistent with dagger wounds to the chin and cheek.

The multiple wounds on the king's skull indicated that he was not wearing his helmet at the time, which he may have either removed or lost when he was on foot after his horse had become stuck in the marsh.

One of his right ribs had been cut by a sharp implement, as had the pelvis.

There was no evidence of the withered arm that afflicted the character in William Shakespeare’s play Richard III.

As a condition of being allowed to disinter the skeleton, the archaeologists agreed that, if Richard were found, his remains would be reburied in Leicester Cathedral.

A controversy arose as to whether an alternative reburial site, York Minster or Westminster Abbey, would be more suitable.

A legal challenge confirmed there were no public law grounds for the courts to be involved in that decision.

Reinterment took place in Leicester on 26 March 2015, during a televised memorial service held in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury and senior members of other Christian denominations.

In February 2013, Leicester Cathedral announced a procedure and timetable for the reinterment of Richard's remains.

The cathedral authorities planned to bury him in a "place of honour" within the cathedral.[111] Initial plans for a flat ledger stone, perhaps modifying the memorial stone installed in the chancel in 1982, proved unpopular.

A table tomb was the most popular option among members of the Richard III Society and in polls of Leicester people.

In June 2014, the design was announced, in the form of a table tomb of Swaledale fossil stone on a marble plinth.

Today, visitors are welcomed to the cathedral to see his tomb, which is still on display.

About King Richard III - the last King to die in battle.

On becoming king, Richard attempted genuine reconciliation with the Yorkists by showing consideration to Lancastrians purged from office by Edward IV, and moved Henry VI's body to St George's Chapel at Windsor.

The first laws written entirely in English were passed during his reign. In 1484, Richard's only legitimate son Edward predeceased him.

Before becoming king, Richard had had a strong power base in the north, and his reliance on northerners during his reign was to increase resentment in the south.

Richard concluded a truce with Scotland to reduce his commitments in the north. Nevertheless, resentment against Richard grew.

On 7 August 1485, Henry Tudor (a direct descendant through his mother Margaret Beaufort, of John of Gaunt, one of Edward III's younger sons) landed at Milford Haven in Wales to claim the throne.

On 22 August, in a two-hour battle at Bosworth, Henry's forces (assisted by Lord Stanley's private army of around 7,000 which was deliberately posted so that he could join the winning side) defeated Richard's larger army and Richard was killed.

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