Print Page - It IS King Richard III: Scientists reveal DNA results confirm identity!

By Damien Gayle

The body of a man killed in battle found beneath a social services office car park in Leicester is that of Richard III, DNA analysis confirmed today.

Dr Turi King of the University of Leicester said that there was a DNA match between the maternal line of a descendant of the family of Richard III and the remains found beneath Grey Friars car park.

Lead researcher Dr Richard Buckley added: 'It is the academic conclusion of the University of Leicester that beyond reasonable doubt the remains found in Leicester are that of Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England.'

Lead researcher Richard Buckley for the first time shows the remains as they appeared in the grave found in the Grey Friars car park

The announcement follows months of analysis of the remains since they were unearthed last September and growing speculation that they were indeed those of the last Plantagenet king.
Researchers from the University of Leicester, which led the dig and investigation, yesterday released an image of dead man's skull, which seemed in remarkably good condition considering the time it has spent beneath the earth.
The skull was part of a skeleton – complete with a metal arrowhead embedded in its spine and signs of ‘battle trauma’ – unearthed by archaeologists in September, two weeks after they began excavating the city centre site of the former Greyfriars church.
In a lengthy press conference, researchers outlined the various tests and checks they carried out to determine the identity of the skeleton.
Lead researcher Richard Buckley outlined the location where it was found, in a rough cut grave, its hands crossed in a manner which indicated they were tied when he was buried.
He also told how radiocarbon dating had indicated that the man found had died sometime between 1485 and 1550 - consistent with historical records of Richard III's death.
Dr Jo Appleby presented the results of the analysis of the skeleton, which she said presented a 'highly convincing case' that it was Richard III.

She said the skeleton showed a man of about 32 years of age who had had stood at 5ft 8in - tall for a medieval man - but whose stature was lessened by scoliosis of the spine.

It also showed he was of slim build - consistent with historical accounts of Richard - but there was no evidence of a withered arm, from which the king was supposed to have suffered.

The last medieval king of England died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, defeated by an army led by Henry Tudor.
According to historical records, his body was taken 15 miles to Leicester where it was displayed as proof of his death before being buried in the Franciscan friary.
When the body was unearthed in the council-owned Grey Friars car park, it was discovered the skeleton had a badly curved spine and trauma injuries to the rear of the head consistent with recorded details of both the monarch’s appearance and 1485 death – prompting those involved in the dig to herald the find as ‘momentous’

Tantalisingly, only the front of the skull was visible on the image released by the university yesterday. But at today’s ‘major announcement’, the skeleton is expected to be crowned that of Richard III.
Dr Jo Appleby, a lecturer in Human Bioarchaeology at the university’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History, who has carried out months of analysis of the remains, said: ‘The skull was in good condition, although fragile and was able to give us detailed information about this individual.

‘It has been CT scanned at high resolution in order to allow us to investigate interesting features in as much detail as possible.
‘In order to determine whether this is Richard III we have built up a biological profile of its characteristics.
‘We have also carefully examined the skeleton for traces of a violent death.’
It is also expected to be confirmed that the skeleton was buried in neither a shroud nor a coffin which, while unusual for a medieval king, ties in with historical accounts that Richard was ‘irreverently buried’ by his successor Henry VII.
As well as comparing DNA from the bones with that of Michael Ibsen, a London-based furniture-maker who is a direct descendant of the king’s sister, Anne of York, they have been subject to carbon dating – which can date bones to between 70 and 100 years – and other studies including environmental analysis.
Richard Taylor, deputy registrar of the University of Leicester, said the findings could ‘prove to be one of the biggest archaeological discoveries of recent times’.
Archaeologists, historians and local tourism officials were all hoping for confirmation that the monarch's long-lost remains have been located.

Richard was immortalised in a play by William Shakespeare as a hunchbacked usurper who left a trail of bodies - including those of his two young nephews, murdered in the Tower of London - on his way to the throne.
Richard III remains an enigma - villain to many, hero to some. He ruled England between 1483 and 1485, during the decades-long tussle over the throne known as the Wars of the Roses. His brief reign saw liberal reforms, including introduction of the right to bail and the lifting of restrictions on books and printing presses.
His rule was challenged, and he was defeated and killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field by the army of Henry Tudor, who took the throne as King Henry VII.
For centuries, the location of Richard's body has been unknown. Records say he was buried by the Franciscan monks of Grey Friars at their church in Leicester, 100 miles north of London.
The church was closed and dismantled after King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in 1538, and its location eventually was forgotten.

The battle marked the final confrontation between the Yorkist king Richard III and his challenger Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond and leader of the House of Lancaster.
The seeds of Richard's downfall were sown when he seized the throne from his 12-year-old nephew Edward V in 1483.

Support for the monarch was further diminished when Edward and his younger brother disappeared and Richard was involved in the death of his wife. Henry laid claim to the throne from across the Channel.

Following an unsuccessful attempt to invade England from his base in France, Henry arrived on the coast of Wales on August 1, 1485.
Gathering support as he marched inland, Richard hurriedly mustered troops and intercepted Henry's army south of Market Bosworth in Leicestershire.

After Richard's death on the battlefield his rival was crowned King Henry VII and became the first English monarch of the Tudor dynasty, which lasted until 1603.
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TIME FOR A RETHINK ON RICHARD?
Few monarchs in history have been so vilified and scrutinised as King Richard III.

For centuries historians have put forward varying cases as to whether he should be remembered as a visionary reformer and brilliant administrator, or as an ambitious usurper and ruthless murderer.

The monarch is famous today for his death at the Battle of Bosworth, which effectively ended the Wars of the Roses - as well as the disappearance of his young nephews, and his derisory portrayal in William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy Of King Richard III.
But his reputation is surrounded by apparent myths and half-truths.

Described as a 'deformed' and 'unfinish'd', jealous, and ambitious hunchback in Shakespeare's play, which was first performed in the 1590s, it is difficult to know if the man the playwright said battled on foot and cried out 'A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!', is a true reflection of the king, or merely an act of creative dramatics.

These days loyal Ricardians battle to repair Richard's reputation but the traditional view is that Richard, while not as evil as Tudor historians said, was probably responsible for removing his nephews from the royal line.

Under a page headed 'Loyal to the truth' on The Richard III Foundation's website is an extract that reads: 'King Richard III is one of England's most controversial historical figures often associated with his quest to seize the throne of England.

'The prime sources of defamation of Richard are superstitious fiction, although this was not understood by some for centuries.

'The vilification may be absurd, such as two years in the womb, magically withered arms, and the murder of innocent babies, but it is repeated ad nauseum.

'It may take the form of ghosts passionately listing the wrongs of an evil king, regardless of their own dwelling in hell.

'Or it can take on a more sinister nature, such as what happened to Edward V, a query that moderns cannot positively answer.

'By blaming Richard for everything, (Henry) Tudor escaped blame for anything for two hundred years, until people were at last free to pose questions.

'Although it is obvious that Tudor had overwhelming motivation to spread malicious gossip and to smear a dead man, some cannot let go of even the most outrageous slurs.'
.Then, last September, archaeologists searching for Richard dug up the skeleton of an adult male who appeared to have died in battle.
There were signs of trauma to the skull, perhaps from a bladed instrument, and a barbed metal arrowhead was found between vertebrae of the upper back.
The remains also displayed signs of scoliosis, which is a form of spinal curvature, consistent with contemporary accounts of Richard's appearance, though not with Shakespeare's description of him as 'deform'd, unfinished,' hunchback.
A documentary on the dig will be shown on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight. The programme, titled Richard III: The King in the Car Park, has been made alongside the university academics.
Previous reports suggested that academics withheld evidence during press conferences to generate publicity for the documentary, much to the annoyance of some involved in the project.
Once it is confirmed that the body is Richard III, it is believed the remains will be buried inside Leicester Cathedral - more than 500 years after he was killed in battle.
The decision, made by the Ministry of Justice, came after a row between MPs as to where Richard should be laid to rest.
Some said he should be given a state burial in Westminster Abbey because he was a reigning monarch.
Others said the remains should be buried in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, the centre of the Plantagenet monarch’s kingdom.
The U.S.-based Richard III foundation said the bones should be buried in York Minster, where the King had planned to be buried before his untimely end.
While Leicester's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has declared: 'Those bones leave Leicester over my dead body.'
Thankfully for Sir Peter, in a parliamentary answer the Government settled for Leicester Cathedral, a stone’s throw from the car park.
The council has already invested £850,000 buying a former grammar school building beside the site of the dig to use as a visitor centre.
Jon Ashworth, Labour MP for Leicester South, said at the time: ‘This is really good news. Richard III has been lying in Leicester for 500 years – it seems only appropriate that he should be buried in Leicester'
Leicester University academics have created website about Richard III to accompany the announcement.

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