Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485)

[Muhler]

Thanks, EIIR

I knew he had scoliosis, but I wasn't certain that it was severe, so the Sheakspearian "hunchback-propaganda" wasn't completely off the mark.

And he was basically hacked to death, consistent with the autopsy of the skeletons found at Towton and Visby. The instant kill from one sword-trust, so popular in movies, is rare.

So he was dumped in a shallow grave. One account I read about years ago, claimed he was tossed in a nearby river. - Anyway, it's good he was found. He was after all king of England and it's only proper he should be laid to rest in a manner befitting a king.

[Artemisia]

This discovery really is absolutely fascinating!
A really great job on the part of everyone involved; in my opinion, Richard III deserves a proper funeral and resting place.


DNA tests confirm remains found in a Leicester car park belong to Richard III

Forensic test results announced on Monday confirmed the skeleton that had been found in a Leicester car park does indeed belong to Richard III who died in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Lead archaeologist Richard Buckley, from the University of Leicester, told a press conference to applause: “Beyond reasonable doubt it’s Richard.”

[EIIR]

This whole effort is actually incredibly timely, as the BBC article points out:

A team of enthusiasts and historians traced the likely area - and, crucially, also found a 17th-generation descendant of Richard's sister (Anne of York) with whose DNA they could compare any remains recovered.
Genealogical research eventually led to a Canadian woman called Joy Ibsen. She died several years ago but her son, Michael, who now works in London, provided a sample.
The researchers were fortunate as, while the DNA they were looking for was in all Joy Ibsen's offspring, it is only handed down through the female line and her only daughter has no children. The line was about to stop.

So in another generation's time, the researchers would not have been able to confirm this connection.

You can hear an interview with Michael Ibsen on the CBC website. He and his siblings hope to attend the funeral of their 17x great uncle (have I got that right?).

Canadians' DNA helps ID King Richard III's bones - Technology & Science - CBC News

[Vasillisos Markos]

Here is another article:

Experts find remains of England's King Richard III | General Headlines | Comcast

[An Ard Ri]

This is amazing news and a what an astonishing discovery!

[Sister Morphine]

I never thought I'd see this, but on Twitter, Richard III is trending in NYC. That's pretty amazing, considering he lived and died over 700 years ago, before Christopher Columbus even left Spain. At least it shows all the conversation on Twitter isn't vapid, though I do love it a great deal.

[Kit]

Richard III. died in 1485 so that's exactly 528 years ago and not over 700 years But it is fascinating indeed.

[An Ard Ri]

Car park skeleton confirmed as remains of England's Richard III

Car park skeleton confirmed as remains of England's Richard III - YouTube

[Baroness of Books]

Thank you all for your excellent summaries and information. I'm so glad that Richard's remains were discovered and exhumed from an ignoble grave and will now be properly reinterred in a setting appropriate to his rank and status. The manner of his death was terrible for a monarch and I had heard a story, perhaps apochrypal, that his nude body was flung over a mule and was subjected to these humiliation blows. I really consider this one of the great archeological finds today and I hope this discovery will shed more light and interest on his character and reputation. Now if we can just discover exactly what happened to the Princes in the Tower and who their murderer was.....

I hope a link can be posted for those of us who can't view this documentary.

[An Ard Ri]

Many of Richard's relatives,including his parents are buried at the Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay.

Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[crm2317]

I watched the documentary tonight on Channel 4 with my parents and brother and we found it very interesting. It was amazing to see that they 'struck gold' on the first day of the dig and also that from his bones they could tell what sort of diet he had!

We also did have a giggle at the expense of poor Phillipa Langley and how attached she seemed to someone she had never met. There seemed to be a real emotional connection which to be honest we found quite strange.

[Baroness of Books]

^^^How did the facial reconstruction look?

[An Ard Ri]

The 'R' painted on the carpark where they dug was spooky!

[Baroness of Books]

Was that to mark where the skeleton was buried? You can tell by my questions that I really need watch this!

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by Baroness of Books

Was that to mark where the skeleton was buried? You can tell by my questions that I really need watch this!

You can read more on the story here,I hope you get to watch it!

Richard III dig: 'R' marks the spot where skeleton found in Leicester car park | This is Leicestershire

[Baroness of Books]

Thanks, An Ard Ri, for the article. That was really a portentous sign and just so bizarre an occurrence. Makes you wonder if the dead king had a hand in directing matters.

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by Baroness of Books

Thanks, An Ard Ri, for the article. That was really a portentous sign and just so bizarre an occurrence. Makes you wonder if the dead king had a hand in directing matters.

It was rather spooky alright

[royalistbert]

Here the facial reconstruction.

BBC News - Richard III dig: Facial reconstruction shows how king may have looked

[An Ard Ri]

Anne St. Leger,Lady de Ross the niece of Richard III who's remains are buried St George's Chapel Windsor.

Anne St. Leger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Baroness of Books]

Originally Posted by royalistbert

Here the facial reconstruction.

BBC News - Richard III dig: Facial reconstruction shows how king may have looked

Thank you so much for posting this. Richard was quite a handsome man, though the reconstruction doesn't portray him as worn-looking as in his portrait. He looks younger and more vibrant, albeit a bit calculating and sans the wrinkles with fuller lips. But certainly not sinister as generated by Tudor propaganda.

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

Anne St. Leger,Lady de Ross the niece of Richard III who's remains are buried St George's Chapel Windsor.

Anne St. Leger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This geneology is just so fascinating and it's amazing that Richard's line is extant into the 21st century through his sister/niece. It's too bad that the current descendants are the last two in his niece's line since they're both childless. I know there's the existing Plantagenant line in Australia through George, Duke of Clarence, Richard's brother, and his fraternal niece, Margaret de la Pole.