How The King Of England Richard III Body Was Found Under a Parking Lot
- A team led by Philippa Langley and the Richard III Society located the remains of King Richard III beneath a Leicester car park in 2012, debunking centuries of myths about his body being thrown into a river.
- The identity of the skeleton was confirmed through mitochondrial DNA matching with a living descendant, Michael Ibsen, and radiocarbon dating that accounted for a high-status seafood diet.
- The skeleton revealed severe scoliosis and multiple battle wounds, including a fatal blow to the skull, aligning with historical accounts of his death at Bosworth but correcting exaggerated descriptions of his deformity.
The last Plantagenet King of England, Richard III, was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, marking the end of the Middle Ages in England. After his death, his naked body was taken to Leicester, tied to a horse, and hastily buried in the choir of Greyfriars Church without much ceremony. Over the next five centuries, the exact location of his grave was lost to history, obscured by myths and the demolition of the church during the Reformation. It wasn't until the 21st century that a team of dedicated researchers and archaeologists, led by Philippa Langley and the Richard III Society, managed to unravel the mystery and locate the king's remains beneath a modern parking lot.
The search began by debunking a centuries old rumor started by historian John Speed in 1611, which claimed that Richard's body had been dug up and thrown into the River Soar by an angry mob. By re examining Speed's maps, researchers realized he had likely visited the wrong church site, confusing Blackfriars with Greyfriars, and thus failed to find the grave. This breakthrough allowed the team to refocus their efforts on the true site of the Greyfriars priory, which had long since been built over. By overlaying historical maps with modern city plans, they identified a specific car park in Leicester as the most likely location of the church's choir where Richard was recorded to have been buried.
Excavations began on August 25, 2012, exactly 527 years after Richard's burial. Amazingly, within hours of breaking ground, the team discovered a skeleton with severe scoliosis, a curvature of the spine that matched contemporary descriptions of the king. The skeleton also bore clear signs of battle trauma, including a gaping wound at the base of the skull likely caused by a halberd, which would have been fatal. These physical characteristics provided compelling evidence, but definitive proof required advanced scientific analysis.
To confirm the identity of the remains, scientists turned to DNA testing. They traced the matrilineal line of Richard's sister, Anne of York, through 17 generations to a living descendant named Michael Ibsen. Mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down from mother to child without recombination, was extracted from the skeleton's teeth and compared to Ibsen's. The results showed a perfect match, confirming beyond reasonable doubt that the skeleton found in the parking lot was indeed Richard III.
Carbon dating further supported the findings. Initial tests suggested the bones might be slightly older than Richard, but scientists realized that a diet rich in seafood—a luxury available to royalty—could skew the radiocarbon results. This is known as the "marine reservoir effect." When they adjusted the calculations to account for a high protein, marine based diet, the date range aligned perfectly with Richard's death in 1485.
The discovery also shed light on the brutal nature of Richard's death. The skeleton revealed 11 distinct wounds, including several to the skull and one to the pelvis that was likely inflicted after death as a final humiliation. This forensic evidence corroborated historical accounts of the king fighting bravely in the thick of battle before being overwhelmed and killed.
Following the identification, a legal battle ensued over where the king should be reburied. Some descendants and supporters argued for York Minster, citing Richard's strong connection to the north of England. However, the High Court ruled in favor of Leicester, adhering to the original license granted for the excavation. In March 2015, Richard III was finally laid to rest with royal honors in Leicester Cathedral, in a tomb designed to reflect his dignity and history.
The project not only solved a 500 year old missing persons case but also challenged the Tudor propaganda that had long defined Richard as a villainous "hunchback". The scientific analysis of his spine showed that while he had scoliosis, it would not have been a major deformity visible under clothing, debunking the exaggerated caricature popularized by Shakespeare.
Richard's rediscovery has led to a re evaluation of his reign. Often remembered for the mystery of the Princes in the Tower, he is now also recognized for his legal reforms, such as the introduction of bail and the Court of Requests to help the poor. The finding of his body provided a tangible link to these historical debates, grounding the myth in physical reality.
Ultimately, the story of Richard III's discovery is a testament to the power of persistence and modern science. A combination of historical detective work, archaeological luck, and genetic analysis brought a king back from the shadows of history. His final journey from a hasty grave in a dissolved monastery to a dignified tomb in a cathedral serves as a fitting conclusion to one of England's most enduring mysteries.