Richard III 'Given Dignity Denied in Death' as He Is Laid to Rest

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Fallen king's remains buried in Leicester


The burial of a king began with the words of a Queen.

Her Majesty did not attend the service to reinter one of her most divisive predecessors but her 142-word message to Richard III greeted the congregation as they arrived at Leicester Cathedral.

As tributes went, it was hardly glowing. Her words, printed in the order of service, spoke not of honouring Richard III, but “recognising” a king “who lived through turbulent times”.

But then this was not a funeral. It might have featured the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, a poem composed by the Poet Laureate and members of the royal family, but it was technically a service of reinterment. For the king had already been given a funeral, presided over by Franciscan monks in the days after he died on the battlefield at Bosworth in 1485. » | Tom Rowley, Special Correspondent, in Leicester Cathedral, video from ITN | Thursday, March 26, 2015

Richard III DNA Shows British Royal Family May Not Have Royal Bloodline

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The University of Leicester has studied the DNA of Richard III and found that there could be a break in the royal bloodline


When the body of Richard III was discovered in a car park in Leicester in 2012 archaeologists knew it was a momentous find.

But little did they realise that it might expose the skeletons in the cupboard of the British aristocracy, and even call into question the bloodline of the Royal family. » | Sarah Knapton, Science Editor | Tuesday, December 02, 2014

Richard III to Be Re-interred in Major Ceremony at Leicester Cathedral
King Richard III, the last English king to die in battle, will be re-interred in a major ceremony at Leicester Cathedral after DNA tests confirmed his skeleton has been found under a council car park in the city.

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Richard III: Skeleton Is the King
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Human remains found buried deep beneath a Leicester car park have been identified as those of Richard III, scientists confirmed today.

In an announcement that rewrote history, archaeologists confirmed that "beyond reasonable doubt" that the skeleton was found in the resting place of the Plantagenet king.

They said that long-awaited DNA results on the bones proved beyond doubt that they belonged to the king, more than 500 years after he was killed in battle.

Speaking before more than 140 journalists from all over the world, the University of Leicester team described their find as "truly astonishing".

They said the skeletal evidence "provides a highly convincing case for identification as Richard III". They said that the skeleton was the king as far as all scientific tests could prove.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is the academic conclusion of the University of Leicester that, beyond reasonable doubt, the individual exhumed at Greyfriars... is indeed Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England," said Richard Buckley, who led the research. » | Nick Britten, and Andrew Hough | Monday, February 04, 2013