Richard III and DNA testing

[Maggie.]

Some of the evidence revealed how brutally his body had been treated after being killed. For example, it sounds as though after his body had been slung over the back of a horse, somebody had thrust a dagger deep into his backside. Other stab wounds in his chest had been inflicted after his armour was removed. Sounds very like ritual humiliation of a dead leader. It couldn't happen now of course....

The injuries revealed on the skeleton fit perfectly with historical sources that Richard was stripped after death and attacked, then slung over a horse, and further abused.  Also the injuries indicative of wounds inflicted during the battle before death confirm that he died fighting valiantly to the end.  Wasn't his horse killed from under him?  Then Lord Stanley changed his allegience and Richard was left helpless on the battlefield.

[Erato]

Will Mr. Ibsen now be considered some sort of 'para-royal?'  Will he be invited to take tea with the Queen?  They must be some kind of cousins, right?

[Greensleeves]

Since Henry VII had such a weak claim to the throne, clearly he would want Richard III's remains buried somewhere anonymous so that he could not become a martyr.   Henry's claim to the throne is incredibly weak, as it is through his mother who was descended from John of Gaunt and his mistress, Katherine Swynford.  The pair were married shortly before John of Gaunt's death and the children of the union were subsequently legitimised, but nevertheless, it does explain why the Tudors were always so touchy about their right to rule.  And it also explains Henry VII's need to marry Elizabeth of York, in order to give his offspring the credibility his claim to the throne lacked.

[Ruskie]

How exciting! It is him! I thought an announcement was imminent as there has been
some coverage of this in our media (Australia) over the past couple of days.

Can anyone tell me what are the plans for the site if the discovery? Will more of the car park be excavated?

It is quite thrilling! And what a boon for tourism in Leicester. A great result all round especially for whoever suggested digging the carpark for the remains. I'm so pleased at the outcome.

[Lydart]

"Richard spent his winter of discontent,
buried beneath three feet of cement"


Isn't todays announcement exciting !!   So .... us Richard III fans have something else to discuss !!    Well done to the archaeologists, the DNA experts, and everyone else involved in this project. 

I'm interested in what sort of burial he will have.  He was a Roman Catholic, so is the Anglican Leicester Cathedral the right place for a Catholic king ?   Will he be re-buried there with catholic rites, performed by a Roman Catholic priest ?

Will any members of the current royal family, although not of Richards 'line' be present ?

Or perhaps modern descendents of him will want to take him to Canada for burial .... perish the thought !!


Some good news today for historians; pity it wasn't the number one item on the news broadcasts, a king ousted by a corrupt politician !    Huh !!

[Ruskie]

My daughter showed me this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfb_jAh6eFk
(Horrible Histories - Richard the Third)

[love Horrible Histories  ]

[Maggie.]

A thought. As the suppliers of the DNA are each the end of their own family lines, had this research not been done during their lifetimes then this particular line of investigation would not have been possible.

[davidft]

How exciting! It is him! I thought an announcement was imminent as there has been
some coverage of this in our media (Australia) over the past couple of days.

Can anyone tell me what are the plans for the site if the discovery? Will more of the car park be excavated?

It is quite thrilling! And what a boon for tourism in Leicester. A great result all round especially for whoever suggested digging the carpark for the remains. I'm so pleased at the outcome.

Apparently the Council have already bought a nearby building to be used as a future visitor centre

[EdCan]

Any idea what type of funeral will Richard have - normal pomp and circumstance or somewhat modified ?