King Richard III stained glass window at Cardiff Castle - credit Geoff Wheeler

Richard III: Discovery and identification

Richard III: Discovery and identification

In August 2012, the University of Leicester in collaboration with the Richard III Society and Leicester City Council, began one of the most ambitious archaeological projects ever attempted: no less than a search for the lost grave of King Richard III. The last English king to die in battle.

Incredibly, the excavation uncovered not only the friary of Grey Friars but also a battle-scarred skeleton with spinal curvature. On 4 February 2013, the University announced to the world's press that these were the remains of King Richard III.

Read about the background to the search, the discovery and identification of the remains - and the implications for our understanding of history.

NEW: As we approach the 10th anniversary of the discovery and identification of the remains of King Richard III, listen to a series of podcasts by Turi King, Professor of Public Engagement and Genetics, and the team involved in this historic project.

Our expertise: Solving the 500-year-old mystery of Richard III's remains

Setting the record straight

Facts and figures

Overview of the Grey Friars project

Richard III’s body was buried with little ceremony in the church of the Franciscan friars in Leicester. The friary was dissolved and the grave lost until 2012.

Richard III and Leicester

Richard III visited Leicester often, both as a boy and as Duke of Gloucester. Learn more about his connections with the city.

Discovering the remains

More about the excavation to find the remains of Richard III - from pinpointing potential locations and the digging of the trenches, to locating the remains and preserving the grave.

Identifying the remains

Find out how the osteology, carbon dating, forensic analysis, genetic analysis and genealogy all contributed to the identification of Richard III's remains.

Osteology

Our specialists analysed the skeleton to determine the age and sex of the individual, identify the spinal abnormalities and characterise the wounds.

Genetics and geneaology

Learn about the genealogical detective work to identify living relatives and the subsequent DNA analysis.

Reburial and reinterment

There were so many considerations around the reinterring of a king. What was appropriate? Where do you bury a lost king of England? How do you bury a medieval king in the 21st century?

Discover more Richard III resources

Learn more about the project and investigate the search for Richard III in greater depth.

Meet the team

The success of the project is based on the expertise of academic and research staff at the University of Leicester.
Back to top
MENU