Skeletal remains discovered under English parking lot belonged to King Richard III

If you're not up on the history of England, you may or may not be familiar with King Richard III. He was one of the most heated of the ancient English kings who has been portrayed as evil monarch in various movies and plays throughout the centuries. What has been known about King Richard III was that he died on August 22, 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

What exactly happened to the unpopular king after his death remained a mystery for more than 500 years. Some reports from the time of the king say that his enemies threw his body into the river where it washed away never to be seen again. However, a group researchers and archaeologists have now confirmed "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the skeletal remains discovered under a modern parking lot are those of the former king.

Writer Philippa Langley discovered clues that led her to believe the King's remains will be found under a parking lot in the corner of the buried ruins of the Greyfriars Priory. This idea came from the writings of the medieval historian John routes the road a few years after the teen died that he had been buried at the Priory.

The researchers believe that the Friars through King Richard III remains into an unmarked grave in buried him naked and without any of the adornments that typically went with a king's burial. The researchers believe that the Friars buried the King quickly out of fear that those who had killed the King on the bow crowned might come looking for his remains. The body was reportedly buried in a grave so small that the cloven skull set at an angle against the edge of the grave. Mitochondrial DNA is what was used to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that these are in fact the remains of British royalty. The DNA was taken from two modern-day descendents of King Richard III for comparison.

[via NYT]