A human skull found buried under a parking lot in England may actually be a link to royalty.
A human skull found buried under a parking lot in England may actually be a link to royalty.
A team of British and Canadian archeologists believe they’ve dug up the remains of King Richard III in central England. The discovery will be tested against the DNA of an Ontario family with a genetic link to the king.
In 2005, British historian John Ashdown-Hill traced King Richard’s maternal bloodline to Canada. Retired journalist Joy Ibsen arrived in Canada from Britain after the Second World War, raised a family in London, Ontario. She died in 2008 but donated DNA samples for future testing. She and Richard had the same maternal ancestor, Cecily Neville: Richard’s mother.
King Richard’s burial plot isn’t glamorous—the excavation started last month in a parking lot in downtown Leicester.
Richard was king during a tumultuous time for English royalty. His brother, Edward IV, was king first, and the elder of his two sons was to take his throne when he died. Richard became king instead, and was suspected of killing his nephews. His two-year reign ended with the Tudor revolt and his death at Bosworth field.