The search for Richard III - completed
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, Richard had been buried five centuries earlier with little pomp in the church of the Grey Friars, all physical trace of which had long since been lost.
Incredibly, the excavation uncovered not only the friary - preserved underneath a council car park - but also a battle-scarred skeleton with spinal curvature. On 4th February 2013, after a battery of scientific tests, the University announced to the world's press that these were the remains of Richard III. England's last Plantagenet monarch had been found. Read about the background to the search, the discovery and identification of the remains - and the implications for our understanding of history...
The archaeological dig
Identifying the remains
Events
Richard III Family Open Day - Saturday 29 June 2013
Live debate – Richard III: Benevolent King or Murderous Tyrant? Thursday 6 June 2013
Latest news
University sets out its position on reinterment of Richard III
The University of Leicester has today issued statements setting out its position on the location of the reinterment of the remains of Richard III and also on Leicester Cathedral's proposals for marking Richard III's grave.