Battle over the remains of Richard III continues

Battle over Richard III's remains
The remains of Richard III were found in a car park in Leicester in 2013

After the discovery of the bones of Richard III under a car park in Leicester last year, the debate over where his remains should be reburied is still unresolved.

The remains of Richard III were discovered in a car park in 2012
A year after the remains of Richard III were unearthed under a Leicestershire car park, the battle continues over where the bones should be reburied.

A year after the remains of Richard III were unearthed under a Leicestershire car park, the battle continues over where the bones should be reburied.

Richard III was due to be buried in Leicester Cathedral, however, relatives have fought to have his remains reinterred in York. The debate between the two cities is concentrated on a licence that was given to the University of Leicester. The said licence, granted in 2012, gave the university permission to carry out the dig and to decide where the remains should be reburied, if found.

The king’s 16th great niece Vanessa Row, of the Plantagenet Alliance, told the BBC: “Once someone becomes named it doesn’t matter how old they are, if they have descendants they should be consulted on the final resting place.”

She added: “They don’t actually have a case to keep him there in my opinion. He is basically buried somewhere he was murdered and left and forgotten.”

Richard III was the King of England for two years from 1483 to 1485 and was the last of the Plantagenet kings. He was killed during the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, when he was defeated by Henry Tudor. Last year, around 100 people marched through York in support of claims that the city should become the final resting place of the king. The debate now lies in the hands of a judicial review, which will decide if the licence was correctly granted and who should be allowed to reinter the remains. The judicial review will take place at the High Court London on 13 March.

Tonight on the BBC’s Inside Out East Midlands programme, Marie Ashby explores the battle over the king’s bones.

Catch the broadcast on Monday 3 February at 7.30pm on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer. 

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