VIDEO: How King Richard III was killed

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

Scientists have solved the mystery of how King Richard III died in battle

New research published in The Lancet medical journal’s online edition shows how King Richard III died at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

Archaeology and the latest forensic techniques have revealed it is likely the 32-year-old king died from two blows to the back of his head – one from a sword and the other from a medieval axe-like weapon.

The king, who was the last English monarch to die fighting, sustained 11 wounds on or near to the time of his death, nine of them to the skull. The injuries were inflicted in battle suggesting that he had removed his helmet, while there was also a potentially fatal injury to the pelvis.

Scientists have been studying King Richard’s remains since his skeleton was found under a car park in Leicester in 2012. By reconstructing the king’s spine they found that it may not have been as deformed as portrayed in Shakespeare’s famous play Richard III.

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