Archaeologists are DNA testing some bones they've found to see if they might be the remains of Richard III. Are there any other members of the Royal Family....

[seeker]

where DNA testing might produce interesting results?

Ooh ... do tell!

Is there more?

I think it's so exciting.

As an aside, can I just say how thrilled I am that other people have read Crown In Candlelight?

Ridiculously, disporportionally thrilled, actually.

I have never read anything else RHJ wrote, just in case she was actually a rubbish writer and that I had been too in love with the story of Katherine and Owen to notice. It is my favourite book and I have two copies which I would never lend.

If her other books are good I might have a look. I feel an Amazon order coming on.

ffs disproportionally (I think)

I think it is too. I'm trying to remember all the stuff they said. They were very careful to say that it is early days yet though and they have only done a preliminary examination. The geneticist said that she was quite hopeful of finding mytochonditrial DNA and that it would take around 12 weeks for the results.

The bits I can remember are:

1. They located the quire by digging several trenches and ensuring that the church followed the usual plan, which it did, and then digging new trenches in a different car park which is where the quire would have been. They presented evidence for this (size and location of wall, and impressions of where tiles would have been)
2. They found a female skeleton first- obviously not Richard!
3. The reason they were looking for the quire is that the historical source they were using (Hamber? Sorry wasn't paying enough attention) said that is where Richard was buried...and that is where they found this skeleton
4. It was a modest but respectful burial apparently (I assume this means by the position they found him in)
5. There is evidence of a head injury which would have been caused by a sharp blade - but they haven't done work yet to establish whether it killed him or indeed was a battle wound
6. They found a barbed arrow in the area of his back but can't be sure where exactly it would have entered his body
7. The scoliosis stuff I said earlier

I'll try and remember the rest.

Oh they found small fragments of artefact but wouldn't expand on that.

Oh, damn, that's so tantalizing.

Mmm, I wonder if I can do that seven degrees of separation thing with my mates and find someone who knows what the 'artefact' was.

Thank you LaQ - three new RHJ books are winging their way to my address now.

I have tea, new books on order and half an hour to read through a thread about Richard III

Bliss.

This is all so interesting,every year on the anniversary of the battle of Bosworth,there is an announcement in the newspapers commerorating the death of Richard III,the last of the Plantagenets.I always find it incredibly sad and moving.

I could easily find out on Monday whistles

If you get in there quicker, do tell! But the whole thing is being kept under very close wraps. Even if I did find out I'd have to shoot myself before I posted it on MN.

Oh, no, I doubt I will. I can only think of a couple of people I ever knew at Leicester, and they're not there any more. But I'm sure eventually it will all come out ... I am really looking forward to hearing more about it.

I always think how terribly sad it is that everyone thinks he was a monster.

I am wondering what they will do with his remains if it does turn out to be Richard - and what they will do if the don't get DNA proof, or if the DNA doesn't match that of the Canadian chap.

4) It was a modest but respectful burial apparently At Bosworth field I am sure it says his body was given to the Greyfriar monks and they buried it, so that would fit.

5) There is evidence of a head injury which would have been caused by a sharp blade - but they haven't done work yet to establish whether it killed him or indeed was a battle wound Which could back up accounts that he was killed with a poleaxe and that the blows were so heavy that his helmet was pushed into his skull.

That's true Vagaceratops but I think they said at the conference (though it may have just been us chatting afterwards) that there is no reliable source for how Richard died...I think there is only The Ballad of Richard III or similar, written ages afterwards. Still, it would be even more interesting if the ballad turned out to be right wouldn't it?

LaQueen you can see the trenches through the railings of one of the carparks. They had an open day on Saturday - I would imagine they will have another one very soon.

It would be interesting richard. I'd also like it if this prompted a bit more general chat about him as a person, not just the 'evil king' stuff, which we got taught at school.

And Henry Viii had Richard Rice boiled in oil.