DNA Confirms King Richard III’s Remains

The human skeleton remains found under a parking garage in Leicester, England, in September 2012 have been identified “beyond reasonable doubt” as those of King Richard III. They have been missing for more than 500 years after the 15th-century king of England passed away in 1485. The team of researchers compared DNA samples from the bones with DNA from living relatives. “The probability that this is Richard is 99.999 percent,” said Turi King, a geneticist who led the research. Using DNA modeling, King and colleagues have determined that Richard had blond hair and blue eyes that darkened as he aged. The earliest known painting of the late ruler was created 25 years after his death. As far as royal lineage is concerned, DNA matched from Richard’s father’s family proved no match, which could shake up the nobility of some royals. This includes the legitimacy of Henry V, Henry VI, and the entire Tudor dynasty, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. “This opens up a new posthumous discussion about Richard’s legacy,” historian Steven Gunn said.