26 June 2016
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Richard III
Richard III began his reign as King of England on 26 June 1483, having usurped the throne of his nephew Edward V
On this day in history, 1483: Richard III began his reign as King of England, having usurped the throne of his nephew Edward V. Richard was killed in 1485 in the Battle of Bosworth Field. His defeat in that last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, marked the end of the Middle Ages in England.
After his death, Richard’s remains were lost for more than five centuries. In 2012, an archaeological excavation on a Leicester car park uncovered a skeleton, which was subsequently identified by researchers at The University of Leicester as that of Richard III as a result of radiocarbon dating, comparison with contemporary reports of his appearance, and comparison of his mitochondrial DNA with that of two matrilineal descendants of Richard III's eldest sister, Anne of York. Richard's remains were reburied in Leicester Cathedral on 26 March 2015.
