The descendants of King Richard III called for the monarch’s recently discovered remains to be buried in York, claiming it is where he would have wanted to be interred.
Scientists confirmed earlier this month that a skeleton found under a carpark in Leicester was that of Richard, the last House of York monarch.
Despite claims from Westminster and York, it was decided that his body should be buried at Leicester Cathedral, close to where his remains were found after a 500-year long hunt.
But nine of his descendants issued a statement calling for their famous forebear to be interred in the city which gave its name to the royal house.
“We, the under-named, do hereby most respectfully demand that the remains of King Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England and our mutual ancestor, be returned to the city of York for formal, ceremonial reburial,” it read.
“We believe that such an interment was the desire of King Richard in life and we have written this statement so that his wishes may be fully recognised and upheld.
“We, the under-named blood descendants, unreservedly believe that King Richard is deserving of great recognition and respect and hereby agree to dutifully uphold his memory.
“With due humility and affection, we are and will remain His Majesty?s representatives and voice,” it added.
One of archaeology’s most stunning finds was confirmed when DNA from the bones matched that of descendants of the king’s sister, while the skeleton had the twisted spine and battle injuries consistent with contemporary accounts.
Historians now hope to dispel some of the myths about Richard, who was famously depicted by William Shakespeare as a monstrous hunchback and often viewed as one of English history’s greatest villains.
Descendants call for King Richard III to be buried in York
