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LEFT The human remains discovered in trench 1 of the Grey Friars dig laid out for study in the lab. The skeleton’s feet were destroyed during an earlier disturbance of the grave, while the severe sideways curvature or scoliosis of the spine is clearly apparent. Following detailed analysis, the team concluded that these are the remains of Richard III, the last Medieval king of England.

Reconstructing Richard III: discovering the man behind the myth

On Monday 4 February the results of tests on a skeleton found beneath a Leicester carpark were announced to a global media audience. Lead archaeologist Richard Buckley stated ‘our academic conclusion, beyond reasonable doubt, is that the individual exhumed at Grey Friars in September 2012 is indeed Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England.’ Matthew Symonds and Carly Hilts look at what this momentous announcement tells us about Richard, and why the Leicester team are so confident they have got their man.