Identification of the remains of King Richard III

Abstract

In 2012, a skeleton was excavated at the presumed site of the Grey Friars friary in Leicester, the last-known resting place of King Richard III. Archaeological, osteological and radiocarbon dating data were consistent with these being his remains. Here we report DNA analyses of both the skeletal remains and living relatives of Richard III. We find a perfect mitochondrial DNA match between the sequence obtained from the remains and one living relative, and a single-base substitution when compared with a second relative. Y-chromosome haplotypes from male-line relatives and the remains do not match, which could be attributed to a false-paternity event occurring in any of the intervening generations. DNA-predicted hair and eye colour are consistent with Richard's appearance in an early portrait. We calculate likelihood ratios for the non-genetic and genetic data separately, and combined, and conclude that the evidence for the remains being those of Richard III is overwhelming.

Figure 1. Genealogical links between Richard III and modern-day relatives who participated in this study.

(a) Genealogical information links the Somersets to Richard III through an all-male line (left-hand side) through Edward III. Numbers indicate the number of individuals in the tree between named individuals. Two illegitimacy events where sons born out of wedlock were later legitimized are known to have occurred in the period between John of Gaunt and Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort. (b) Genealogical information links Michael Ibsen and Wendy Duldig to Richard III through a female-only line (right-hand side) descended from Richard III’s eldest sister, Anne of York. Numbers indicate number of individuals in the tree between named individuals.

Figure 2. Hair and eye colour prediction from genetic data.

Proposed eye and hair colour predictions for Richard III’s profile based on a set of individuals with similar eye and hair colour prediction probabilities. a–d give several examples that show the possible range of eye colours associated with a high blue probability of 0.955 using the IrisPlex model. e–h give several examples that show the possible range of hair colours associated with a high blond probability of 0.771 using the HIrisPlex model. It should be noted that eye and hair colour prediction has yet to reach individualized continuous colours. Therefore, these examples are provided as an indication of what colours may be possible using the 24-SNP HIrisPlex genotype profile. (i) The Society of Antiquaries of London Arched-Frame Portrait. Portrait reproduced with kind permission of the Society of Antiquaries of London.