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Yes, it's quite a fascinating story. I was fully expecting the DNA results to say that it was NOT Richard III, in the style of Maury. I'm glad the last Plantagenet King of England will now get a proper interment in Leicester Cathedral.
Every once in a while an archaeology story captures people's imaginations like crazy. This is one of those stories. They managed the 'reveal' well and it's totally viral.
Hugh, that made me laugh. out loud. And I'm totally stealing it. Bearwife, Daughter of Time is one of my favorites, too.
Memes have sprung up quickly, which I have enjoyed. It's kind of a perfect story. It all happened long ago, the scientists did a great job (yay, science) lots of great clips of Olivier playing Richard III have been played, the late night shows have had a field day, etc.
huh look at that. Funnily enough I happened to be reading a historical novel about Isabella of France (a notorious ancestress) when this story broke.
not knowing much about the Plantagenets (beyond the token few lines of Henry Vth), I hied me to wikipedia, where the breadcrumb trail of links led me to this interesting tidbit - apparently after his skull was disinterred and confirmed to be the king's, the Richard III Society funded a forensic reconstruction of his face, which I found creepily compelling.