The protected car park next to the King Richard III Visitor Centre — Image by Will Johnston via Leicester Mercury
LONDON: The car park where the remains of one of England's most famous kings was discovered has been granted official protection as a historic site, China's Xinhua news agency reported.
The skeleton of King Richard III, slain during the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, was unearthed during an excavation of a car park in Leicester in 2013. The ordinary-looking council-run car park had been built on the site of an old religious friary.
Historic England recommended that protection status should be granted to what it described as one of the most important sites in the country's national history.
John Glen, parliamentary undersecretary of state for arts, heritage and tourism agreed, and it was announced last Thursday that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has granted protection to the site by including it on Britain's list of heritage sites.
"The discovery of Richard III's skeleton was an extraordinary archaeological find and an incredible moment in British history," said Glen. "By protecting this site as a scheduled monument, we are ensuring that the remains of this once lost medieval friary buried under Leicester are preserved for future generations."
Confirmation the remains were of King Richard III came from experts from the University of Leicester who analysed DNA from the bones and found they matched that of descendants of the monarch's family.
"The discovery and identification of King Richard III's remains was a remarkable achievement," said Leicester mayor Peter Soulsby said.
“These events marked an unforgettable time for our city. We've already honoured this discovery with a world-class tourist attraction in the King Richard III visitor centre and the scheduling of this site will help to ensure this remarkable discovery is protected for future generations to enjoy."
