Relatives of King Richard III, whose body was found in a Leicester council car park last year, have won the right to challenge the decision to bury him in Leicester in High Court proceedings.
King Richard iii’s remains were found under a Leicester car park
The Plantagenet Alliance, Which includes 15 members of Richard III’s relatives, wants the King’s body to be buried in York, in accordance with what they say were his wishes.
A team at the University of Leicester dug up the skeletal remains last year, in February they confirmed the remains were those of the last English King to die in battle, Richard III. The Ministry of Justice gave the University the right to decide where the King would be buried as part of the licence to carry out the dig.
Leicester Cathedral, where Richard III is due to be buried has already begun a £1 million project to accommodate the tomb. A further £4 million is planned to be spent on a visitors centre that will commemorate his life. The Plantagenet Alliance however, want the king to be buried in York Minster.
Mr Justice Haddon-Cave giving reasons for granting the review said:
“The archaeological discovery of the mortal remains of a former King of England after 500 years is without precedent.
In my judgment, it is plainly arguable that there was a duty at common law to consult widely as to how and where Richard III’s remains should appropriately be reinterred. I grant permission to the claimant to bring Judicial Review proceedings against the Secretary of State for Justice and the University of Leicester on all grounds.”The review is expected to take one day and as of yet has not been set.
photo credit: University of Leicester via photopin cc
