The doors of a new Richard III visitor centre opened to members of the public.
The attraction offers access to the former monarch’s burial site, under a council car park, where our archaeologists first uncovered his skeletal remains in August 2012.
The centre, called Dynasty, Death and Discovery, will tell the king’s story in three parts, through displays, interactive audio-visual elements, and exhibits.
‘Dynasty’ tells the much debated story of the king’s life and times in a medieval England racked by decades of fighting in the Wars Of The Roses, detailing Richard’s rise to power as the last king from the great house of Plantagenet.
‘Death’ gives visitors the chance to learn about the key players in the Battle of Bosworth and how betrayal led to the king being cut down in the thick of battle while defending his crown.
‘Discovery’ unearths the astonishing story of the archaeology, science and analysis carried out by our academics, who rediscovered and identified the long-lost remains of the king after excavating a grave beneath a car park, on the former site of the medieval friary of the Grey Friars.
Located in the former Alderman Newton School in Peacock Lane, the centre is also close to Leicester Cathedral, which was last month confirmed as the final resting place for the royal bones following a lengthy legal battle.
