'Bury Richard III in York', say descendants

Descendants of King Richard III have demanded that his remains are reburied in York.

The monarch's 500-year-old skeleton was identified earlier this month after it was uncovered during an archaeological dig at a council car park in Leicester last year.

The remains are due to be re-interred at Leicester Cathedral next year despite campaigns to bring them to York.

Today, nine of Richard III's descendants said they believed the king, the last monarch of the House of York, would have wanted to be buried in the northern city.

Earlier this month, city leaders in York said they would write to the Queen in a bid to get Richard III's remains returned to his "spiritual home".

King Richard grew up at Middleham Castle in the Yorkshire Dales and visited York several times during his 26-month reign.

Known as Richard of York before his coronation, he also funded part of the city's medieval gated walls.

The monarch's links with the area are celebrated to this day, with a Richard III Hotel in Middleham, a Yorkshire-made Richard III Wensleydale cheese and a Richard III Museum in York.

A petition calling for King Richard to be re-interred at York has been signed by more than 23,000 people.

But the Ministry of Justice has said it was the University of Leicester's decision to make as it had been granted permission to exhume the monarch's body.

Plans are being made for the re-interment at Leicester Cathedral next year and architects will be commissioned next month to design the King's tomb.