The fact that a coffin maker in London turned out to be a living mitochondrial descendant of a fifteenth-century English king through a sequence of entirely ordinary biological events, none of which was connected in any way to Richard III or to this investigation, was a genuine historical coincidence that happened to become historically important when the Greyfriars excavation found remains that needed to be identified.
Michael Ibsen’s coffin-making skill also played a role at the end of the story: he built the oak coffin in which Richard III’s remains were reinterred in 2015, closing a circle of connection that was both scientifically meaningful and humanly significant.
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## The Reburial Controversy
After the identification was announced in February 2013, a debate began almost immediately about where the king should be reburied. The University of Leicester and Leicester Cathedral proposed that the remains should be interred in the cathedral, which stood near the Greyfriars site and had clear institutional connections to the discovery.
An alternative view was advocated by some historical and genealogical organizations, particularly those with connections to Yorkshire, where Richard had based his administration as Duke of Gloucester and where he retained the strongest popular support during his reign. York Minster was proposed as an alternative. Westminster Abbey, where other medieval monarchs are buried, was also suggested.
A group called the Plantagenet Alliance, composed of individuals claiming descent from Richard III, challenged the decision in court, arguing that the Ministry of Justice had not fulfilled an obligation to consult with interested parties before determining where the burial should take place. The case reached the High Court, which ruled in May 2014 that no such obligation existed. The litigation cost the parties involved approximately £245,000.