Richard III’s blood relation
Michael Ibsen is related to one of history’s greatest villains.
Michael Ibsen is related to one of history’s greatest villains, said Lauren Collins in The New Yorker. The Canadian-born furniture-maker is the 17th-generation nephew of England’s King Richard III—famously portrayed by Shakespeare as a hunchbacked child-killer. He became aware of his royal blood seven years ago, when a British historian called his mother to notify her that she was a direct matrilineal descendant of Richard’s sister, Anne of York. “We knew my mother came from an upper-class family, but that was it,” says Ibsen, 55. When his mother died, in 2008, Ibsen forgot about his noble heritage. But in September researchers from the University of Leicester asked for a swab of his DNA to compare with a skeleton they’d unearthed from a local parking lot, where Richard’s tomb is thought to have once stood. The corpse showed signs of scoliosis and injuries consistent with those the king sustained at the Battle of Bosworth, where he died in 1485. Since handing over his DNA, Ibsen has felt oddly protective of his much-hated ancestor. “If there’s a DNA link to the bones, it will have fairly profound emotional consequences,” he says. “I’m disinclined to believe Richard was the nasty, evil person that history would have him be. But I would say that. Whom would you rather be related to?”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why ‘anti-Islam’ bikers are guarding Gaza aid sites
In The Spotlight Members of Infidels MC, who regard themselves as modern Crusaders, among private security guards at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites
-
China: Xi seeks to fill America’s void
Feature Trump’s tariffs are pushing nations eastward as Xi Jinping focuses on strengthening ties with global leaders
-
Rebrands: Bringing back the War Department
Feature Trump revives the Department of Defense’s former name