DNA tests of bones reveals new details about King Richard III

Researchers know he died in battle and had back trouble. Now, DNA analysis has shed light on what Richard III looked like -- and raised surprising questions about the rightful passage of the crown after his tragically short reign ended in 1485.

In a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications, researchers said the DNA analyses found that the last English king to die in battle, some 500 years ago, most likely had blue eyes and blond hair, closing more of the historical gaps in what we know of the mysterious monarch.

A twisted skeleton was first discovered under a church parking lot back in 2012, setting off a CSI-like investigation into whether it was indeed Richard III. Five months later, DNA evidence proved it was the king.

The new research carved out previously unknown genetic details about the royal find.

"We were able to zoom in on 11 genes with 24 little differences in those genes that can help us predict what somebody's hair and eye color is going to be," said University of Leicester geneticist Turi King, who in earlier work had found matches between DNA from the skeleton and two direct descendants of Richard III on the female line.

A portrait of King Richard III.

AP Photo/University of Leicester

"He has got a 96 percent probability that he had blue eyes - so a very high probability he had blue eyes - and a 77 percent probability of blond hair," she said. "This would have been childhood hair color. It can darken with age. But taking the genetic predictions, we would suggest the most closely matching portraits is the arch-framed portrait in the Society of Antiquaries of London [shown at left] because it has blue eyes and a lighter color of hair."

Other portraits, which depicted the king with dark eyes and dark hair, have been proved less accurate.

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DNA tests of bones reveals new details about King Richard III