LONDON - Richard III was immortalized by Shakespeare, in the Bard's play of the same name, as a murderous villain.

Now, nearly 530 years after his death in battle, Britain's high court has ruled that the king is to be buried in Leicester. His skeleton was found in that city in 2012. It was beneath a parking lot.

The court issued its ruling on Friday. It dismissed a competing campaign by some of the deposed monarch's distant relations to have him buried in York, in northern England. Richard's descendants argued that York had a stronger claim on his affections - and his bones.

"It is time for Richard III to be given a dignified reburial, and finally laid to rest," the court declared. Its ruling paved the way for the long-ago ruler to be buried in Leicester Cathedral.

Deposed By Henry Tudor

The cathedral stands a stone's throw from the site where Richard's remains were found. Working off of old maps, archaeologists had been digging at the spot in search of the last recorded place where Richard's body was buried. In an almost miraculous find in September 2012, they unearthed the skeleton of an adult male. It was immediately evident that he had suffered terrible battle wounds.

DNA and other tests proved that the remains belonged to Richard, the final Plantagenet king and the last English monarch to die in combat. He was killed on Aug. 22, 1485, at Bosworth Field, outside Leicester, in a climactic fight that ushered in the long reign of the Tudors, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

Almost as soon as the remains were found, however, another battle broke out. At issue was the question of where the king's bones ought to be laid to rest.

A group called the Plantagenet Alliance challenged the decision to rebury Richard in the nearby cathedral. Their position was that York would be more appropriate. Richard spent much of his childhood and early adult life in and around that city. The group accused the government of failing to consult widely enough before it granted the burial license to Leicester.

But in what it called a "unique and exceptional" case, the high court on Friday upheld the government's decision. The court noted that officials had followed all rules regarding discovered remains; that Henry VII, who became king on Richard's death, had buried him in Leicester; and that the present queen, Elizabeth II, appeared content with the idea of keeping him there.

"He Fell Here"

David Monteith, of Leicester Cathedral, described the court's judgment as undeniably sensible.

"He fell here. He's lain here for over 500 years. The cathedral is about 150 meters from the site of discovery," Monteith said in an interview.

Despite Richard's strong ties to York, "he spent time all across England," said Monteith. "He knew the city of York well, but he knew the city of Leicester well. He didn't leave any will saying (where) he should be buried. We're simply doing what the law requires."

The cathedral has already gone to some expense to prepare for the reburial, which is scheduled for spring of next year. A new tomb will be erected in the heart of the church. Planning is also underway for a solemn service befitting a king of England.

Richard III is one of England's most controversial kings. Historians are bitterly divided over Richard's true character. Was he the bloodthirsty tyrant described by Shakespeare, a man who had his two young nephews executed so that he could claim the crown for himself? Or was he an enlightened ruler whose name was smeared after his death by his rivals, the Tudors?

No matter where he's buried, that is one debate that will probably never be put to rest. ]]>