Funeral Fit for a King

Michael Ibsen is a furniture maker who often crafts custom-made pieces for his clients.  Yet, a request to construct a coffin for his royal ancestor is by far his most unusual commission.  The public will soon see Ibsen’s hand-carved coffin carrying the 530-year-old remains of King Richard III.

“I’ve had the opportunity, a couple of times, to stand next to the remains, and you think ‘How extraordinary, I am standing next to this figure from history,’” Ibsen said.  “And then it filters through in your mind, and you think, ‘Wow, I’m related.’” 

Ibsen is a 58-year-old Canadian who moved to Britain 30 years ago, and is a central figure in the story of the discovery of King Richard’s remains.  His DNA helped to confirm that the skeleton excavated from a parking lot in central Leicester three years ago were indeed that of England’s last Plantagenet king.  The remains will be reburied in a televised funeral led by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

See Karla Adam, England Prepares a Funeral Fit for a King, The Washington Post, March 21, 2015.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret for bringing this article to my attention.