The skull that was discovered in a Leicester car park, and (right) a portrait of King Richard III. Skull image courtesy of: University of Leicester

Published: 7 February, 2013
by PETER GRUNER

HIS ancestor Richard III may have wanted “to fright the souls of fearful adversaries” but not mild-mannered Camden man Michael Ibsen.

Back home in Parliament Hill Fields this week, following a whirlwind of international attention, the 55-year-old appeared bemused by all the fuss.

Mr Ibsen, who rents a one-bedroom flat close to Hampstead Heath, and doesn’t even own a television, said he just wanted to get on with his work as furniture maker.

For those who have been on another planet over the past few days, it was confirmed on Sunday that human remains found under a car park in Leicester belonged to 15th-century King Richard.

Mr Ibsen, who was at Leicester University when the news was announced, has spent the past week talking to the world’s media.

The identification of Richard’s remains was made possible by matching his DNA with a sample from Mr Ibsen, whose late mother Joy had traced her family tree back to King Richard’s sister.

Mr Ibsen, embarrassed by all the interest, said he only occasionally follows the story on his laptop.

Now confirmed as the 17th great-grandnephew of King Richard, he continues to cycle every day to his workshop in Marlborough Road, Holloway.

His one-man business,  which he has been running for 27 years, has no website. He gets his customers via word of mouth and through recommendations.  

“It’s a shame my mum is not around to witness all the excitement,” said Mr Ibsen. “She really loved her history. I feel I’m doing all this for her.

“As for me, I’ve enjoyed all the interest in Richard but I don’t like being in the limelight and I need to make a living and get back to work.”

A single man with no children, Mr Ibsen enjoys touring the art and craft galleries of the capital – often to pick up ideas for his furniture – and walking across the Heath.

He added: “I’m looking forward to the summer when I can swim in Hampstead Lake. I love fresh water, it reminds me of my home in Canada where as children we swam in lakes all the time.”

Mr Ibsen makes cabinets, tables and chairs and said that, despite the recession, business is booming.

“The big companies with huge overheads seem to be floundering while little people like me seem to be getting lots of work,” he said. “I’m doing all right.”

William Shakespeare, of course, defined the Plantagenet monarch as one of history’s monsters.

Does Mr Ibsen support Shakespeare’s version of his ancestor’s murderous tendencies?

“It’s entertaining but probably not accurate,” he said. “I’ve no doubt the Tudor propaganda machine had a lot of influence but we’ll probably never know exactly what he was like.

“I don’t believe very much had been said about Richard prior to him becoming a monarch. But from what I have read he was quite a popular administrator under his brother Edward IV.”

And should Richard’s remains be moved to Westminster Abbey to join Britain’s other kings and queens?

Mr Ibsen said: “As long as he has a decent burial space and people are respectful to his memory then I’m happy wherever he goes.”