The death of Richard III was caused after he received two blows on the back of his head during the battle at Bosworth Field in 1485, according to the forensic evidence of his remains. The findings were published in Lancet, a British-based medical journal.

Though 32-year-old Richard III was badly injured during the battle at Bosworth Field, the most fatal attack came after he dismounted from his horse and removed his helmet, suggests analysis by forensic experts. According to Foxnews, weapons such as swords, daggers and a long metal pole with a hook - generally used to pull knights off their horses, were used to inflict the 11 injuries found on Richard's skeleton. As per scientists, his end came after he was knocked down with two blows on the back of his head - one with a sword that reached the bottom of the skull, and the other from an edged weapon, most probably, a halberd, resembling an axe, used in ancient times.

"The contemporary accounts of the battle tally with what we've seen on the skeleton. Richard was probably in quite a lot of pain at the end," said Sarah Hainsworth, a professor of materials engineering at the University of Leicester and also one of the study authors.

The research was conducted by the University of Leicester team, headed by archaeologist Jo Appleby. Using computer scans and micro-CT scans among other technologies to analyse the king's injured bones, researchers concluded that his death was brutal. According to Hainsworth, Richard III was attacked by many army men.

Hainsworth further said that no wounds were found on the bones of the arms or hands, thus indicating that the king died wearing armour. The bones of the pelvis and the rib shows extensive damage caused by stabs, which researchers suggest, might be inflicted after the death.

However, the study has its limitations. Though Hainsworth and her team have been able to correctly identify the injuries inflicted on the bone, they could not conclude anything in regards to the soft-tissue injuries. "If he'd been stabbed right through the rib cage and into the heart, he would have died just like that," she told NBC News.

How were the remains of Richard III found?

During an archaeological excavation in 2012, a set of bones were found under a Leicester parking lot and further tests of the DNA confirmed that the bones belonged to Richard III. Since then, a number of tests, including reconstruction of the face, before the ceremonial reinterment in Leicester Cathedral next year were conducted.