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LEICESTER. — Off the tourist trail and loved by few but its residents, Leicester was a sleepy place until a king who died over 500 years ago and footballing triumph roused it from its torpor. Some people even believe that the discovery of the skeleton of Richard III and Leicester City’s astonishing English Premier League win are linked. One thing is for sure — since Richard’s bones were discovered under a Leicester car park in 2012, things have never been the same in the city, whose population is 330 000.

Located in the centre of England, Leicester had always been seen as a place en route to somewhere else. It was known, if at all, for its successful rugby team, pop acts Kasabian and Engelbert Humperdinck, and record number of traffic lights.

“People didn’t really stop here,” Rory Palmer, the city’s deputy mayor, said. That was until Richard’s remains were discovered, and everything changed.

Britain was swept up in “Par-King” fever, as Richard was nicknamed, and thousands started flocking to Leicester, where the king was reburied at the cathedral. — AFP.