Scientists studying the DNA of Richard III, the Plantagenet king whose body was found buried beneath a Leicester car park, have revealed that there was marital infidelity among his aristocratic relatives.

Paternity tests on the DNA of a living male-line descendant of Richard III’s royal lineage have failed to find a match, which points to some royal person being born on the wrong side of the bed sheets, the researchers revealed.

The latest research into the DNA extracted from the 15th century skeleton shows unequivocally that the remains belong to Richard III, who died in the battle of Bosworth in 1485, said Turi King of Leicester University, the lead author of the study published in Nature Communications.

“Even with our highly conservative analysis, the evidence is overwhelming that these are indeed the remains of King Richard III, thereby closing an over 500-year-old missing person’s case,” Dr King said.

These findings, combined with other circumstantial evidence, give a probability of the skeleton belonging to Richard as 99.9994 per cent, the scientists said.

However, DNA analysis of the Y chromosome of Richard did not match a living descendant of Henry, fifth Duke of Beaufort, who was supposed to be related to Richard through the male line, Dr King said.

When the e-petition to the Government, asking for Richard III to be buried in York Minster, closed at 12.03 yesterday, it had 31,239 signatures. The rival petition to have his tomb built in Leicester cathedral had by then gained 25,346, but it remains open until October 12. So the battle could be won by a surge of supporters like that of the Stanleys at the battle of Bosworth – except that they plumped for Henry VII’s side and poor Richard ended up under a car park.

Not that the authorities will take any notice of the petitions. Indeed, there is no pleasing anyone in this new War of the White Rose. The petitioners – who easily outnumber the original armies at Bosworth – could perhaps fight it out. Meet at the Dog and Hedgehog, Dadlington. Bring sensible footwear, a packed lunch and spare round-shot. There are several suitable fields on either side of Fenn Lanes.

Ever since old Crook Back was found under the asphalt last September by archaeologists, it has been a war of every man against every man. If it isn’t slugged out in the marshy fields of Leicestershire, it’ll be in the High Court, which has given permission for the question to go to judicial review.