Until 1922 Leicester Cathedral was the parish church of St Martin. In 1922 it became a collegate church and in 1927 was granted cathedral status. The church dates from about 1086CE when it replaced an earlier Saxon church. Little of this Norman church now remain however due to additions and rebuilds over the centuries. The current cathedral state is largely thanks to a Victorian restoration.
King Richard III was buried at Greyfriars friary next to the cathedral (or church as it then was). A centotaph to the king was located in the chancel. In 2012 remains thought to be of the king were found on the Greyfriars site and after DNA confirmation that it was Richard, the
king was interred in a tomb in the cathedral in 2015.
