Have French scientists solved the mystery of Nelson's lover Lady Hamilton?

"Experts say they cannot be certain the bones, discovered in a tomb in the English section of a graveyard in Calais and exhumed in 2021, are hers. However, a digital reconstruction of a face from the largely intact skull bears a remarkable likeness, France's foremost forensic pathologist has said. There's every chance it's her but we cannot be entirely certain, Dr Philippe Charlier told the Guardian."

"We have a skull that is in very good condition and about 80% of a skeleton that has been lying in the earth. The scientific examination and carbon dating of the bones pointed to a 45-55-year-old woman who died around 1815, Charlier said. Hamilton was 49 when she died on 15 January 1815. Traces on the mouth and teeth suggest alcohol abuse, though the rest of the body appears to have been in a healthy state."

"Until then, the remains are described as presumed to be Lady Hamilton. Charlier, who has studied the remains of historical figures, including Richard Lionheart, French kings Louis IX and Henry IV and Adolf Hitler's teeth, said the team that worked on reconstructing the face was told only that the skull was that of a European woman of a certain age."

Lady Emma Hamilton rose from humble origins to high European society and died in Calais on 15 January 1815 at age 49. Bones exhumed in 2021 from the English section of a Calais graveyard include a largely intact skull and about 80% of a skeleton. Carbon dating and scientific examination indicate a female aged about 45–55 who died around 1815. Forensic facial reconstruction from the skull produced a striking likeness. Dental traces indicate alcohol abuse while other skeletal elements show relatively healthy condition and no signs of common conditions such as rickets. DNA and definitive cause-of-death identification remain unresolved, so the remains are described as presumed Lady Hamilton while examinations continue.

Read at www.theguardian.com