King Arthur Uther Pendragon lost a High Court battle this week over a pile of 5,000 year-old cremated bones he considers "royal".

Pendragon is known to his friends as battle chieftain of the Council of British Druid Orders and chief of the Arthurian Warband, and to his parents as John Rothwell. He was seeking judicial review of a Ministry of Justice decision to allow the University of Sheffield to undertake research into the remains of 40 early Britons which were dug up at Stonehenge. The King wanted them put back ASAP, fearing that the remains - which just might be of the "founding fathers of this great nation" - could end up in a museum, rather than being allowed to rest in peace. You can hear the king talking about the case in this YouTube video - of particular interest is the "naked ritual" he bravely undertook with a priestess.

    Kneel before your king

Sadly for his Majesty, and despite all his nudey protesting, Mr Justice Wyn Williams was oblivious to the magic in the air and ruled against the litigant-in-person. Addressing the press in his flowing white robes of office, a bullish Pendragon insisted that he was "very much hopeful that [he could] win in the future".

Pendragon is an eco warrior, seasoned political activist (he led a successful campaign to allow full access to Stonehenge during the summer solstice) and a true English eccentric. Last year he racked up a sensational 257 votes in his bid to become MP for Salisbury, listing his hobbies as "saving the environment, being senior druid and pagan priest".
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