Born in around 614, it is believed she was raised Christian after being baptised. The princess committed her life to the service of God as a nun and refused to marry. Her father built her England’s first female monastery in Folkestone, where she moved into at around 630. She lived with those who had received guidance from Roman monks. They had decided to move to England in around 597 to live with the saint.

She is thought to have died in her late teens or early 20s, though the cause of her death is unknown.

Now, over 1,300 years after her death, Kent archaeologists and historians have confirmed the human remains are those of the saint.

The extraordinary discovery was revealed for a special event to mark the start of British Science Week 2020.

The remains have survived through major reformations, when Henry VIII’s agents seized the Folkestone church and smashed the shrine of St Eanswythe.

However, her relics have remained in the north wall of the church, and were discovered in a 12th century reliquary in 1885, after the church workmen stumbled across them.

The patron saint of Folkestone is believed to have founded one of the earliest monastic communities in England.

Historians believe that St Eanswythe read spiritual books, prayed day and night, copied and bound manuscripts, cooked and cleaned, and cared for the sick and elderly in her community.

Tooth and bone samples were carbon dated and the results indicated that there was a high probability of a mid-seventh century death date.

Dr Richardson added: “There is more work to be done to realise the full potential of this discovery.

“But certainly the project represents a wonderful conjunction not only of archaeology and history, but also of a continuous living faith tradition at Folkestone from the mid-seventh century down to the present day.”

The extraordinary discovery represents the concurrence of both the The Finding Eanswythe Project and Folkestone Museum.

The project has been locally led and run, and was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.