Philippa Langley

Philippa Langley is a writer. She loves old stories.

She wanted to find a lost king. His name was Richard III. She looked in a car park. She felt he was there.

She worked with a team. They dug in the ground. They found old bones. They proved it was the king!

This was a huge find. It helped the world learn. Many people were happy about it.

Now she looks for other secrets. She wants to solve more mysteries.

Philippa Langley is a British writer. She loves history. She is famous for finding a lost king. His name was Richard III.

In 1998, Langley read a book about the king. She felt his true story had not been told. She started the Looking for Richard project. She believed the king was buried in a car park in Leicester. She felt a strange sensation when she visited the site.

Langley worked with a team of experts. They needed money for the dig. People from all over the world gave money to help. In August 2012, they began to dig. They found a skeleton. DNA tests proved it was Richard III.

Langley has worked on other mysteries too. She started the Hidden Abbey Project. She wants to find the grave of Henry I. She also leads the Missing Princes Project. She looks for clues about two princes from the past. She wrote books and made films about her work. One film about her life is called The Lost King.

Philippa Langley is a British writer and producer who loves history. She is most famous for helping to find a lost king named Richard III.

Langley was born in Kenya in 1962. She moved to England when she was two years old. Later, she worked in marketing and lived in Edinburgh. Her life changed in 1998 after she read a biography by Paul Murray Kendall. She felt the king's true story had never been told on screen. This led her to start the Looking for Richard project.

Langley had a very strong feeling about where the king was buried. In 2004, she visited several sites in Leicester, England. She went to a car park used by Social Services. She felt a strange sensation at the northern end of the lot. She believed the king's body was right there. In 2005, she saw a reserved "R" painted on a parking space. She felt this was a sign that she was right. She began working with experts like John Ashdown-Hill to find the king.

Finding the king was a huge team effort. Langley formed her project at the Cramond Inn in Edinburgh in 2009. She worked with people like Dr. David and Wendy Johnson. They needed money to pay for the big dig. Langley started an online appeal to raise funds. Members of the Richard III Society gave £17,367 of the total cost. This helped cover the £32,867 needed for the work. The University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) did the digging.

The big moment happened in August 2012. The team began digging in a Leicester car park. An expert named Jo Appleby found a skeleton. The bones had special spinal marks. Professor Turi King led DNA testing to be sure. The tests proved the bones were Richard III.

This discovery was a major event in history. Langley later received an MBE for her important role. Her life was even shown in the 2022 film "The Lost King."

Langley continues to look for more historical secrets. She started the Hidden Abbey Project to find King Henry I. She also leads the Missing Princes Project. This project looks for clues about two princes from the past. In 2023, she shared new ideas about these princes. She has written many books about her discoveries. Her work shows how looking at old clues can solve big mysteries.

Philippa Jayne Langley is a British writer and producer known for historical research. She played a central role in the discovery of King Richard III. This discovery changed how people understand English history. Langley is also a Ricardian, which means she studies the life of Richard III.

Langley's journey into history began with a single book. In 1998, she read a biography by historian Paul Murray Kendall. The book deeply moved her. She believed the true story of Richard III had never been told on screen. At that time, Langley worked in marketing. However, she had been diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis. She eventually left her job to write a screenplay about the king. She also formed the Scottish branch of the Richard III Society.

Langley used intuition and research to find the king's grave. In May 2004, she visited sites in Leicester, England. She visited three car parks that were possible burial locations. At the Social Services car park, she felt a strange sensation. She believed the king's body lay at the northern end. In 2005, she saw a reserved "R" painted on a parking space. She felt this was a sign. She then began working with John Ashdown-Hill. He had traced the king's mitochondrial DNA to a relative in Canada. This DNA would later prove the identity of the remains.

Finding the king required a massive organized effort. In February 2009, Langley formed the Looking for Richard project. She met with experts at the Cramond Inn in Edinburgh. The team included Dr. David and Wendy Johnson, John Ashdown-Hill, and Annette Carson. They also worked with Dr. Phil Stone. In 2010, Langley won support from Sheila Lock, the CEO of Leicester City Council. The council would not provide direct funding. However, they allowed the excavations to happen in the car park. They also introduced Langley to local sponsors like Leicestershire Promotions.

Financing the dig was a difficult challenge. In August 2011, ground penetrating radar results were inconclusive. This caused some sponsors to withdraw their support. Langley started an online crowdfunding appeal to help. Members of the Richard III Society worldwide contributed £17,367. This was part of the total £32,867 cost for the two-week excavation. On August 25, 2012, the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) began digging. This was three days after the 527th anniversary of the king's death.

The excavation led to a historic breakthrough. Osteoarchaeologist Jo Appleby uncovered a skeleton during the dig. The bones showed specific spinal abnormalities. Professor Turi King led DNA testing to confirm the identity. The tests proved the remains were indeed Richard III. This success led to Langley receiving an MBE. It also inspired the 2022 film *The Lost King*. The film features actress Sally Hawkins playing Langley.

Langley's work has also faced legal and professional tension. After the discovery, the University of Leicester presented the results to the press. Langley felt sidelined during this event. A legal action by the Plantagenet Alliance also occurred due to clerical errors. In 2022, the film *The Lost King* caused further debate. Director Stephen Frears criticized the university's handling of the discovery. A UK high court judge later ruled on a defamation claim involving the film. In October 2025, the parties reached an agreement and a financial settlement.

Today, Langley continues to lead major historical investigations. She started the Hidden Abbey Project in 2014. This project seeks the remains of King Henry I at Reading Abbey. In 2021, Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer, joined the crowdfunding efforts. Langley also leads the Missing Princes Project. This project investigates the fate of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York. In 2023, she shared new evidence regarding the princes. She used modern police investigative methodology to support her theories. Her work continues to spark debate among historians.