Richard III — history and even William Shakespeare have gotten his story wrong. Until recently, Richard III’s legacy was one of ruthlessness, murder and horror, and his death had always been unclear. Thanks to one courageous woman, history can now be set straight. “The Lost King” is the true story of Philippa Langley, who set her mind to finding the remains of Richard III.

In the film, Philippa (Sally Hawkins) turns from a mousey figure into a woman of substance. Suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and anxiety, Philippa’s quietness and lack of gumption led her to be somewhat isolated, although she did look after her two sons. Her ex-husband knew of her ailments and labeled her as not normal; however, Philippa was not a stupid woman.

After watching the Shakespeare play “Richard III,” she became overly taken by the character of the king and began researching everything about him. She joined a Richard III society to talk amongst like-minded people who believed the king had been mistreated by history. By putting bits and pieces of information together, she decided to dedicate herself to finding the lost remains of the former king. It had been thought that after he was murdered his body was thrown into the water, but Philippa was not convinced. She felt and she knew historians had gotten it wrong.

Through hard work and determination, Philippa narrowed down the site where she knew the king was buried. It took her time to procure the rights and funding to dig in the location, but she did, and lo and behold, the remains of King Richard III were located. His remains were then given a dignified burial in a cathedral and his legacy updated.

In 2018, the royal family’s website reinstated Richard as the rightful king of England from 1483-1485. Three years earlier, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Philippa an MBE for her services in the exhumation and identification of Richard III.

So, what is so intriguing about Richard III? The Shakespearian play has been included in many films. In “The Goodbye Girl” (1977) Richard Dreyfus’ character was rehearsing the role. Richard III has always been portrayed with a humpback; however, in reality his skeleton was diagnosed with scoliosis, something many people suffer with. His might have been a bit more pronounced though. There is more to King Richard III than what people take away from the Shakespeare play. “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by the sun of York.” “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse.” The legend of Richard III has captivated people for hundreds of years. This movie reinvigorates the appetite to learn more about the man, the myth and his demise.

During her intense research about the king, Philippa felt in her heart that he did not kill his two nephews, a deed with which he had always been associated. The princes in the tower is a story that has made it into history books for centuries, but was that story really true? If history got the death and disposal of Richard’s body wrong, what else is not true about this man’s life?

Richard III came up with “innocent until proven guilty” and was responsible for many acts in favor of the common man. This was a man ahead of his time.

In this movie, Harry Lloyd plays Richard III, a manifestation of Philippa’s mind. She becomes enchanted with him and his story. His apparition was real to her — as real as a figment of her imagination could be. This aspect of the film is what binds the viewers to Philippa. She was a woman on a mission and knew she would help the king in his final journey to his resting place at the cathedral in Leicester.

Richard III was the last Plantagenet monarch. He was followed by the House of Tudor after the Battle of Bosworth where he lost his life. If you aren’t familiar with all of this — either the history or the Shakespeare play — do not feel badly. British history is not at the top of the list in American schools; however, literature is, or at least it was in my time. American schools today do not teach much, if anything, about Richard III.

“The Lost King” is an amazing story that might influence viewers to research more about Richard III. He was a formidable king; however, he has been gone for more than 500 years. Nevertheless, his time in history is a memorable one, and thanks to Philippa he has been restored to the history of official British monarchs.

“The Lost King” streams on Acorn TV.

YouTube has several shows about the burial of King Richard III. This final act for the king is portrayed in the film as realistically as possible; however, watching it as it happened is impressive and touching.

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