Woman who found Richard III thinks a second king could be buried under another car park
13 June 2023, 11:31 | Updated: 13 June 2023, 12:35
The author who found Richard III buried in Leicester thinks another king may also be hidden underneath a second car park.
Philippa Langley, 60, who discovered Richard in Leicester, believes Henry I could be beneath a car park at Reading Prison.
Henry I, who ruled from 1100 until his death in 1135, was the son of William the Conquerer.
Ms Langley believes he may have been buried on the grounds of the prison after he died, when the site was still part of Reading Abbey, where his body was taken. Reading Prison closed in 2014.
She said: "For a long time it was believed the grave was under a nursery school building, but from my research it looks like he is under the car park of Reading Prison, so it’s another king in a car park.
"And it looks like Henry is buried under the letter K for king, which would be hilarious."
Ms Langley, 60, is an author who was part of a group of several people whose research led them to discover Richard III's final resting place in 2012.
His body was found lying under the letter R, denoting a reserved parking space.
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Philippa thinks she has a sixth sense for archaeological discoveries.
Discussing the feeling she got when she was standing above where Richard was lying, Ms Langley said: "It had never happened before, that feeling I was walking on someone’s grave.
"Whenever I was standing in that area, I would get the feeling."
She added: "It’s an interesting aspect of the story and I don’t know how to explain it.
"Scientists are interested in it. I believe there is research going on that looks at whether we, as humans, sometimes have a sixth sense."
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Ms Langley was given an MBE for her research into Richard. The story of the discovery was made into a film, The Lost King, released in 2022.
Ms Langley is also said to be researching the fate of the Princes in the Tower, Edward V and his younger brother Richard, who were kept in the Tower of London by the man who went onto become Richard III.
Richard III is alleged by many to have ordered their execution, but their fate has never been properly established, and no definitive remains of the brothers have been found.