THE incredible discovery of a long-lost king whose body was identified by a late north Essex historian has been made into a star-studded film.
Dr John Ashdown-Hill MBE, from Lawford, proved pivotal in the miraculous unearthing of King Richard III, who was found under a Leicester car park in 2012.
He led a study for the Richard III Society, which resulted in the Looking For Richard Project, and established the vital DNA link, proving who the skeleton belonged to.
Upon until that point, the whereabouts of the missing monarch, who died after the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, had been unknown for more than 500 years.
The almost unbelievable discovery, which was spearheaded by Philippa Langley, has now been given the silver-screen treatment in the form of The Lost King.
Starring Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan, the Stephen Frears-directed comedy drama follows amateur historian Philippa as she embarks on journey to find King Richard III.
The life-affirming true story delves into the difficulties she faced as she took on the country’s most eminent historians and tried to prove her friends and family wrong.
Sadly, Dr Ashdown-Hill is no longer alive to see the big screen retelling of historic find, having died age 69 in 2018 following a battle with Motor Neurone Disease.
Professor Alison Rowlands, from the University of Essex’s Department of History, said without the academic King Richard III may never have been found.
“John combined a genuine gentleness of manner with an immense enthusiasm for the solving of historical mysteries,” she added.
“Without John’s research into the fate of the king’s body after the battle and into the mitochondrial DNA of Richard’s descendants, it is unlikely that this major discovery could have been made.”
For his part in the landmark discovery, academic Dr Ashdown-Hill was recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours and made an MBE.
Speaking at the time he said: “The Queen was descended from Richard's mother and father so she is a close relative.
"During our work, we were not sure what the Royal family thought about it. I think it was clear she had been interested in it all along.
"I think she was glad we had done it and she talked to me about the DNA."
The Lost King is out now.
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