Philippa Langley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Philippa Langley
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Philippa Langley in March 2015
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| Born | 29 June 1962 British Kenya
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| Nationality | British |
| Education | Hummersknott School, Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College |
| Occupation | Writer and producer |
| Organization | Richard III Society |
| Known for | Discovery and exhumation of Richard III |
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Notable work
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| Television |
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| Spouse(s) | John Langley (separated) |
| Children | 2 |
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| Honours | MBE |
Philippa Langley is a British writer and producer. She is most famous for finding the lost grave of King Richard III in 2012. She led a project called Looking for Richard, which helped uncover the king's remains. Her work has been featured in books and documentaries, and she was even shown in the 2022 movie The Lost King.
Contents
Growing Up
Philippa Langley was born in British Kenya in 1962. When she was two years old, her family moved to Darlington, England. She went to Hummersknott School and Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College. After finishing school, she started a career in marketing before moving to Edinburgh.
The Search for Richard III
Philippa Langley became very interested in King Richard III in 1998. She read a book about him and felt that his true story had not been told. At the time, she had a health condition called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), which made her very tired. She decided to leave her marketing job to write a movie script about Richard III.
She also helped start the Scottish part of the Richard III Society, a group interested in the king. In 2004, she visited places in Leicester that were linked to Richard III. She went to a car park that some people thought might be his burial spot. When she was there, she felt a "strange sensation" and believed that Richard's body was buried right there. Later, she saw an "R" painted on the ground in that exact spot, which made her even more sure.
In 2005, Philippa worked with Dr. John Ashdown-Hill. He had found a living relative of Richard III in Canada. This was important because it meant they could use mitochondrial DNA to identify any remains they found. After more research, they believed the old church of Greyfriars, where Richard III was buried, was under the Social Services car park.
In 2009, Philippa started the Looking for Richard project. Her goal was to get the car park dug up to find the king's grave.
Finding the King's Grave
In 2010, Philippa got support from the Leicester City Council for the dig. They agreed to let her excavate the car park and make a TV show about it. If they found any remains, they would be buried in Leicester Cathedral. The Council couldn't give money directly, but they approved the dig and helped Philippa find local sponsors.
Philippa hired the University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) to do the digging. Some sponsors pulled out, but Philippa started an online fundraising campaign. People from the Richard III Society around the world donated money. They raised enough to pay for a two-week excavation.
On August 25, 2012, the dig began. Just a few hours after they started digging in the spot Philippa had marked, they found a skeleton. Later, tests confirmed that it was indeed the remains of King Richard III!
Working with the University of Leicester
On February 4, 2013, the University of Leicester announced the discovery to the world. They had helped fund a third week of digging and led the DNA tests. Philippa felt that the University made it seem like they had led the entire search, even though they had been doubtful at first.
The University of Leicester kept Philippa's name off the official digging license. This meant the University had control over the remains. This also led to some legal issues later on.
In late 2022, a movie called The Lost King was released. It told the story of Philippa's search for Richard III. The film showed some disagreements between Philippa and the University. The University said some parts of the movie were not accurate. However, Philippa and the filmmakers said they believed their story was true.
The Richard III Society supported the film. They also highlighted Philippa's and John Ashdown-Hill's important roles in the discovery. They also mentioned how important the money donated by the Society's members was to the project's success.
In June 2024, a judge ruled that the movie's portrayal of a university academic, Richard Taylor, was unfair. The judge said the movie made him look bad and suggested he had hidden facts and treated Philippa poorly. This means the case will go to a full trial.
Other Projects
Philippa Langley has worked on other historical projects since finding Richard III.
Hidden Abbey Project
In 2014, Philippa started a project to find the remains of Henry I of England. He was buried at Reading Abbey, which later became a ruin. This project is called the "Hidden Abbey Project." In 2020, she believed Henry I's grave was under a car park at the old Reading gaol. In 2021, Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer joined the effort to raise money for the excavation. In 2023, Philippa was still working to raise the money needed for the dig.
Missing Princes Project
In 2022, Philippa led "The Missing Princes Project." This project aims to find out what happened to the Princes in the Tower. These were two young princes who disappeared in 1483. The project started in 2015.
In 2023, Philippa said she had found new evidence. She believes this evidence shows that Richard III was not responsible for the princes' deaths. She also hosted a TV show called Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence on Channel 4. In the show, she shared her theories and new discoveries from old records.
Some people praised her discoveries, while others had different opinions. The Richard III Society released a statement saying that the disappearance of the princes was always a mystery because there was no proof of what happened. They believe the new evidence means history books should now consider that the princes might not have been killed by Richard III.
However, some researchers who helped with the project later said that the documents they found could be understood in different ways. They said the documents were not "irrefutable proof" that the princes survived. Philippa responded that her conclusions were based on looking at all the evidence like a police investigation, not just traditional history methods.
As a Writer and Producer
Philippa Langley has been involved in several films and books about her historical research.
From 2011 to 2013, she was an associate producer for the Channel 4 documentary Richard III: The King in the Car Park. This film won an award in 2013 and was very popular. It led to another short film called Richard III: The Unseen Story.
In 2013, Philippa co-wrote a book with Michael K. Jones called The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III. She also hoped her movie script about Richard III, called Blood Royal, would become a film.
In 2014, she wrote Finding Richard III: The Official Account of Research by the Retrieval & Reburial Project. This book shared all the research that led to the discovery of Richard III.
In 2022, Philippa and Michael K. Jones updated their 2013 book. It was re-released as The Lost King: The Search for Richard III. This book came out at the same time as the movie The Lost King, where actress Sally Hawkins played Philippa. Philippa even made a small appearance in the movie.
In November 2023, she was an associate producer and co-presenter for the Channel 4 and PBS documentary The Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence. After the show, her new book, The Princes in the Tower: Solving History’s Greatest Cold Case, was published. In this book, she states that the mystery of the Princes in the Tower is "now solved." She believes that both princes survived Richard III's reign and later tried to claim the throne from Henry VII.
Personal Life
Before finding Richard III, Philippa Langley was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). This meant she had to plan carefully to save her energy for her research trips.
She was married to John Langley, and they have two sons. They later separated but remain close.
Awards and Recognition
- In October 2021, Philippa Langley became a Fellow of the Richard III Society.
- In March 2014, she received an award from the Royal Television Society for the documentary Richard III: The King in the Car Park.
- In June 2015, she was given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) honor for her work in finding and identifying Richard III.
- In March 2015, Leicester Cathedral dedicated a poem to her. The poem was read at King Richard III's burial.
- In April 2014, a special plaque was put up at the Cramond Inn. This marked the place where Philippa started the Looking for Richard project.
- In March 2013, she was made an Honorary Life Member of the Richard III Society.
- In October 2012, she received the Robert Hamblin Award from the Richard III Society.
In Film
- Philippa Langley was featured in and helped produce the 2013 Channel 4 documentary Richard III: The King in the Car Park.
- She also appeared in and helped produce the 2013 follow-up film, Richard III: The Unseen Story.
- She was played by Sally Hawkins in the 2022 movie The Lost King, which tells the story of her search for Richard III. Philippa herself has a small role in the film.
- In November 2023, she presented The Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence on Channel 4 with Robert Rinder.
See also
- King Richard III Visitor Centre, Leicester City
- Richard III Experience at Monk Bar, City of York
- Ricardian (Richard III)
