Finding & Reburying Richard

The story of the Greyfriars search starts with Philippa Langley. A screenwriter and member of the Richard III Society, she is a Ricardian with a strong sense of the injustice done to Richard III.

• His Tudor enemies took away not just his life, but also his good name;
• They left his grave in obscurity marked only with a mean memorial;
• Then at the Dissolution the house of religion in which he lay was destroyed.

In later years disparaging stories were spread that Richard’s bones had been thrown into the River Soar.

As long as people continued believing that Richard III was a wicked tyrant, there was little hope of disproving such myths. Maybe that is why it was thought Richard’s body would never be found.

People who have an active interest in Richard III call themselves Ricardians, and Philippa Langley is proud to be one. Ricardians read, research, question old ideas, develop theories, and aren’t afraid to challenge traditional ways of thinking. It’s a tough mountain to climb, but we believe this is what the study of history is about.

Philippa was convinced that Richard’s grave had not been desecrated during the dissolution of the monastery. Richard had made good laws and earned respect as a ruler. His death had been lamented. There was no reason why he should not have been left to rest in peace at the old friary known as the Greyfriars.

It was this belief that underpinned her determination to fly in the face of accepted opinion. King Richard was waiting to be found and in 2009 Philippa decided to find him.