Coogan to pay 'substantial damages' to academic portrayed in Richard III film

Steve Coogan said his film about the discovery of the remains of Richard III was “the story I wanted to tell, and I am happy I did” after he and two production companies agreed to pay “substantial damages” to settle a high court libel claim over the film’s portrayal of a university academic.

- Caroline Davies

Sally Hawkins plays the amateur historian Philippa Langley and Steve Coogan her husband in The Lost King. Below: Richard Taylor outside court in London yesterday after settling his libel claim

(GRAEME HUNTER)

Richard Taylor, deputy registrar at the University of Leicester at the time of the find, sued Coogan, his production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Productions for libel over his portrayal in the 2022 film The Lost King, which follows the amateur historian Philippa Langley and her search to find the king’s skeleton.

Taylor’s lawyers had asserted previously that he was portrayed in the film as “devious”, “weasel-like” and a “suited bean-counter”.

A judge had ruled previously that the film portrayed Taylor as having “knowingly misrepresented facts to the media and the public” about the find, and as being “smug, unduly dismissive and patronising”, which had a defamatory meaning.

The case was due to go to trial, but lawyers for Taylor read an agreed statement to the court yesterday saying the parties had settled the claim.