The Mystery of the Princes in the Tower.
In 1933 the skeletons of two young boys, one aged about 10 and the other 13 were disinterred from Westminster Abbey and examined by L.E. Tannery and W. Wright.
These bones had been re-buried in an urn in 1674 and placed in the Henry VIIIth Chapel in the Abbey.
The skeletons aroused much interest and debate as they were believed by many historians to be the bones of the two princes who were reputably murdered in the Tower of London in the 15th century.
The princes were Edward V and his brother Richard Duke of York, the sons of Edward IV and his Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Their uncle, Richard of Gloucester, later Richard III, came after them in the succession.
King Edward V - one of the "Princes in the Tower", also shown above
Sir Thomas More in his History, was quite sure that these young boys were murdered by their uncle Richard of Gloucester and Shakespeare also portrayed Richard III as the evil murderous uncle.
Sir Thomas More states in his writings that the princes were buried "at the stair-foot, meetly deep" and certainly in 1674 two skeletons were found buried beneath a stone staircase, during alterations at the Tower.
Mr. Tannery and Professor Wright concluded in 1933 that the princes had "probably" died in the summer of 1483.
Sir Thomas More states that the princes were smothered with the pillows on their beds by Sir James Tyrell, John Dighton and Miles Forest. Tyrell is reported to have confessed to the crime in 1502 when under sentence of death for treason.
But who gave the orders to Tyrell and his accomplices?
Richard III is the name most associated with the mystery of the two little princes. It is said that he had them killed as their right to the throne was stronger than his. Shakespeare certainly decided that he had given the order for the boys to be killed.
But Henry Tudor, who later became Henry VII in 1485 after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, had an even shakier claim to the throne. His claim was based on the right of conquest!
King Richard III
If the princes were alive in 1485, and they could have been, they would have been a great embarrassment to Henry, and Henry had as much to gain as Richard by the death of the young boys.
There is no proof of Henry's guilt any more than there is of Richard's.
Immediately Henry gained the throne he accused Richard of cruelty and tyranny but strangely did not mention the murder of the little princes. Henry did not announce that the boys had been murdered until July 1486 nearly a year after Richards death.
Did Henry have them murdered?
The only conclusion to the mystery of the Princes in the Tower is that nobody now will be able to prove who killed them, and what happened all those years ago will remain one of the most intriguing who-done-it's of all time!
Suggested reading:
Richard III and the Princes in the Tower
by A. J. Pollard
www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK
In 1933 the skeletons of two young boys, one aged about 10 and the other 13 were disinterred from Westminster Abbey and examined by L.E. Tannery and W. Wright.
These bones had been re-buried in an urn in 1674 and placed in the Henry VIIIth Chapel in the Abbey.
The skeletons aroused much interest and debate as they were believed by many historians to be the bones of the two princes who were reputably murdered in the Tower of London in the 15th century.
The princes were Edward V and his brother Richard Duke of York, the sons of Edward IV and his Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Their uncle, Richard of Gloucester, later Richard III, came after them in the succession.
King Edward V - one of the "Princes in the Tower", also shown above
Sir Thomas More in his History, was quite sure that these young boys were murdered by their uncle Richard of Gloucester and Shakespeare also portrayed Richard III as the evil murderous uncle.
Sir Thomas More states in his writings that the princes were buried "at the stair-foot, meetly deep" and certainly in 1674 two skeletons were found buried beneath a stone staircase, during alterations at the Tower.
Mr. Tannery and Professor Wright concluded in 1933 that the princes had "probably" died in the summer of 1483.
Sir Thomas More states that the princes were smothered with the pillows on their beds by Sir James Tyrell, John Dighton and Miles Forest. Tyrell is reported to have confessed to the crime in 1502 when under sentence of death for treason.
But who gave the orders to Tyrell and his accomplices?
Richard III is the name most associated with the mystery of the two little princes. It is said that he had them killed as their right to the throne was stronger than his. Shakespeare certainly decided that he had given the order for the boys to be killed.
But Henry Tudor, who later became Henry VII in 1485 after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, had an even shakier claim to the throne. His claim was based on the right of conquest!
King Richard III
If the princes were alive in 1485, and they could have been, they would have been a great embarrassment to Henry, and Henry had as much to gain as Richard by the death of the young boys.
There is no proof of Henry's guilt any more than there is of Richard's.
Immediately Henry gained the throne he accused Richard of cruelty and tyranny but strangely did not mention the murder of the little princes. Henry did not announce that the boys had been murdered until July 1486 nearly a year after Richards death.
Did Henry have them murdered?
The only conclusion to the mystery of the Princes in the Tower is that nobody now will be able to prove who killed them, and what happened all those years ago will remain one of the most intriguing who-done-it's of all time!
Suggested reading:
Richard III and the Princes in the Tower
by A. J. Pollard
www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK