Two Young Princes Disappeared From The Tower Of London In 1483, After Being Taken There For Safety
Are you drawn to true crime and murder mysteries? Most of us are. Stories of crime and suspense offer a lot of intrigue, allowing us to experience menacing events without the actual danger.
So, here’s a real-life whodunnit for you to latch onto. See if you can piece together the clues of this complex, princely puzzle.
In the late spring of 1483, Edward V and his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, were taken to the Tower of London for their protection.
At the time, they were just kids. Edward V was next in line to become king. By mid-summer, they had vanished, never to be seen again, and their uncle took the throne.
Many people assume that the uncle had his own nephews killed to eradicate any competition for the throne, but the real answer is unclear.
The disappearance of the two princes is the most baffling mystery in British royal history. Keep reading for more fascinating details.
The young princes were the only two sons of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. When their father passed away in April 1483, they were 12 and 9 years old.
Before the king’s death, he designated his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, as Lord Protector of Edward V, who was the next heir in line for the throne.
The Lord Protector ruled over the country while the English monarch was still too young or unable to rule.
sborisov – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Richard had Edward V’s maternal uncle, Anthony Woodville, half-brother Richard Grey, and their companion, Thomas Vaughn, arrested because he feared they would try to overthrow him.
A couple of months later, he had them executed. By mid-May, Richard had transferred Edward V to the Tower of London to keep him safe.
This made sense because the War of Roses was going on. In addition, Edward V’s coronation was in progress, and it was tradition for soon-to-be kings to stay in the tower before the ceremony.
In the middle of June, Richard relocated Edward V’s younger brother from Westminster Abbey with his mother to the Tower of London.
That same month, Parliament declared that Edward IV’s children weren’t legitimate heirs because he was supposed to have married Lady Eleanor Butler instead of Elizabeth Woodville. Shortly after, Richard took the throne and became King Richard III.
During his reign, Richard had Baron William Hastings executed. Hastings was a close friend of Edward IV and had even helped Richard gain the title of Lord Protector.
After Hastings’ death, the servants who tended to Edward V were banned from seeing him. Edward V and his brother could once be observed playing outside in the garden at the Tower of London.
But as the days went on, they became increasingly secluded within the walls of the fortress. Eventually, they stopped making appearances altogether.
The most obvious explanation for the disappearance of the princes is that Richard III had them murdered so they could never be a threat to him.
Another theory is that Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham and a former ally of Richard III, assassinated the two princes so they wouldn’t threaten his attempt to replace the king with Henry Tudor.
Henry Tudor is also considered a suspect. After Richard III died, he became King Henry VII. He married Elizabeth of York, the two princes’ older sister, ending the War of Roses.
He reinstated the princes as legitimate heirs so that his wife would have royal status as well. Some people believe he had the princes murdered so they wouldn’t outrank his wife’s status.
There is evidence that indicates the princes might have died in the tower. In 1674, two child-sized skeletons were unearthed beneath a staircase in the Tower of London.
In 1933, the remains were analyzed and thought to be the princes. However, experts don’t know if the skeletons were male or female.
They did happen to be around the same age as the princes, though. But, several other bones of children have been found in the tower as well. So, who knows which remains belong to the princes, if any?
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