The Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence

 The Princes in the Tower, Edward V and his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York, were the young sons and heirs of King Edward IV.  At the time of the King’s death in April 1483, his sons were aged 12 and 9. Their uncle Richard of Gloucester was appointed Lord Protector and was to prepare the young Edward for his coronation as king. However, Richard took the throne for himself and the boys disappeared without trace.

In 1483 Richard placed the boys in the Tower of London, over the summer they were seen less frequently until by the end of that summer they were never seen again. 

The Princes’ fate is one of the greatest of all historical mysteries with their uncle Richard III implicated in their disappearance ever since. Were they murdered in the Tower? Did they escape? 

Now Tim Thornton, Professor of History at the University of Huddersfield, has uncovered mention of a chain belonging to Edward V in the will of the sister-in-law of one of Richard III's trusted servants.

Professor Thornton said while there remained "good arguments" to exonerate Richard, the discovery meant the "balance is shifting towards his guilt".

The findings feature in the UK Channel 5 documentary Princes in the Tower: A damning discovery, first screened 3rd December 2024 

Did The Princes Survive?
Of course not everyone agrees that Richard had the boys murdered. An alternative theory claims the Princes escaped to return to fight at the Battle of Stoke Field in1487. 

The Missing Princes Project
Following seven years of extensive research and investigation Philippa Langley reached a stunning conclusion in her latest book The Princes in the Tower: Solving History’s Greatest Cold Case (The History Press, 2023).

Langley, discoverer of Richard III's body under a Leicester car park, argues that there is no evidence that Richard III ordered the killing of the two princes.

Langley together with barrister Rob Rinder follow the story of how the two sons of Edward IV disappeared in the summer of 1483 and became the alleged victims of an alleged murder. 

A feature length documentary (UK Channel 4,  first screened 18th November, 2023) focuses on the evidence published in Philippa Langley’s book.

It seems the mystery of the Princes in the Tower is set to run for some time yet.

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