Royal Murder: The Princes In The Tower | Wars Of The Roses | Real Royalty

Almost 600 years ago England was torn apart by a series of bloody battles for the throne in just 30 years the crown changed hands seven times tens of thousands were massacred it is one of the most turbulent and violent periods in British history known as the Wars of the Roses, the most infamous story of the entire blood-soaked era, occurs 20 years after the Wars of the Roses began with the

murder

of two innocent children, the

princes

s in the

tower

in the late summer of 1483, the king 12-year-old Edward V and his The

murder

of his nine-year-old brother, Prince Richard, here in the Tower of London, causes so much outrage and hatred that it overthrows a king and topples the longest ruling dynasty in the history of England.

The man responsible was almost certainly the uncle of Prince Richard III this year. is a controversial and bloody story in which Richard is often portrayed as the evil homicidal hunchback bent on stealing the crown. I'm going to show you a very different version of the story, one in which the prince's death is much less simple and much less of a comic book story of pure evil because the truth is that these deaths were the result of a violent clash of events and personalities. which took place over a six month period in which the full options were narrowed down to just one because in this world and at this time the

princes

had to die the heir to the throne is Edward the fourth eldest son the 12 year old Prince Edward his tutor and Tudor is his uncle the Queen's brother Anthony would fill Earl Rivers a brilliant and erudite night the young Prince Edward worshiped as a hero there is close as father and son on April 14, 1483, five days after the event, Rivers finally receives the terrible news that the prince's father and a fourth have died, the burden of ruling England now falls on the shoulders of a twelve year old boy, although he has not yet been formally crowned king of the dead the young prince is now King Edward v long live the king but Edward will never have a coronation in less than four months he and Rivers will be murdered the man who will kill them is Richard Duke of Gloucester brother of Edward IV and also uncle of the new king, but in the spring of 1483, Richard is the complete opposite of Shakespeare's bad hunchback we've all heard of.

Yes, he has a slightly curved spine, but he is also an English hero and a brilliant soldier. Richard has tamed the rebellious north and crushed the Scots for his brother Edward the Fourth. His men and the king of England admire and trust him. He is in his lands in the north when news reaches him of the death of his brother. When Richard finds out about the death of his brother. After his death, he arrives in York, puts on his black morning clothes and attends a memorial service here at the Cathedral where he mourns for his dead brother.

Richard now sees it as a duty of loyalty to carry out his brother's last wishes, according to a contemporary source. Edward, the fourth waste, appointed Richard Protector of England, this would give him control of the country until the 12 year old king reaches adulthood. Richard's only goal now is to follow the instructions of his brothers and make this happen in the days after the king's death. The country is temporarily run by the former King's Council in London made up of some of the most powerful nobles in the country. Lord Hastings is a high-ranking member of the Council and is also intensely loyal to the late king, so Richard writes to Hastings immediately and trusts Hastings to make sure that Edward, the fourth waste, is followed, Richard must be confirmed as protector of England immediately.

Richard, this seems perfectly reasonable, is the highest ranking

royal

adult, is acting on his brother's dying wishes, and is an experienced decision maker and warrior who can see what is needed. to do and he is quick, decisive and ruthless in achieving it, but that attitude will also prove to be his fatal weakness. Unfortunately for Richard, there is another source of

royal

power in England, one that doesn't mind stubbornly sticking to the old King's final decision. he wishes wood fills Queen Elizabeth Woodville and her family had a meteoric rise from second-class nobility to national leaders under the former king;

They currently run the Navy, the Treasury and the armory, but it is unlikely that Richards will do favors for the full wood with the same enthusiasm as his dead brother. If he becomes Protector, the Woodvilles could run out of water, my Lords Hastings do everything. possible to do what Richard asks of them, but the Woodvilles are not stupid, they have a majority on the London council and use it instead. By handing the keys of England to Richard as protector, they decide that young Edward will begin to rule immediate with the advice provided by the council or, in other words, by them.

Richard will be left powerless and the Woodvilles are terrified at Lee Smaug for overcoming him and destroying the men. We are so important that even without the king's uncle we can make decisions as we want from Richard's point of view. The Woodvilles do not respect the authority of their royal blood. These are not the kind of people who should be in charge of the new king. He has two options: he can put up with the disrespect or he can do something about it. Now Richard is brilliant, he solves a problem decisively, that's what makes him a great soldier and now he has a problem to solve.

Richard of Woodville makes a fateful decision and writes to her. Rivers suggests that they all meet on the way to the coronation in London to show the unity of the entire royal family, that seems fair enough, but remember that Rivers is a Woodville to Richard. Now they are the enemy. Richard is waiting for them in Northampton with his right hand. -hand Lord Buckingham I grace April 29, 1483 leaving the young king in an accommodation near rivers he meets the richest all of us must at some point seek guidance and help from others he meets his friend Buckingham in a state of mind very likable Rivers has good reason to feel comfortable in Richards' company Richard had recently settled a complicated dispute over Rivers' land.

My lord, I am very pleased to be able to promote his direction. Everything is going well. Gentlemen, you agreed to pick up the young king in the morning and direct him. They will go together to London for the coronation until tomorrow, but Rivers will never arrive in London. Richard believes he is trying to do the right thing by following the wishes of his dead brother, Edward IV, in

real

ity by arresting the new king's uncle, Lord Rivers, one of the hated Richard of Woodville began the road to disaster along with his henchmen Buckingham Richard meets his nephew Edward the Fifth at Stony Stratford His Excellency when dealing with his nephew Richards in uncharted territory spent most of his time taming the North for his brother, but Edward spent much of the last ten years in Ludlow, so when they came here to Stony Stratford, they may be uncle and nephew, but they're

real

ly like strangers.

We are all very saddened by the passing of our noble and rightful King. I bring more serious news, your excellency, which refers to your uncle and his company and his responsibility in the death of his father. Richard claims that Rivers and his allies had something to do with the death of the young king's father, Edward IV. The rivers of the Lord and Gray cannot. stay free in the face of his great betrayal this argument does not sit well with the young prince my uncle is not a traitor Edwards loyalty clearly lies with the wood fillers and the rivers in particular towards the young king it is not the actions of the rivers the They seem dangerous Traitor, it's Richards, it's easy to look at Richard's behavior and see the seeds of tyranny, Rivers' arrests and Gray taking control of the young king, but in reality it turns out it's not that simple, the truth is revealed for an extraordinary book unearthed 80 years ago here. in the bibliothèque legal in France and this is the only contemporary copy of a book by an Italian scholar called Dominic Man Chaney and when it was discovered in the 1930s it profoundly changed the way we think about Richard because Man Cheney is in England. during 1483, so this is pretty much an eyewitness account and it's an incredible privilege to be able to read it.

The really interesting part is here because Cheney says that according to the common report, Hastings, who he calls stinky, had advised Richard to come to the capital with a powerful force for Team Arnhem, he said that if he did he could avenge the insults that his enemies had done to him and said that this would be easy if before coming to London Richards took the young King Edward under his purring protection and under his authority, so Hastings is basically telling Richard to imprison Rivers and Gray and that he snatches the young king of the Woodvilles and that's great because far from secretly planning to become a tyrant, he is actually following the advice of one of the most powerful. respected and highest-ranking nobles in the land and the best power of his dead brother Edward IV, of course, it is unlikely that the young king knows any of this, it must appear that Richard is committing treason for your protection, we must return with you to London, Richard.

He further undermines his case by claiming that River's terrible crime was that he encouraged Head with the quarters to drink excessively and this killed him, basically Rivers committed treason because he got the old king drunk. That's a pretty pathetic argument. Richard doesn't really care if the explanations are just a façade for other people, he will do what must certainly be done if other people are too stupid to realize that well, he's not that especially bothered, unfortunately because Richard, the young king , see right through it: Edward Richards, the entire plot is a farce, he has complete faith in the integrity of the rivers and absolutely none in Richard, this unwavering loyalty will ultimately seal the young King's fate, but right now, he likes it or not, he is in Richard's care and Richard and Buckingham take Edward to London.

Richard knows he has to do it. restore some sense of normality, particularly since May Fourth, the day they all arrived in London, was the day originally scheduled for the young Edwards' coronation. Richard's actions have clearly ruined all that, so on May 10 at a council meeting. here in Westminster, the council very publicly announced a new date for the coronation, June 22, seven weeks away. Cheney records that, sensationally, Richard also forces the council to proclaim him protector and regent of the King and the kingdom. He has exactly what he wants. Richard has virtually all the powers of a king, which after all is only what he believes his brother Edward, force will demand, sends the young king to the Tower of London.

Oh, disgusting, and my protection will remain safe, now it is true that the

tower

is a royal palace but in reality the young king is under house arrest. He can't do anything. Richard does not want the Excellency of him, for example, the health of young Edward of Woodville will never set foot outside the tower again. Keep it free of damage. Grace, however, there is a problem with Richard's new powers. The council gave them a seven-week time limit. they cease at Edwards' coronation. They clearly have serious reservations about Richards' behavior. This is the core of Richards' problem.

His complete confidence in himself has made him very effective. take power, but that same trait prevents him from realizing that other people don't see the world the same way he does. The clock is ticking for Richard to carry out what he believes are the wishes of his dead brother. He must neutralize any opposition in the next. seven weeks Richard needs to move quickly against the forest. Phil begins with the family patriarch, Earl Rivers. Rivers is the man closest to young Edward and that makes him Richard's most dangerous adversary. Now, luckily, Rivers is locked up in Sheriff Hutton's castle in Yorkshire, but as soon as Edwards drowned, he is guaranteed to free Rivers, Rivers will make sure Richards protects his ends, so what started as a mission To secure his brother's legacy has become a grim and bloody fight for survival, he must now do whatever it takes to stop the Woodvilles from rampaging. back to power by dragging him straight to the scaffold, of course, most of Richard's property would disappear if Rivers were to die for any reason, my lords, I urgently ask that Lord Rivers be charged with the most heinous crimes against royal authority.

Richard demands that the council prove Rivers and his allies for treason because they were preparing to kill him the Lord Protector is another of Richard's fine arguments for this crime they should be treated as traitors and suffer the death of the fate of traitors what do you say, My Lords, he doesn't much care if the council believes it as long as they do what he wants and he has Hastings and Buckingham fighting in his corner, yes, yes, but the council points out that since the ambushes would have taken place earlier of Richard being Protector, it wouldn't be treason even if it were true.

Hello, good evening darling, but it's obvious that many on the council simply don't believe you, that's not surprising after all, Richards locked up a nobleman ofhigh rank, seized the king and forced the council to give him a protectorate, no wonder from his point of view. I think he's starting to look a little dangerous. The young king's mother, Elizabeth Woodville, is certainly afraid of Richard. She has fled to the sanctuary of Westminster Abbey with her children, including Edward's little brother. She relies on the fact that the religious sanctuary is a limit that no one dares. Cruz and no one has done it yet June 9 Richard has spent five weeks trying to force the council to support him.

He has been blocked at all times. He only has two weeks left. If he can't get rivers, he will go after someone more vulnerable. He loves Edward. The fifth little brother, Richard, aged 9, my Lords, Prince Richard, Duke of York, must be left in the care of the Protector so that he may attend the coronation. Richard has the king, what does he need with his younger brother, I think? All this wanting the Coronation Prince feels like one of Richard's flimsy excuses to do something else, what do you say, my Lords? I think he realizes that the wood fillers could use the princess status to launch a new challenge to Richard's authority, but if Richard controls the young Prince, that problem will go away.

No, no, Hastings has been completely loyal to Richard, but this is starting to feel like a betrayal. Richard's difficulties with the council fuel a growing paranoia. His henchmen, Buckingham, stop the fire that he believes is Hastings. There is nothing in the secret meetings with Richards's opponents to suggest that Buckingham is telling the truth, but that no longer matters to Richard from Richards' point of view. Hastings, one of a dwindling number of allies, has betrayed him. The walls are closing in on anyone, no matter who. are or how important who looks like they could threaten your survival will now be treated as an enemy no longer matters if it's true or not if Richard believes you've betrayed him you're a dead man no no no no June 13th only nine days left until the coronation richard attends a council meeting here at the tower of london now for most people the coronation will mark the point at which normality is finally restored but not for richard, for him the coronation will mark his fall from power and a chance for the wood fillers to come after him, so unlike everyone else, Richard comes here with a mission to stop the coronation and his first step is to eliminate anyone who can stop him, my lords, God give you a Good morning, join us, sit down, Richard. has called a very small council meeting, has included his staunch ally Hastings, which is surprising considering that Richard now suspects that Hastings is working against him, the meeting starts well, but Richards is about to make another decision atrocious, gentlemen, I must ask your permission briefly.

Hastings is left wondering what on earth is happening, he doesn't have long to wait. My Lord Buckingham, Take Lord Hastings Without My Lord Buckingham has become Richards, the devious Lackey ready to do anything Richard asks of him. Hastings is executed in the outer courtyard. This is nothing less than a choreographed act of Execution for terrorism without a trial by his peers is a violation of basic English law. Richard claims that Hastings committed treason by plotting to kill him. Treason is abroad, in this country we will no longer tolerate this before the rest of the world. Basically, the Honorable Hastings was doing something so basic that it's just ridiculous and Richards has his back against the wall and doesn't think like the rest of the world when it comes to Richards.

After all this mess, he has made a series of inevitable decisions to save the monarchy and himself and in his mind that is probably what he is still doing, but in reality Richards crossed a line that has no turning back, regardless of what he does. people to actually think of their false excuses, now cowed by fear, Richard and his remaining ally Buckingham can now do practically anything. They want to, but time is running out for Richard, the coronation is just days away and Hastings' death doesn't change the reality that the Woodvilles will still be coming for Richard, so what's next?

Well, really, there's only one scenario where Richard isn't in it. destroyed and that's Edward never taking the throne, but if young Edward isn't crowned king, then who is he from Richard's perspective? That's an easy question for him, as far as he's concerned he's just been trying to do what his brother wanted and of course stay alive. I don't think Richards taking the throne was inevitable from the start, I think it came from a combination of his own personality, his blind loyalty to his brother, and the rapidly blossoming hatred between him and the wood fillers, and all of that drove him to take the throne. a decision.

At one point at the point of no return On June 16, six days before Edwards was crowned, Richard moves against the King's young mother, Elizabeth Woodville, she still takes refuge within Westminster Abbey under the powerful laws of the sanctuary that Richard sends at the age of eight. The old Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas, helps persuade her to give her youngest son to Richard. Elizabeth is staying at the Abbott home here in Westminster Abbey. The archbishop visits her to assure her that Richard is simply fulfilling his duty as protector and that her youngest son will play a key role in the coronation, but Elizabeth must be very clear that if she does not comply, Richard will not hesitate to violate the sanctuary and snatch the Prince anyway, after all, he just murdered one of the most important nobles in the country. intention, but is there really any guarantee you can give me for the protection of my child?

Elizabeth's dilemma is serious. Not only does she have her little one with her but also her daughters. If she continues to resist, Richard may very well kill them all, but if she turns them in. her son there is at least a chance that they will all survive until her eldest son's coronation Elizabeth withdraws and hands her son over to Richards' care Richard immediately sends the little prince to join his brother in the tower the next morning, June 17 Richard postpones Edwards' coronation for four months after weeks of banging his head against the wall, Richards finally gets the people to do what he wants, mainly because they are terrified of him.

Everyone lives in fear after Hastings' murder and there are rumors that Richards brought 20,000 men to south London and no one dares to stop him. But his plan to take the throne from her is obviously illegal, so Richard gets his best friend to sell another flimsy and scandalous justification to the country. On June 25, Buckingham, Richard's ally, boldly arrives at the Guildhall in London and a party arrives in his wake. of lords and gentlemen has clearly assembled himself, he heads to the east end of the hall and mounts a raised platform to address his audience and repeats a sensational and very convenient rumor that has been circulating for the past few days, Edward. the fort's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was invalid Buckingham claims that Edward IV was already contracted to marry someone else before Elizabeth Woodville if that is true under English law Edward the fourth son is illegitimate no one can rule England Buckingham claims that only Richard He has the legitimacy and integrity to take the crown, which is quite a hard sell, after all, we are talking about a man who imprisoned two small children, threatened to rape the shrine, raised an army against the capital, murdered a high-ranking nobleman and is now clearly urinating on the throne, but Buckingham is indeed.

Rich's chief of staff and he's an oily, unreliable man in the making, if he does this right he'll end up being the Kings' new best friend on the same day Richard finally deals with Lord Rivers, one of his most dangerous Woodville opponents. , after more than two months in prison, he is found guilty of treason, but it's a sham trial, of course, Rivers isn't even allowed to speak. They executed him the same day. His body was thrown into a mass grave with his main opponents dead or neutralized. The throne is Richards to take. This is the site. of Baynard Castle, a fabulous mansion in Riverside where Richard stayed literally the day after Rivers' murder.

Buckingham's leaders are hastily assembled and I think a rather frightened delegation of nobles, bishops and Londoners here to meet Richard meekly accept his claim to the Princes of the Bastards and formally offer it to him. the crown Richard theatrically hesitates to accept if he is the right man seriously the group heads to Westminster Hall where Richard is declared King in just 13 weeks Richard has descended from Noble defender of his dead brother's last wishes to a murderous tyrant and probably he believes that every rash and violent decision was entirely justified to save himself and the crown, but of course Richards is not the only one who claims the crown;

His rule will never be truly secure as long as his young nephews are still alive on July 6, 1483, just three months. After the death of his brother Edward IV, Richard Duke of Gloucester is crowned King Richard the Third of England after repeatedly breaking the law. Richard now pulls the handbrake and starts trying to spin the image of a noble King. Everything is done according to the book. Buckingham's unwavering loyalty. Richard gives him a place of honor as master of ceremonies, but the most attentive observers cannot miss one notable absence. None of his nephews, the tower printers, have seen the two princes playing here on the tower grounds but on July 9, three days after his coronation.

Richard fires all of his servants, they are never seen again outside these walls, Richard has them under close arrest, but he doesn't seem to have decided what to do with them. He rigidly embarks on a tour of the country to calm tensions and show off. that there is a safe and reliable monarch on the throne, but while he is away, Richard receives news that there has been an attempt to remove the princes from the tower. The plan was to turn on lights to buildings throughout the city and get the children away in the confusion. The men criticize the conspirators before they can act, but it is a stark reminder of how dangerous challenges for the throne are.

Sooner or later, someone will manage to free the princes and there is a good chance that person will kill Richard and replace him with Edward, so truth be told. The thing is that if Richard wants to keep his crown, the princes have to die. Sightings of the princes in the tower windows persist for some weeks after the plot to free them is discovered. Edward's doctor visits the princess and informs that the young king is preparing himself as a Sacrificial Victim, he confesses daily believing that death awaits him. He is right. By early autumn the princes had simply disappeared.

There is no reliable record of his death. No bodies are found and no one is tried, but in September almost no one believes them. They are still alive, rumors are circulating that children have been suffocated in their sleep, poisoned, even drowned in a vat of wine, the truth is that no one knows, the only thing we can say for sure is that the person who benefits the most from their deaths is Richard, even though he. he started with the best of intentions. I think he almost certainly had them murdered. Richards is not done yet in October 1483.

His loyal sidekick Buckingham rebels against him. Richard executes it. Richard will be the last of the Plantagenet kings who have ruled England for over 300 years, Richard's nephews were practically the last in the line, now he is truly alone, most of the previous Plantagenet kings had an important royal family at their side. around, brothers, uncles, cousins, nephews, someone who maintained the royal line, but apart from his own son, Richard III, the 14th. Plantagenet is practically nobody, his misguided attempts to secure the power of his own dynasty ended up annihilating them and along the way he transformed from an English hero into a paranoid child killer, all in just six months. or a nobleman, but a brilliant and politically astute woman, Margaret Beaufort.