9. Whilst it is likely that “The Princes in the Tower” were murdered, it remains a secret precisely who was responsible and for what intended purpose
King Edward V of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, commonly known as “The Princes in the Tower”, were the only living sons of Edward IV at the time of their father’s death in 1483. As per tradition of the English monarchs, between proclamation and coronation the presumptive king resides in the Tower of London; the two boys, aged 12 and 9, followed this convention, with their uncle, the Lord Protector Richard, Duke of Gloucester, appointed to oversee their residency. However, in their absence Richard boldly claimed the throne for himself, asserting that the princes were the product of a bigamous marriage and thus illegitimate heirs. On June 25, Richard was proclaimed King of England, being crowned Richard III on July 6, after which date the young princes disappeared and were never seen in public again. It is commonly believed that they were both secretly murdered on the orders of the new king.
Despite this, it must be noted that “no reliable, well-informed, independent or impartial sources” corroborate this opinion other than the physical disappearance of the pair from history. Furthermore, if the princes were indeed murdered, it remains a secret on precisely whose orders the deed was committed; Richard III was not the only individual who stood to gain from their disappearance and consequently, several theories have developed in the centuries since. Ranging from, naturally, Richard himself for the purpose of securing his crown, to Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, who allegedly sought to ascend to the throne himself as a descendant of Edward III, or even Henry VII, the victor in the civil war against Richard III, who wished to eliminate all potential rivals to his claim.