8/30/2023 0 Comments Skeletons tower of london![]() King Henry VII by Unknown Netherlandish artist oil on panel, 1505 It only gained its unsavory reputation during the subsequent tenure of the bloodthirsty Tudor monarchs. The Tower wasn’t thought of as an evil place back then. They were given posh digs in a royal palace, as befitting their rank. They weren’t “imprisoned” or “confined,” as is commonly written. The two princes were moved into the royal apartments in the Tower of London to prepare for Edward’s coronation. Richard called for his northern armies, a completely normal tactic. They tried to crown 12 year old Edward immediately and oust Richard from his position as Protector. The Woodvilles, the relatives of Edward IV’s wife Elizabeth who had prospered under his reign, made a power grab. Richard III became the young princes’ guardian and was declared Protector of the Realm. ![]() But there is speculation that he was poisoned. In 1483, Edward IV fell sick and unexpectedly died, probably from pneumonia after a fishing trip. John Everett Millais,The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower, 1483 Sounds very Stark-Winterfellian, doesn’t it? Richard was effectively made warden of the North. He was named Duke of Gloucester and married Anne Neville, heir to the Duke of Warwick’s fortune. Richard III was rewarded for his efforts. He was a great military commander and helped his brother secure and keep his throne. Richard III was apparently a loyal brother to Edward IV. Edward and Elizabeth had many children, including the two princes in question. Then, to the horror of the royal court, Edward IV secretly married Elizabeth Woodville, a low born Lancastrian widow even though he had been pre-contracted to Eleanor Butler. The Rise and Fall of King Edward IVĪ young Yorkist Edward IV seized the English throne during the three decade War of the Roses - the epic battle between the York and Lancastrian branches of the Plantagenet family. He shouldn’t even be dubbed the chief suspect. His guilt simply cannot be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Under today’s prevailing legal standards, Richard III is decidedly not guilty. I’ve read quite a few books on the topic. I set forth my interpretation of events, based on all my research. ![]() If you’ve read historical accounts or watched the BBC series The White Queen and White Princess (the later starring Killing Eve star Jodie Comer), you know the backstory. Who was Richard III and did he really kill the princes? Or was the murderer someone else entirely? The events of Richard’s life twisted in macabre fashion for political gain?Īnother Tudor era portrait of Richard III inaccurately showing him with a hunchback and dark eyes ![]() Even the Louvre’s website blithely says that the princes were “smothered on the orders of Richard III” so he could usurp the throne. Until recently, Richard III was almost universally condemned as the culprit. However, contemporary historians are growing fond of the theory that Edward V died and Richard was moved from the Tower of London. Most historians believe the princes were whacked. His Richard III is a Disney ready caricature - a cruel, conniving, “poisonous bunch-backed toad” who ruthlessly murdered his innocent nephews. In turn, Shakespeare took his story from Tudor sycophant Sir Thomas More’s hit piece history, and amplified it to dramatic effect. The “Broken Sword” portrait of Richard III - a Tudor era portrait inaccurately showing him with lopsided shoulders
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