Prompt Cast
The Controversial Reign of Richard III and the Mystery of the Princes in the Tower
TLDR Richard III's reign was marked by constant improvisation and a lack of long-term strategy, leading to his downfall. The fate of the young King's two uncles, known as the Princes in the Tower, remains uncertain, with theories ranging from their murder by Richard III to their possible survival under assumed names.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In this episode, the hosts discuss the uncertainty surrounding the succession of Edward the Fifth and whether Richard had planned to become king before his brother's death.
05:08
Richard III is portrayed as constantly improvising and lacking a long-term strategy, while the Woodvilles fail to outmaneuver him due to their lack of ruthlessness and coordination, as well as the presence of other factions within the Yorkist Court.
10:02
Richard III and the Woodvilles are trying to come to an agreement in London, but the fate of the young King's two uncles is still uncertain; Richard meets with Anthony Woodville and the Duke of Buckingham in Northampton, and their plans change overnight, resulting in the arrest of Anthony Woodville and Edward the Fifth's half brother.
14:58
Richard III takes control of Edward V and tries to convince him to get rid of his guardian, Anthony Woodville, but Edward refuses and sides with Woodville, causing Richard to realize that once Edward comes of age, it will be bad news for him as the protector.
19:40
Richard III takes control of Edward V and cuts him off from the Woodvilles, summoning a massive army and ultimately deciding to kill Hastings and delay the coronation.
24:41
Richard III declares his nephews illegitimate, resuscitates rumors about their parentage, and orchestrates their murder in the Tower of London, leading to his coronation as king.
29:38
Richard III is believed to have murdered his nephews, the princes in the Tower, and the likelihood is that he acted on his own orders rather than Buckingham's.
34:39
Buckingham's rebellion and subsequent execution provides Richard III with the perfect opportunity to blame him for the murder of the princes in the Tower, but he doesn't, and other candidates such as Henry Tudor and Margaret Beaufort are also unlikely culprits.
39:16
The bodies found in the Tower of London in 1674 and identified as the two princes are likely not actually their remains.
43:47
The bodies of two children found in a crypt adjacent to where Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville were buried have been identified as two of Edward IV's children who had pre-deceased him, but there is a theory that Edward V may have been sent to live out his days on his half-brother's land under an assumed name.
48:32
The hosts discuss the romanticization of Richard III, the possibility of sublimated hostility towards Shakespeare, and the seditious pleasure in criticizing figures like Shakespeare and Thomas Moore, ultimately concluding that Richard III is a tragic figure who destroyed himself and his family, but they differ on whether or not he was right to murder the princes in the tower.
Categories:
History
