Prompt Cast
The Mystery of the Princes in the Tower of London
TLDR In 1483, the young King Edward V and his brother Richard disappeared after being taken into custody by their uncle Richard III, leading to speculation that Richard III ordered their deaths to secure his claim to the throne. Although the bones of two boys were found in the Tower of London, their identity has never been confirmed through DNA testing.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In 1483, the King of England and his brother disappeared after being taken into custody by their uncle, Richard the Duke of Gloucester.
01:30
In 1483, after the death of King Edward IV, his 12-year-old son Edward V ascended to the throne with his uncle Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, serving as regent.
03:12
After the death of King Edward IV, Richard III arrested Edward V and his retinue, took him to the Tower of London, and there was pressure to quickly crown Edward as king.
04:27
Richard III delayed the coronation of Edward V and used a flimsy argument about his illegitimacy to claim the throne for himself.
05:49
No one knows what happened to Edward and his brother Richard after they entered the Tower of London, but it is widely believed that Richard III ordered their deaths to eliminate any claimants to the throne.
07:01
The bones of the two boys who disappeared in the Tower of London were found in a wooden box under the stairs, but there has been no hard evidence or DNA tests done on the bones to confirm their identity.
08:14
Henry VII repealed the Titulus Regius Act, making the children of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville legitimate, but he never investigated the case too deeply out of fear that if the princes were found alive it would threaten his crown.
