Who Really Murdered The Princes In The Tower?

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Published 2022-09-21
'Who Really Murdered The Princes In The Tower?'

Wars of the Roses historian Matt Lewis visits the Tower of London to talk through one of the building’s greatest mysteries: the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. He talks through the possibility that the two young boys were not murdered on King Richard III's orders, but in fact survived their uncle's reign.

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All Comments (21)
  • @topcat9852
    Apparently, Charles III is keen to have the bones of the children found in the tower forensically analysed whereas his mother was not.
  • At 11:30, reference to Lord Bastard and Calais in 1485 is most likely John of Gloucester, Richard's illegitimate son who was appointed governor of Calais at that time and to whom the appellation "Bastard" was sometimes applied.
  • @v.g.r.l.4072
    A very, very interesting documentary. The host is both careful on hadling his hypothesis and adamant on his lifelong interest on the fate of the princes. I hope he has more documentaries because he is a scholar worth following. In addition to that, it must be said that the filming was excellent.
  • @elle_rose_xx
    I have an unfair grudge against the Tower of London because I got lost there for about two hours when I was 11 on a school trip 🤦🏻‍♀️
  • @colin.d
    If either of the Princes survived into the reign of Henry VIII then their days would certainly be numbered as he suffered no possible claimants to the throne.
  • @user-kv1nj2kz6r
    Wow! The first person to make an informed video with possible theories that do not include all the previous rubbish. Well done that man!!! Subscribed!
  • @mirrlamp
    One of the most frustrating mysteries of all time. I belive all the nobles knew exactly what happened to the boys but agreed to brush it under the carpet for the sake of expediency. Other English Kings had been bumped off in the past and the killers had the brass neck to say they died of some stupid reason like melancholia, but with the Princes, absolute silence.
  • Interesting question this raises. Well produced and presented. Thanks! 👍🌟
  • I have sometimes wondered if perhaps it was Henry Tudor that ‘dealt’ with the princes.
  • Loved this the storytelling was captivating throughly enjoyed this concept I hope you will do more videos on this topic
  • @leanie5234
    I can never get past the fact that Uncle Richard insisted that Prince Richard join King Edward V in the Tower. Why would Richard III imprison the "spare" ? There is only one reason which makes any sense; King Richard knew that Edward would be killed so the next-in-line had to go too. Declaring the boys illegitimate would never have been enough to ensure a secure throne for Richard. He had already done away with some of the lords who had any power to object. As for the actions of the dowager Queen....she was probably being pragmatic rather than supportive or trusting of Richard. What choice did she have ? Her sons were gone, she still had many daughters to protect.
  • @brontewcat
    Can we just make it clear that for every hole in the theory Richard was responsible for the death of his nephews, there are far more holes in the theories about every other suspect.
  • @simenonhonore
    Ingenious lawyerly exposition of the issues surrounding the fate of the 'princes in the Tower'. I cannot help but be reminded of Dan Jones' comment, "the medium-term context for deposed kings tells us that deposition mandates death - Edward II, Richard II, Henry VI..." They may have survived and there are certainly some odd features to this case like the silence of their mother and Henry VII who could easily have pointed the figure against Richard. My current feeling is that John Dening's view that he was forced into a corner and signed a document of sufficient ambiguity to allow for them to be done way with is more likely, though others, not least in the Church, were complicit.
  • @FrydaWolff
    With the monarchy would get over itself and just permit DNA testing of two Tower skeletons, sheesh.
  • As an ardent Ricardian and member of the Richatd III Society, Matt Lewis our Chairman has certainly presented an excellent programme. As he says Richard had nothing to gain by their deaths (they had already been declared bastards due to the fact their father had marrief Eleanor Talbot, therefore neither could be king.) The Tudors however had plenty to gain as their claim was so weak and when Henry VII became king and married their sister their lives would have been forfeit. The Tudors were ruthless murdering tyrants who killed 80,000 people just so they could remain all powerful, that included Plantagenets, clergy, children and the disabled.
  • @eri6954
    Richard likely had them murdered. It wouldn't even have been the first person he had murdered that year. William, 1st Baron Hastings, the guy that warned Richard that the Woodvilles were attempting to cut Richard out of the regency, was illegally executed supposedly because he was plotting with the Woodvilles, whom he hated. The more likely reason Richard had him killed was that his loyalty to Edward IV meant he wouldn't support Richard usurping Edward's son and taking the throne for himself. Richard also had the princes' uncle and half-brother killed, so clearly, Elizabeth Woodville was willing to come to terms with a man who murdered both her brother and son, because no one denies that he ordered the deaths of Anthony Woodville and Richard Grey. So the argument that her coming to terms with Richard meant the princes in the tower were still alive is weak at best. More likely, she was trying to ensure the safety of her surviving children. I don't understand why everyone wants to exonerate Richard. He, at the very least, was willing to usurp his nephew's throne. He had a lot of people executed to make that happen, so I don't get why everyone seems to think killing his nephews was a bridge too far.
  • While Richard could have done this, I would definitely belive it much more of Henry.
  • @beana666
    SO good to hear a rational and unbiased account of King Richard III and how interesting to hear the theories behind the Princes' disappearance. THANK YOU. LML