The Background: In the 15 th century the Wars of the Roses was being fought in England between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. With the death of Edward IV his eldest son Edward was next in line for the throne. He and his brother Richard went to the Tower of London to await the coronation they disappeared in the summer of 1483. No one is History is 100 % sure what happened to them. The main suspect was their Uncle Richard of Gloucester who would become Richard III (1483-1485). You are History Detectives Your mission is to try and solve this mystery in History Your task is to look at the evidence from the different sources and come up with a report and a theory as to what really happened to the Princes. You will need to look at all possibilities and come up with an overall verdict to present to the class. Good Luck with your detective work!
If the Princes were murdered here are the main suspects: Richard III Henry VII (Richmond) Sir James Tyrrell Henry Stafford, 2 nd Duke of Buckingham
What were their motives? Richard III: He was the uncle of the two princes and was seen as the protector to the throne until Edward was old enough to rule on his own. Edward went to stay in the Tower to wait for his coronation. He and his brother disappeared, when they were not found Richard was declared the new King of England. Henry Tudor: After winning the Battle of Bosworth and the death of Richard, Henry was crowned the new King of England. Many other people still said they had a stronger claim to the throne then Henry and he was quick to eliminate any opposition. He might have killed the princes to secure his right to the crown. Sir James Tyrrell: He was an English Knight and fought for the Yorkist side. He tried to lead another uprising in 1501 and before he was executed claimed to have killed the Princes on the orders of Richard Henry Stafford: He was close to Richard and might have killed the Princes thinking he was helping Richard. He was able to claim the throne through his family history and might have killed the princes to strengthen his claims. He fell out with Richard in autumn 1483 and was killed a month later. They may have fallen out over Stafford killing the Princes without Richard s permission. Now that you have the motives and the suspects, read through the following sources and as a detective come up with your theory as to what happened to the Princes. Remember you will need to support your claims with evidence!
Source A: It is possible they were murdered by Richard's agents in August 1483, but responsibility for the crime has also been attributed to Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, and to Richard's successor, Henry VII. Skeletons found in the Tower in 1674 are thought to be those of Edward and his brother. www.bbc.co.uk/history/historicalfigures Source B: 'seen more rarely behind the bars and windows, till at length they ceased to appear altogether', The fact that there were already rumours about the probable death of one or both of the boys need surprise no one. Imagination tends to run riot where rumours about royal personages are concerned. www.r3.org Source C: the removal of the princes was essential for the success of Henry Tudor, However this meant that Richard III's enemies had shown their hand, and after the collapse of the rebellion the actions of both Elizabeths from then on do not suggest that either believed Richard responsible for the murder of the princes, or indeed that they had been murdered at all. If they appeared no more at the Tower, this need not mean that they were dead, but simply that they were not there. www.r3.org Source D: Henry's claim to the throne was weak, one might say 'nonexistent', even by medieval standards. If the princes lived, they both had a better claim to the throne. For Henry to become king, he needed the princes to disappear. www.britainexpress.com talking about Henry VII
Source E: Tyrell was a bit of an unsavoury character, given to plotting and underhanded dealings. In 1502 he was in prison for treason against Henry VII. Under torture Tyrell confessed that he had killed the princes, though he supplied no information as to why or under whose influence he had acted. www.britainexpress.com Source F: history has long regarded Richard III as the archetypal wicked uncle; who killed his own nephews to pave the way for his own ascent to the throne. The trouble with such historical accounts is that they are usually written by the winners. In this case, much of what we have been taught as 'facts' about Richard rest on subsequent Tudor accounts of him; www.britainexpress.com Source G: Sir James Tyrell (c. 1450 May 6, 1502) was an English knight, a trusted servant of King Richard III of England. He is known for 'confessing' to the murders of the Princes in the Tower under Richard's orders. However, his statement may have been taken under torture, so the confession might not be genuine. www.en.wikipedia.org Source H: Buckingham himself had motivation to kill the Princes, having a claim of his own to the throne equivalent to that of Henry Tudor. if Buckingham killed the Princes and blamed Richard, he could foment a rebellion, putting the throne into play with only Henry Tudor as a rival. However, the rebellion was quickly crushed and Buckingham executed. www.en.wikipedia.org
Source I: No one knows who was behind the murder of the Two Little Princes whose bodies were discovered in the White Tower. The Tudors firmly pointed the finger at Richard III but many scholars now name King Henry VII as the real culprit. In 1933 a forensic examination conducted by Mr. Tannery and Professor Wright was unable to confirm whether the bones discovered in the White Tower were those of the Princes in the Tower... www.castles.me.uk/princes-in-the-tower Source J: And, if he had murdered them, why did he not say they died from an illness and produce the bodies, instead of allowing rumours to destroy his reputation? It would not have been difficult to believe that some fever had carried both boys off to their grave. www3.telus.net Source K: It is unlikely we will ever know who did kill the Princes. Richard cannot escape all blame as they were in his custody when they disappeared. many would like to believe he had the most to gain by murdering them, history proved that he lost as a result of their deaths. www3.telus.net Source L: I have come the conclusion that it was Henry, Duke of Buckingham, who had both motive and opportunity. I believe all along he entertained ambitions of taking the throne for himself. What better way than to support Richard in his claim for the throne, then discredit him by murdering the Princes and claiming Richard had done it. www3.telus.net Now use the table to put the information from the sources about each of the suspects so you can build up evidence against all of them
Richard III Henry Tudor (Henry VII) Henry Earl of Stafford Sir James Tyrrell
Now write at least two paragraphs using evidence that you have looked at and explain who you think was responsible for the murder of the Princes. Were they even murdered? Say why you think they are responsible for the murder and what they would gain from it.
Now in a small group you will produce a court case where you accuse one of the suspects of killing the Princes. Use the evidence from the sources and any own knowledge to back up your accusations.