The Killer of the Princes in the Tower: A New Suspect Revealed

by M.J. Trow

The disappearance of two boys during the summer of 1483 has never been satisfactorily explained. They were Edward, Prince of Wales, nearly thirteen at the time, and his brother, Richard of York, nearly ten. With their father, Edward IV, dying suddenly at forty, both boys had been catapulted into the spotlight of fifteenth-century politics, which was at once bloody and unpredictable.

Thanks to the work of the hack 'historians' who wrote for Henry VII, the first Tudor, generations grew up believing that the boys were murdered and that the guilty party was their wicked uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Richard crowned himself King of England in July 1483, at which time the boys were effectively prisoners in the Tower of London.

After that, there was no further sign of them.

Over the past 500 years, three men in particular have been accused of the boys' murders - Richard of Gloucester; Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond; and Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. The evidence against them would not stand up in a court of law today, but the court of history is much less demanding and most fingers remain pointed squarely at Richard of Gloucester.

This book takes a different approach, the first to follow this particular line of enquiry. It is written as a police procedural, weighing up the historical evidence without being shackled to a particular 'camp'. The supposition has always been made that the boys were murdered for political reasons. But what if that is incorrect? What if they died for other reasons entirely? What if their killer had nothing to gain politically from their deaths at all?

And, even more fascinatingly, what if the princes in the Tower were not the only victims?

• ISBN10: 1526784076
• ISBN13: 9781526784070
• Publish Date: 26 April 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd
• Imprint: Pen & Sword History
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 248
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Killer of the Princes in the Tower is a new look at the 600 year old mystery of the disappearance and probable murder of the young deposed King Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Due out 21st June 2021 by Pen & Sword, it's 248 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

I enjoyed this true crime examination of a historical mystery which has captivated imaginations for centuries. Although undeniably a terrible tragedy, through the lens of the subsequent 600+ years, the horror and pathos gives way (somewhat) to historical interest. There have of course been numerous good historical accounts and I confess I was first drawn in and deeply affected by Josephine Tey's take on the case and moved into the Ricardian camp. I also followed the archaeological dig and reinternment of Richard III from an ignominious car park in Leicester to the cathedral there.

I found the author's style both accessible and interesting. Most histories begin with (as my professors used to say) telling the reader what the author is going to say, saying it, and then concluding with what they've just said. This book is more of a mystery style offering. The author gives a fairly comprehensive and understandable background of the political and cultural situations of the time as well as the major players. He follows up by examining (and discarding) the "usual suspects" who are generally regarded as culpable and includes an overview of the less likely culprits. He then introduces a (to-me) unexpected alternative and slowly builds up a compelling and plausible picture of what may very well have happened. The whole plot turns on its simple plausibility. It definitely *could* have happened as written.

I enjoyed the author's meticulous examination and correction of some inaccurate translations which have slowly ossified into accepted canon. One of the problems of necessarily writing and interpreting history based on later accounts (since much of the first person record is lost or destroyed) is that mistakes (and intentional misinformation) can easily creep in and be accepted and built upon by all that follows. Here, the author has stripped away much of the accepted history and at least tried to see it without the trappings which have built up over the last centuries.

It's not likely that we'll ever find incontrovertible proof one way or the other, but I'm really fascinated by the absolute logical plausibility of Trow's account of what might well have happened - as well as the staggering effects on history the guilty party might well have had, if the account is mostly true as written.

This would make a superlative selection for public or school library acquisition, home library use, or as a nice gift for a history loving reader. The language is accessible to older (post secondary school) age and up. The appendices include an abbreviated bibliography and index. The gallery of illustrations includes facsimile drawings of building layouts and photos of relevant buildings as well as portraits of some of the dramatis personae.

Thorough and compelling. Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.