Page 34 - All About History - Issue 28-15

Murder in the Tower

Is there any
truth to
Shakespeare’s
retelling of
the murder
mystery?
A deadly
rumour

Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother, is
another name that has been linked to the
murders, but a more compelling theory is
that although she didn’t kill them, she began
the rumour that Richard did. With her focus
on the interests of her son, Beaufort enlisted
the help of Woodville and Buckingham
to drive the autumn rebellion and place
her son on the throne. The rumour of the
boys’ deaths and Richard’s connection to it
certainly started a domino effect that led to
Henry VII’s rule, and this very well may have
been due to his mother, as the ultimate spin
master, working behind the scenes to tarnish
Richard’s name and prompt people to flock
to her son’s side.

problem. Richard III had them would have accused
declared all the children of himofthiscrimehadit
Edward IV illegitimate in Titus “He had to have occurred during his time on
Regius.NowthatHenrywas the throne. Additionally, if
king, he could easily overturn the princes killed, they had survived until this
it, which he did – even date, why did Richard III not
burning all copies to deny it or lose his throne” previously display them after
ever existed. Although this beingaccusedoftheirmurder?
returned legitimacy to his wife to be, it also meant This would have helped redeem his reputation and
the princes were the legal claimants to the throne. likely quell the rebellion, but he did not. It is also
Suspect 04 ThisleftHenrywithnochoice–hehadtohavethe similarly unlikely that Elizabeth Woodville would
princeskilled,orlosehisthroneasaresultofhis havesupportedHenry’sclaimtothethrone,asshe
Henry VII ownactions.Itisarguedthatthishappenednotin did by agreeing to his marriage with her daughter,
Motive Secure his hold on the throne 1483,ascommonlybelieved,butin1486. had she known her sons were still alive.
MostrevealingofallisHenry’sreactionwhen
This date is supported by Tyrell’s confession,
Opportunity Access to the Tower upon as he received two pardons from Henry in 1486. pretenders of the princes emerged. When Perkin
becoming king This is an unusual occurrence, and Henry would WarbeckclaimedtobetheyoungRichard,Henry
laterproclaimthatTyrellhadindeedconfessed wassoworriedthathemadepeacewithFrance
When Henry VII set his sights on the English to the murders – and as Tyrell was Richard’s loyal topreventarebellion.Hisactionswerethoseofa
crown, his claim was incredibly weak; there were servant,itwaseasyforhimtoshifttheblameon nervous man, very unlike his confident response
almost 30 nobles with a more credible claim. hispredecessor.Thistheoryisalsosupportedby when Lambert Simnel emerged posing as the Earl
He knew ascension would not happen through Henry’streatmentoftheprinces’mother,Elizabeth ofWarwick,whoHenryknewwaslockedupinthe
birthright, but instead conquest, and to achieve this Woodville,whowasdeprivedofherlandsandfees. Tower. This is a telling indication that Henry had
he needed allies. So he vowed to marry Elizabeth out remaining Plantagenets, but it seems very no idea what happened to the princes. Considering
It is no secret that Henry made efforts to wipe
Henry was 14 when he left England and didn’t
of York, daughter of Edward IV and sister to the
© Alamy; Corbis; Joe Cummings princes in the Tower. By doing this, he gained the unlikelythatnobodywouldhavementioned returnuntiltheBattleofBosworth,itismorelikely
thatHenryknewlessabouttheirfatethanmost;
theboysiftheyhadsurvivedthreeyearslonger
support of Lancastrians as well as disenfranchised
than previously believed. For the early part of
he never accused Richard of the act for exactly that
Yorkists unhappy with Richard’s reign.
reason. All Henry could do was assume and hope,
But once he became king after Bosworth and
hisreign,Henryfacedconstantrebellionsfrom
34 was set to marry Elizabeth, he encountered a angryYorkists;itisdifficulttobelievenoneof for the sake of his throne, that they were dead.