Summary
Highlights
The video opens by setting the scene: England nearly 600 years ago, ravaged by the Wars of the Roses, a period of immense turbulence and bloodshed. The most infamous event of this era, the slaying of the Princes in the Tower, occurred 20 years into the conflict. Twelve-year-old King Edward V and his nine-year-old brother, Prince Richard, were murdered in the Tower of London in 1483. This act of outrage led to the downfall of a king and the longest-ruling dynasty. The primary suspect was their uncle, Richard III, often depicted as a ruthless villain. However, the video aims to provide a different perspective, suggesting their deaths were the result of a violent clash of events and personalities over six months, leaving Richard with limited options.
Upon the death of his father, Edward IV, in April 1483, 12-year-old Prince Edward became King Edward V. His guardian was his uncle, Antony Woodville, Earl Rivers, deeply trusted by the young king. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, brother of Edward IV, was initially seen as a hero due to his military successes in the North. Edward IV's will reportedly made Richard Protector of England, giving him control until the young king reached adulthood. Richard saw it as his duty to uphold his brother's wishes. However, the powerful Woodville family, led by Queen Elizabeth Woodville, opposed Richard's protectorate, wanting the young king to rule immediately with their guidance, effectively rendering Richard powerless.
Richard, seeing the Woodvilles as disrespecting royal authority, decided to act. He invited Rivers to meet him at Northampton, seemingly to show royal unity. Despite a seemingly convivial meeting, Richard arrested Rivers and his allies, claiming they had a hand in Edward IV's death due to his excessive drinking. This move, while seen by some as a tyrannical act, was, according to a contemporary Italian scholar named Dominic Mancini, advised by Lord Hastings, a senior nobleman. Hastings suggested Richard secure control of the young King Edward V before reaching London. This revelation suggests Richard was following counsel rather than plotting tyranny from the outset. Nevertheless, Richard's flimsy excuses alienated the young king Edward V, whose loyalty remained with Rivers.
Richard and Buckingham brought Edward V to London. Richard, aiming to restore normality, announced a new coronation date of June 22nd. Crucially, Richard forced the council to proclaim him Protector and Regent, giving him immense power, but with a seven-week time limit until Edward's coronation. He sent the young King to the Tower of London for 'protection,' which was effectively house arrest. The council's time limit reflected their unease with Richard's behavior. Richard realized he needed to neutralize the Woodvilles before the coronation to secure his position. He sought to have Rivers tried for treason, but the council refused, further frustrating him.
Elizabeth Woodville, fearing Richard, took sanctuary in Westminster Abbey with her children, including Edward's younger brother, Prince Richard. With only two weeks left until the coronation, Richard demanded Prince Richard be released to attend the coronation, a move he likely intended to prevent the Woodvilles from using the prince's status against him. Lord Hastings, a loyal ally to Richard, began to question these actions. Richard’s growing paranoia, fueled by Buckingham, led him to believe Hastings was conspiring against him. On June 13th, Richard orchestrated Hastings' summary execution without trial, a shocking act of terrorism that violated English law. This silenced dissent and allowed Richard and Buckingham to act with impunity, but it also cemented Richard's descent into tyranny.
With the coronation days away, Richard realized his power would end, and the Woodvilles would seek revenge. He pivoted to claiming the throne himself. On June 16th, Richard, through the Archbishop of Canterbury, coerced Elizabeth Woodville into releasing Prince Richard from sanctuary, sending him to join his brother in the Tower. The next day, Richard postponed Edward's coronation by four months. Buckingham then publicly alleged that Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was invalid, making their children illegitimate and thus ineligible for the throne. Simultaneously, Lord Rivers was executed after a sham trial. With his main opponents dead or neutralized, Richard was offered the crown and, after feigned hesitation, accepted, becoming King Richard III on July 6, 1483.
Richard's coronation was notable for the absence of the two princes. Soon after, their servants were dismissed, and the princes were never seen outside the Tower again, effectively under close arrest. Richard, while on a tour to stabilize his reign, learned of an attempt to free the princes. This incident reinforced the danger they posed to his crown, leading to the grim conclusion that they had to die for Richard to retain power. By early autumn, the princes had vanished, and while no definitive record of their deaths exists, it is widely believed they were murdered on Richard's orders. This series of events led to Richard's increasing isolation. His zealous attempts to secure his dynasty ultimately led to its demise, transforming him into a paranoid ruler and child murderer. The episode concludes by foreshadowing Richard's eventual downfall at the hands of Margaret Beaufort.