The Princes in the Tower

 

Summary (from the publisher):Despite five centuries of investigation by historians, the sinister deaths of the boy king Edward V & his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, remain two of the most fascinating murder mysteries in English history. Did Richard III really kill "the Princes in the Tower," as is commonly believed, or was the murderer someone else entirely? Carefully examining every shred of contemporary evidence as well as dozens of modern accounts, English historian Alison Weir reconstructs the entire chain of events leading to the double murder. We're witnesses to the rivalry, ambition, intrigue & struggle for power that culminated in the imprisonment of the prince & the hushed-up murders that secured Richard's claim to the throne as Richard III. A masterpiece of historical research & a riveting story of conspiracy & deception, The Princes in the Tower at last provides a solution to this age-old puzzle.

Review: For over five hundred years, the mystery of what happened to the sons of Edward IV remains two of the most debated and most investigated murders. In this well researched history, Alison Weir details the the royal intrigue that led up to the two princes' births and eventual deaths and explores what truly happened to the boy king Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Caught in a struggle for power that ultimately led to their secret murder and their bodies being hidden for over a hundred years, Weir takes the position that their uncle, King Richard III had both of the boys killed to prevent rivals to his throne and in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to strengthen his position on the throne. 

Like all of Weir's books, this was well written and thoroughly researched. I appreciated that Weir gives context and background to the story, giving an overview of the reign of the princes' father, King Edward IV and the fatal flaw in his leadership over his kingdom: "he had failed to unify the rival factions in his kingdom, and by this omission had placed his son's peaceful succession to the throne in jeopardy" (62). Weir also provides a detailed account of Richard III's reign and multiple reasons why she believes that he is responsible for the princes' murder.

I do wish Weir had spent a bit more time evaluating the many other theories that have been brought forward over the years as to the fate of the princes. However, Weir seems fully convinced that all the evidence points to Richard III and nearly every other theory can be discredited for a variety of reasons. Of course we will never know who exactly was dispatched to kill them or how or when they actually died, but this was an interesting look at an infamous mystery that it seems we should attribute to Richard III. While the boys' themselves were minor characters in this history, and instead political pawns about whom little personal detail is known, their deaths changed the course of history and ultimately led to their sister becoming the queen of Henry VIII and mother of Henry VIII, giving them an indelible and unforgettable role in British history. 

Stars: 4

Related Titles: 

• The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir 
• The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir 
• The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir 
• Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster by Alison Weir
• Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World by Alison Weir 
• Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir 
• Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir 
• Tudor: The Family Story by Leanda de Lisle 
• The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman fee