Edward V of England

Boy-king Edward V of England reigned for only two months. The story of his disappearance and likely murder is one of the great mysteries of English history.¹

Fast Facts:

1. Born: November 4, 1470
2. Father: Edward IV
3. Mother: Elizabeth Woodville
4. Became king: April 9, 1483
5. Never crowned
6. Deposed: June 25, 1483
7. Despite rumors implicating both Richard III and Henry VII, no conclusive proof exists that the king and his younger brother were murdered.¹

A Brief Reign

Edward assumed the throne on April 9, 1483, at age twelve, following the sudden death of his father, Edward IV. His uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was to serve as regent. Richard met up with the young king and his brother, ten-year-old Richard of York, as they traveled from Wales to London so that the elder boy could assume the throne. Housing them in the Tower of London, Richard then had Parliament declare the boys illegitimate, and on June 25, he claimed the throne himself.

A Mysterious End

Edward and Richard were never seen publicly again. Sir Thomas More, and later William Shakespeare, popularized the claim that the two boys were killed on Richard's orders. Other suspects, including the future King Henry VII, have also been suggested. There were also rumors that one or both boys survived. For example, in 1495, Perkin Warbeck claimed the throne as Prince Richard.²

Skeletons in the Tower

In 1674, the skeletons of two children were unearthed in the Tower of London and claimed to be the remains of the "Little Princes." Despite forensic tests that were done in 1933, it was impossible to determine conclusively whose bones they were.¹

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