On 17th August 1473, Richard of Shrewsbury was born in Shropshire to King Edward IV and Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Richard of Shrewsbury was the King's second eldest son and he had one older brother, Edward, who was the heir to the throne.
An Infant Marriage
In May 1474, when he was was only 9 months old, Richard of Shrewsbury was made Duke of York. On 15th January 1478, Richard married Anne de Mowbray in St. Stephen's Chapel at Westminster Palace. He was a mere 4 years old & she was 5.
In mid 1483, when Richard of Shrewsbury was 10 years old, he was taken from his mother at Westminster Abbey by the future Richard III and sent to the Tower of London to join his brother Edward, the legitimate, putative Edward V, who was already being held captive in the Tower, also courtesy of the future Richard III. The Tower of London wasn't known as a prison in 1483, it was usual for future kings to stay there before their coronation. This is how the future Richard III managed to take possession of Prince Edward. He also made an oath to protect the Prince and bring him to the throne. Richard declared the two Princes to be illegitimate, not Parliament and not Elizabeth their mother.
Why were the Princes moved to the Tower of London?
If you like this painting by Delaroche you may may enjoy my post of his other well known painting 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey'.
An Infant Marriage
In May 1474, when he was was only 9 months old, Richard of Shrewsbury was made Duke of York. On 15th January 1478, Richard married Anne de Mowbray in St. Stephen's Chapel at Westminster Palace. He was a mere 4 years old & she was 5. In mid 1483, when Richard of Shrewsbury was 10 years old, he was taken from his mother at Westminster Abbey by the future Richard III and sent to the Tower of London to join his brother Edward, the legitimate, putative Edward V, who was already being held captive in the Tower, also courtesy of the future Richard III. The Tower of London wasn't known as a prison in 1483, it was usual for future kings to stay there before their coronation. This is how the future Richard III managed to take possession of Prince Edward. He also made an oath to protect the Prince and bring him to the throne. Richard declared the two Princes to be illegitimate, not Parliament and not Elizabeth their mother.
Why were the Princes moved to the Tower of London?
The removal of both princes was essential for the success of Henry Tudor and was recognized by no one more eagerly than Henry Tudors mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort/Stanley... Rumours of the death of one or both of the princes during their captivity was rife. When Lady Margaret heard the rumours Vergil reported that she 'began to hope well of hir soones [son's] fortune, supposing that that dede wold withowt dowt proove for the profyt of the commonwealth'.[1] Since Lady Margaret and the princes' mother, the ex-queen Elizabeth Woodville, were by this time in close contact, it would be interesting to know how, and from whom, Elizabeth heard of the death of her sons, the prerequisite for her consent to the marriage of her eldest daughter Elizabeth of York with Henry Tudor.The mind boggles.
What was fate of the two Princes in the Tower?
The fates of Richard of Shrewsbury & his elder brother Edward is still unknown to this day. Was Richard III involved in the two brothers disappearance? He was in power for 2 years but never produced the boy he was sworn to protect. Was it Lady Margaret Beaufort/Stanley, who in an attempt to make way for her beloved son Henry (exiled in France) to return and become King? Perhaps Henry VII had the boys removed to speed along his assension? A discovery in the C17th may shed a little light...
The Discovery
What was fate of the two Princes in the Tower?
The fates of Richard of Shrewsbury & his elder brother Edward is still unknown to this day. Was Richard III involved in the two brothers disappearance? He was in power for 2 years but never produced the boy he was sworn to protect. Was it Lady Margaret Beaufort/Stanley, who in an attempt to make way for her beloved son Henry (exiled in France) to return and become King? Perhaps Henry VII had the boys removed to speed along his assension? A discovery in the C17th may shed a little light...
The Discovery
In 1674, the skeletons of two children were discovered in a chest in the Tower of London under a staircase leading to the chapel. They were presumed to be those of the lost princes Richard & Edward. It has never been proved that the two skeletons were indeed those of the two princes. On the orders of Charles II, Sir Christopher Wren 'Surveyor General of His Majesties Workes' provided a marble urn for the the remains of the two skeletons which were moved and laid to rest in the Tudor Chapel at Westminster Abbey. In 1933 the graves were reopened and thoroughly tested by Professor William Wright, the foremost anatomist of his day, and Dr George Northcroft, President of the Dental Association. The tests confirmed that the skeletons were of two young people around ten and twelve years old. Although the possibility of sexing pre-pubertal skeletons existed in 1933, Professor Wright assumed throughout that they were those of boys, and of course there was no indication whatever of the period when they had been buried.
Painting a Picture
 |
The Princes in the Tower by Paul Delaroche, Courtesy of Dog Art Today |
Delaroche, in 1830/1, produced an oil on canvas painting titled "Princes in the Tower". He had a passion for English history but also of theatre. He captivates the audience and tells a dramatic story, as with his painting of Lady Jane Grey, but is not historically accurate. The theme of innocent children awaiting an uncertain fate was a popular one amongst C19th painters.This painting is a great example of the dramatic nature of his work, using light and space to draw the audience in. Light seeps under the door as the two Princes huddle together for comfort on the bed. To add to the pathos of the scene their little dog's ears are pricked to the sound of approaching footsteps, the supposed inevitable fate of the two Princes. "Princes in the Tower" painting can usually be be seen in the Louvre, Paris. Find other top things to do in Paris.
If you like this painting by Delaroche you may may enjoy my post of his other well known painting 'The Execution of Lady Jane Grey'.
[1] Three Books of Polydore Vergil's English History, ed. H.Ellis, Camden Society 1844, p.185.
Other traitors in the tower:
1. Lord Hastings (1483)
2. Queen Anne Boleyn (1536)
3. Countess of Salisbury (1541)
4. Queen Katherine Howard (1542)
5. Lady Rochford (1542)
6. Lady Jane Grey (1554)
Join us on Facebook
Other traitors in the tower:
1. Lord Hastings (1483)
2. Queen Anne Boleyn (1536)
3. Countess of Salisbury (1541)
4. Queen Katherine Howard (1542)
5. Lady Rochford (1542)
6. Lady Jane Grey (1554)
London Guided Walks website
Follow us on twitterJoin us on Facebook
