Richard III: Is he innocent or is he a killer?
Richard of York (Richard III of England) has long been vilified in history as a child murderer. But the princes from the tower, Edward and Richard, disappeared without a trace while the King was out of London on progress, and no hard evidence exists to prove that Richard ordered the deed done. He had no reason to kill the princes, who were his nephews, and barred from the throne due to illegitimacy. However, if Richard didn’t hurt his nephews, who did?
A Short History
Several figures play prominently into the story; The Duke of Buckingham, Margaret Beaufort, Henry Tudor, and Elizabeth Woodville. Edward and Richard were Elizabeth Woodville’s sons, and she would not have wanted them harmed, although she might have arranged for them to be smuggled out of the country. There is not any evidence to that effect. She most likely harbored doubts that Richard had anything to with the boy’s disappearance as she released her daughters into his custody. No mother would release children to a known killer. Henry Tudor was exiled in Brittany and had not set foot in England in seventeen years. He wanted the throne, so he could have hatched a plot that would have removed the boys and placed blame on Richard.
The Duke of Buckingham was a close friend and advisor of Richard, who also was Constable of England. He was also…
