Richard Duke of Gloucester found himself in a precarious position after the death of his brother. Upon examining all plausible theories, it can be concluded that the two princes were most likely murdered at the orders of their uncle, Richard III. Theories surrounding the princes’ fate have enraptured historians for centuries. With no known other missing remains matching the descriptions of these bodies, it is likely these are the bodies of the princes. Dental and skeletal examination confirmed that the bodies discovered in the Tower of London were of two people who died at the same age as the princes were when they were believed to have been murdered. The princes were believed to have been murdered, but bodies would not be found until two hundred years later and, even then, could not be confirmed to be the remains of the princes. Not long after, the princes disappeared under the rule of their uncle who was then King Richard III. The basis for declaring that the princes were not the rightful heirs was dubious, but was orchestrated by Richard Duke of Gloucester who then declared that he was the rightful heir to the throne. What should have been celebratory preparations for a coronation turned sinister as the princes were declared illegitimate and disinherited. A part of this effort was to replace the royal council members, many of whom were loyal to the widowed queen, with council members he knew would be loyal to him. However, after discovering that the royal council named him Lord Protector only until the coronation of Edward V, Richard Duke of Gloucester postponed the coronation and seized control of the Tower of London. With strong enemies fighting for control of the young king, Richard Duke of Gloucester took Edward V and his younger brother, Richard Duke of York, and locked them in the Tower of London under the guise of preparing Edward V for his coronation. The Duke of Gloucester had watched his brother, Edward IV, lose and regain his throne in a struggle for power with the deposed Henry VI (1421-1471) and understood that-as a Lord Protector who was not favored by the young king and his allies-he was in a precarious situation that could cost him both his position and his life. The maternal side of the family, including the recently widowed queen, did not support the protectorate of Richard Duke of Gloucester. Edward’s loyalties were with the maternal side of his family due to his growing up under the guardianship of his maternal uncle Lord Rivers. However, at just twelve years old, King Edward V was a threat to his paternal uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester. Before dying, he named his twelve-year-old son, Edward V, his successor and named his brother, Richard Duke of Gloucester (1452-1485), the Lord Protector until his son was old enough to rule on his own. Political instability was still rampant and intensified upon the sudden death of Edward IV. In 1471 Edward IV (1442-1483) of the Yorkist line defeated the Lancastrian forces and ruled until his death in 1483. England was nearing the conclusion of a thirty-year civil war between the House of York and the House of Lancaster, during which the crown changed hands nine times. In the summer of 1483, two young boys locked in the tower of London were critical in determining the future of the British throne. The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower by Sire John E.
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