Margaret of Anjou’s potential involvement in the murder of the Princes in the Tower is often proposed within the context of the political rivalry between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists. The theory suggests that Margaret might have been motivated by a desire to remove the Yorkist heirs from the throne, thereby strengthening the claim of her own surviving allies, such as her cousin Henry Tudor, who would later become Henry VII.

One theory posits that Margaret, recognizing the threat posed by the two young princes to Henry Tudor’s own claim to the throne, may have played a role in their deaths. However, this idea remains highly speculative, as there is no direct evidence to link Margaret to the disappearance of the princes. Furthermore, her political position was far more limited by the 1480s, and it seems unlikely that she would have had the resources or influence to orchestrate such a bold and risky murder.

Richard III: The Prime Suspect

The most widely accepted theory is that Richard III, the uncle of the princes, had a more direct role in their disappearance. Richard had been named as the protector of his nephew Edward V after the death of Edward IV, but he seized the throne for himself in 1483, declaring that the marriage of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville (the princes’ mother) had been invalid, thus rendering their sons illegitimate.

The princes were last seen alive in the Tower of London in the summer of 1483, but by the end of that year, Richard was king. The disappearance of the princes during this period has led many historians to conclude that Richard III may have had a hand in their deaths, possibly to eliminate potential rivals to his throne. shutdown123