King Edward V

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Edward V was a king who reigned in name for a short time but never ruled. He was aged 13 when his father, King Edward IV, died unexpectedly on 9th April 1483. His uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester, took him under his protection and housed him (and his younger brother Richard) in the Tower of London, which was a royal residence and the usual place where a monarch at that time was prepared for his coronation. However, Edward was never seen in public again. He was deposed by his uncle on 26th June and the short reign of King Richard III began. This meant that Edward had been king for two months and 17 days, the shortest reign of any King of England (but not Queen – the nine days of Lady Jane Grey hold that record). The mystery of the “Princes in the Tower” continues to this day, but the likelihood is very strong that they were murdered on Richard’s orders. There are some doubters on this score, however, based on analyzing what advantage the deaths of the princes would have brought to Richard, given that Parliament had already declared their illegitimacy (on Richard’s orders) and they therefore did not offer a threat to his kingship. On the other hand, if they had survived beyond 22nd August 1485, when Richard was defeated and killed at the Battle of Bosworth by Henry Tudor, the latter might well have regarded the last survivors of the Yorkist royal line as a threat that had to be eliminated. The skeletons of two young boys were discovered in the Tower of London in 1674, and presumed to be those of Edward V and his brother Richard. They were reburied in 1993 in Westminster Abbey after tests had established that the remains were of approximately the right age at death. However, it was not possible to be absolutely certain that the mystery had been solved.