Edward V of England (2 November 1470 – c.1483) was King of England from 9 April to 26 June 1483, succeeding his father Edward IV of England and preceding his uncle Richard III of England. He was one of the two so-called "Princes in the Tower", who disappeared while under custody in the Tower of London.
Biography[]
Edward was the eldest son of King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. Following his father’s restoration to the throne in 1471, Edward was created Prince of Wales in June of that year. He was placed under the guardianship of his maternal uncle Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, who oversaw his education and upbringing.
When Edward IV died on 9 April 1483, the 12-year-old Edward became king. Rivers attempted to bring him to London for his coronation, but they were intercepted at Stony Stratford by Edward’s uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the late king’s brother and the new Lord Protector. Rivers, along with Edward’s half-brother Richard Grey and Thomas Vaughan, was arrested; Rivers and Grey were later executed. Gloucester then escorted Edward to the Tower of London, ostensibly in preparation for his coronation.
Edward was joined there by his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. In June 1483, Parliament declared the two boys illegitimate on the grounds that their father’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville had been invalid. Gloucester was crowned as Richard III of England on 6 July 1483. After this point, Edward and his brother were no longer seen in public. Their ultimate fate is unknown, though they are widely believed to have died in the Tower.
The fate of Edward V and his brother remains unknown. Some accounts accuse Richard III of England of ordering their deaths, while others suggest Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham or later Henry VII of England may have been responsible. James Tyrrell was also alleged to have confessed to the murders, though the evidence is disputed. Another possibility is that the princes died of illness while in the Tower of London.
| King of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Edward IV |
9 April 1483 – 25 June 1483 | Succeeded by: Richard III |