Princes in the Tower: A Damning Discovery  

Princes in the Tower: A Damning Discovery investigates the disappearance of the two young Princes at the Tower of London in 1483. The new programme sees Tim Thornton, Professor of History and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Huddersfield, exclusively reveal the first new evidence in generations, as Channel 5 takes a fresh look at this most intriguing of historic who-dunnits.

Historian Tracy Borman, and keen history enthusiast, actor Jason Watkins, meet with Professor Thornton, who discloses that he has identified a prized possession of Edward V, the young Prince who had just become king, at the age of only 12. The discovery, buried deep in a Register of Wills held at the National Archives, is the first reference found, in more than 500 years, to any physical item belonging to one of the Princes – before this, they had simply vanished without trace. The will, written in 1516, 33 years after the young prince’s disappearance reads: “Also, I bequeath to my son, Sir Giles, his father’s chain which was young King Edward the V’s”.*  

The intrigue builds as further research finds a familial link between the owner of the will and Sir James Tyrell, a member of Richard III’s royal household, and somebody previously named and accused in historical documents of ordering the murder of the two young Princes. The will has been written by Sir James Tyrell’s sister-in-law, Margaret Capell.

The bequeathed item, a chain, is of the utmost significance. The symbolism a royal chain of office holds, as a marker of identity and hierarchy, means it would have been irreplaceable, and forever linked with its owner, as well as being priceless. Tyrell’s alleged involvement in the disappearance of the Princes was first reported by Sir Thomas More. He claimed that Tyrell had hired two men to carry out the killing. More personally knew the son of one of those men, which aids the credibility of this account. Together with the new evidence unearthed by Professor Thornton, that Tyrell’s family member had this royal possession,  it potentially offers the most complete picture we have of who most likely ordered the murder of the Princes in the Tower.