Cadiva
Commoner
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2010
- Messages
- 24
- City
- near Leeds
- Country
- United Kingdom
The debate over the fate of the Princes in the Tower is unlikely to ever be solved. However, as more historians re-examine the evidence available surrounding Richard III's reign, there have been a few subtle changes in the way he is perceived.
The argument that Elizabeth of York wouldn't have married Henry Tudor if he had been the murderer of her brothers is a pretty disingenuous one, she didn't have any rights whatsoever and wouldn't have had any say in her marriage. It's entirely possible that she was well aware he had removed them so that he could consolidate his position on the throne through marriage to her. Elizabeth of York had to be legitimate for Henry's argument that he was uniting both sides of the Plantagenet Dynasty. However, IF she was legitimate, so were the two Princes and that put him right up the proverbial creek.
If the argument that Elizabeth knew however, is allowed, then a similar argument must also be allowed to apply to Richard III - ie that Elizabeth Woodville, mother of the Princes, happily moved back to Court and appeared to have a cordial relationship with Richard and brought her remaining children out of Sanctuary. Would she have done this knowing Richard III had killed her two sons given the fact she could safely have remained under Westminster Abbey's protection indefinitely?
Then there is the argument for the Duke of Buckingham, himself a legitimate claimant of the throne. It certainly wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that Stafford could have become King despite his descent through the sons of younger daughters of Kings. The 1400s were a time of great upheaval not only politically but in terms of life expectancy due to health reasons. With Edward IV's two sons illegitimate and Richard III's only legitimate offspring Edward of Middleham a weak and unhealthy child, Buckingham's claim was greater than that of Henry Tudor in terms of primogeniture as when John of Gaunt's children were legitimised when he married Kathryn Swynford, they were disbarred from claiming the throne.
However, speculation is all we can do, history is written in the words of the victors
The argument that Elizabeth of York wouldn't have married Henry Tudor if he had been the murderer of her brothers is a pretty disingenuous one, she didn't have any rights whatsoever and wouldn't have had any say in her marriage. It's entirely possible that she was well aware he had removed them so that he could consolidate his position on the throne through marriage to her. Elizabeth of York had to be legitimate for Henry's argument that he was uniting both sides of the Plantagenet Dynasty. However, IF she was legitimate, so were the two Princes and that put him right up the proverbial creek.
If the argument that Elizabeth knew however, is allowed, then a similar argument must also be allowed to apply to Richard III - ie that Elizabeth Woodville, mother of the Princes, happily moved back to Court and appeared to have a cordial relationship with Richard and brought her remaining children out of Sanctuary. Would she have done this knowing Richard III had killed her two sons given the fact she could safely have remained under Westminster Abbey's protection indefinitely?
Then there is the argument for the Duke of Buckingham, himself a legitimate claimant of the throne. It certainly wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that Stafford could have become King despite his descent through the sons of younger daughters of Kings. The 1400s were a time of great upheaval not only politically but in terms of life expectancy due to health reasons. With Edward IV's two sons illegitimate and Richard III's only legitimate offspring Edward of Middleham a weak and unhealthy child, Buckingham's claim was greater than that of Henry Tudor in terms of primogeniture as when John of Gaunt's children were legitimised when he married Kathryn Swynford, they were disbarred from claiming the throne.
However, speculation is all we can do, history is written in the words of the victors