The Princes in the Tower

A “fascinating [and] deeply researched” (The Daily Telegraph) investigation into one of the British royal family’s greatest mysteries: the murders of young king Edward V and Richard, Duke of York—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Last White Rose

“Weir takes us on this delicious mystery with a fearsome vengeance.”—Milwaukee Journal

Despite five centuries of investigation by historians, the sinister deaths of Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, remain two of the most gripping mysteries in English history. Did Richard III really kill “the Princes in the Tower,” as is commonly believed, or was the murderer someone else entirely?

Carefully examining every shred of contemporary evidence as well as dozens of modern accounts, Alison Weir reconstructs the entire chain of events leading to the double murder. We are witness to the tumultuous reign of Edward VI, the princes’ father, and the rivalry, ambition, intrigue, and struggle for power after his death that led to the imprisonment of the princes—and the hushed-up murders that secured Richard III’s claim to the throne.

A masterpiece of historical research and a riveting story of conspiracy and deception, The Princes in the Tower at last provides a solution to this age-old puzzle.

Alison Weir is the New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Mary, Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley, and several other historical biographies. She lives in Surrey with her husband and two children.