Heritage > Rulers
Edward V, 1483
Edward was born in 1470, and was made Prince of Wales after the murder of the son of Henry VI. He was carefully trained for his future role and on the death of his father he was taken to London under the protection of his uncle and half-brother.
It was on this journey that Richard, Earl of Gloucester, who had been named Protector of the Kingdom, arrested the uncle and half-brother under the allegations of conspiracy, and personally escorted the young prince to England where he placed him in the Tower of London and called a council on June 13, 1483 to decide about the coronation.
Richard played to his audience accusing all and sundry of treason and executing the Lord Chamberlain immediately. He then confined the rest of the Royal family to the Tower and displayed himself to the citizens of London in badly beaten up armour, stating that he had just barely escaped assassination. He went on to murder the maternal relatives already arrested and started propaganda campaigns that the new king and the Duke of York were bastards, which may or may not have been true.
Richard was not popular for these dastardly deeds and had to manipulate a request from Parliament to make him accept the Crown, which of course he was more than happy to accept.
He went on a trip to the West Country to gain some popularity and to arouse some enthusiasm from the people and in his absence had the two brothers, (the young king and the Duke of York), murdered.
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