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To: SeeSharp

There was a witness named Stillington, that declared Edward had been wed before and Parliament asked Richard to take the crown. There was a document drawn that declared the boys illegitimate. I do not believe Richard killed the boys because of that document.


38 posted on 03/22/2015 9:23:12 PM PDT by lone star annie
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To: lone star annie
The King of England (or, in Richard's case, Regent) would have had no trouble finding a witness who would testify to whatever he wished.

If the boys were left to live, Richard would have faced legitimacy disputes from both the Yorks and the Lancasters. Of course, history is unclear about who was behind the disappearance of the princes, but I think the evidence points to Richard.

In Henry's case, I find it interesting that while I think his claim to the throne was valid, he didn't want to fight that quagmire. He claimed the throne by Right of Conquest.

His marriage to Elizabeth sewed things up nicely, so the Yorkists could claim a win, too. Since her brothers were gone and Richard left no heirs himself, she was pretty clearly next in line for the throne on their end (claims of illegitimacy aside).

40 posted on 03/23/2015 4:50:48 AM PDT by TontoKowalski
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To: lone star annie
Robert Stillington was no witness and no one believed him at the time. He was a proven libeler. Edward had had Stillington thrown in prison for spreading rumors about his marriage in exchange for favors from his other brother, George. Richard simply dug him up and used him for his own purposes. Where was the girl Edward supposedly contracted a marriage with? Why didn't she or her family raise the issue? Who did the mother of the boys believe killed them?

Making the princes bastards was never going to be a permanent solution for Richard. Richard was unpopular and those boys would have been the focus of rebellion when they matured. Parliament had made them illigitimate and Parliament could reverse the decree with a vote, as indeed they did after Henry took the crown. Richard would never have been safe on the throne and his offspring would have had to face constant challenges as long as hi brother's sons lived. Henry Tudor was of the Beaufort line which had been blocked from the succession for generations, so Richard thought killing the boys eliminated the only legitimate challengers to his rule. He did it.

41 posted on 03/23/2015 5:09:15 AM PDT by SeeSharp
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