The Innocents in the Tower: An Anatomy of a Mystery

History's greatest cold case, retold.

The disappearance of Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York – better known as the Princes in the Tower – is one of English history's greatest unsolved mysteries. For over five centuries, conspiracy theories and political propaganda have sensationalised this national story beyond recognition. Chris Skidmore's revelatory new account cuts through the myth to offer a comprehensive retelling grounded in meticulous archival research.

Through a propulsive multi-part narrative, the book explores the political turmoil that unravelled in the wake of the Princes's disappearance, tracing how their uncertain fate became a weapon in the fierce struggles of the early Tudor period. From the shadowy events of 1483 to the rise of pretenders like Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, and the later reinvention of their story by chroniclers like Thomas More and Shakespeare, Skidmore forensically examines both the circumstances of the Prince's disappearance and how an enduring belief that they were alive transformed them into one of the greatest threats to the entire future of the Tudor dynasty.

With newly uncovered evidence – including proof of a daring plot to free the Princes from the Tower – Skidmore reconstructs this gripping historical drama with fresh clarity and narrative force. The Innocents in the Tower reclaims the mystery from conspiracy and offers a vital re-evaluation of a story long overdue serious historical treatment.