The Murdered Princes in the Tower 1483

One of the biggest unsolved "who dun its" in English history

The Princes in the Tower: Why we need your petition signatures now

28th January 2026 by | Uncategorized

Princes Murdered in the Tower: Sir James Tyrell and the Chain of Office of Edward V Sir James Tyrell’s name has long been linked to the fate of the Princes in the Tower. Tudor writers, decades after the events, claimed he confessed to arranging their deaths. Yet no origi-nal record of such a confession survives. Tyrell was executed under Henry VII in 1502, and only after his death do stories of his supposed admission begin to appear — raising doubts about their reliability. Far more compelling than these late Tudor accounts is the survival of documentary evidence. In 2024, Professor Tim Thornton uncovered a will made in 1522 by Margaret Capell. In it, she left to her son Sir Giles Capell “his father’s chain, which had once belonged to the young King Edward V.” The meaning is precise: the chain had once belonged to Edward V. It later passed into the hands of Sir Giles’s father, Sir William Capell, and by Margaret’s will was handed on again to their son. This was no trinket of personal jewellery but a chain of office — a symbol of the boy king’s dignity and status. The significance lies not only in the nature of the object, but also in the family who preserved it. Margaret Capell was the sister-in-law of Sir James Tyrell. This connection was forged through marriage between the Arundell and Tyrell families: Margaret’s sister, Anne Arun-dell, was Tyrell’s wife. In other words, the Capells were directly linked to Tyrell by blood and marriage. The appearance of Edward V’s chain of office in this household raises profound questions. How did the Capell family obtain it? From whom did it pass, and under what circumstances? Was it seized, gifted, or quietly taken after the princes’ disappearance? The record does not say — and therein lies the mystery. The discovery does not give us final proof of what happened in the Tower, but it provides something Tudor propaganda cannot: a tangible, named relic. An emblem of Edward’s king-ship, preserved in a will a generation later, linking his lost life to families bound to the man later accused of his death. This is why modern science is urgently needed. DNA testing could provide conclusive an-swers. Until then, the chain of office remains one of the most striking fragments of truth: a reminder that the Princes in the Tower were not only figures of myth, but real children whose possessions and legacy still cast long shadows of uncertainty. Thank you for reading my post

The Princes in the Tower: Why we need your petition signatures now

DNA testing of the remains in Westminster Abbey. As Lucy Worsley has rightly said, ‘only scientific analysis will bring certainty.’

There is only one person in the kingdom with the authority to approve this: His Majesty King Charles III. Westminster Abbey is a Royal Peculiar, which means the ultimate decision does not rest with the Church, the Dean, or the government, but the Sovereign alone.

I intend to write formally to His Majesty next month, February 2026, but I need More support.

Although many people have signed the petition, the total is still under 12,000. We need far more support to show that the public wishes this matter to be resolved. If you would like to add your voice, please visit www.murderinthetower.london and sign the petition.

Turning to the historical evidence, discoveries made in 2024 strengthen the traditional account recorded by Sir Thomas More, who had direct access to first-hand information from those closely connected to Sir James Tyrell.

Professor Tim Thornton’s research uncovered written proof that Tyrell’s family were in possession of Edward V’s unique chain of office years after 1483. Each king’s chain is bespoke. Its presence in the Tyrell household is compelling evidence that the young king’s belongings were removed from the Tower.

Further verification comes from contemporary records showing that both Henry VII and Elizabeth of York visited the Tower on the precise dates Sir James Tyrell was said to have confessed to the murder of the princes — the only dates that year both monarchs were present there together. The significance of what Tyrell had to say is unmistakable.

We also know that the 1930s exhumation of the bones in Westminster Abbey fell far below modern scientific standards, and many assumptions were made. Yet one statement in the report remains firm: the remains were of two children aged approximately ten and twelve.

Any claim that the boys escaped the Tower remains speculation, unsupported by physical or documentary evidence.

If we are ever to replace conjecture with truth, DNA testing is essential. Let 2026 be the year we finally move this forward.

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Gemma

The past is never silent

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