Edward V of England

**Edward V** (2 November 1470 – 1483) was the King of England from 9 April 1483 to his  removal two months later, on 25 June 1483.
He is believed to have been murdered in 1483, possibly in August or September.

## Early life

Edward was born at Westminster while his father, King Edward IV of England, was in exile in Burgundy. King Henry VI said that his mother and his sisters would be safe if they stayed at Westminster Abbey.  When Edward IV came back and took over the throne again, Edward became his heir and was given the title "Prince of Wales". Edward IV thought it would be right for the Prince of Wales to rule Wales and so he sent little Prince Edward to live in Ludlow Castle, where the Council of Wales met.  The prince was helped by his uncle, Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers, and began to learn how to be a ruler. His mother, Queen Elizabeth Woodville, was often with him, and his father, the king, also visited.

The prince spent most of his time at Ludlow until he was 12, when his father suddenly died. The prince had to go straight to London to take the throne, and his uncle, Earl Rivers, went with him. On the way, they were met by another of his uncles, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who was a younger brother of Edward IV. Richard had been given the title of "Lord Protector" by Edward IV in the hope that he would look after Prince Edward until he was old enough to rule as king.

## Prisoner

Instead of arranging a coronation for the new king, Richard decided to take the throne for himself and became King Richard III. He sent Prince Edward to live in the Tower of London and to wait for his coronation. He also got Edward's younger brother, Prince Richard, Duke of York, to come and live at the Tower. Earl Rivers was executed by Richard.

Richard convinced people that the two young princes were not the legal heirs to the throne. On 25 June 1483, the Parliament decided that Richard was the legal king because Edward and his other brothers and sisters were declared illegitimate. After Edward IV's death, it was revealed that Edward had been engaged to a woman named Eleanor Butler and so his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was seen as bigamy.

## Missing boys

After a few months, the two boys disappeared, and what happened to them is still a mystery today.  Most people think that the two boys were murdered,a nd they have become known as the "Princes in the Tower". It is most likely they were killed by their uncle, Richard III. It is also possible that they were killed by Henry VII, who became king two years later.

In 1674, during building work in the Tower, a wooden chest was found under a staircase in the White Tower. It contained the bones of two young boys. It has never been proved that these are the missing princes, but King Charles II stated that they were, and he had the bones buried in Westminster Abbey. In 1933, the bones were looked at again by scientists, who believed that they were the two princes.

## Infobox (royalty)

- **name**: Edward V
- **title**: King of England; Lord of Ireland
- **image**: King-edward-v.jpg
- **succession**: King of England and Lord of Ireland
- **reign**: 9 April 1483 – 22 June 1483
- **predecessor**: Edward IV of England
- **regent**: Richard III of England, Richard, Duke of Gloucester
- **reg-type**: Lord Protector
- **successor**: Richard III of England, Richard III
- **house**: House of York
- **father**: Edward IV of England, Edward IV
- **mother**: Elizabeth Woodville
- **birth place**: Westminster
- **death date**: 1483
- **death place**: The Tower of London _(assumed)_
- **burial place**: Westminster Abbey _(assumed)_