Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York

Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York (17 August 1473 – c. 1483), was the sixth child and second son of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville. He was born in Shrewsbury. He became Duke of York in 1474. His older brother, Edward V, briefly became king, but both brothers disappeared mysteriously in 1483 after their uncle Richard III took the throne.

At a young age, Richard was given several important titles, including Duke of York, Earl of Nottingham, and later Duke of Norfolk. In 1478, at just four years old, he married Anne de Mowbray, a wealthy heiress. Sied in 1481. When his father, King Edward IV, died in 1483, Richard's older brother Edward V of England became king, and Richard was the heir presumptive.

After Edward IV’s death, their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, placed young Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury in the Tower of London. He said it was for Edward's coronation. However, the boys were declared illegitimate after it was claimed their father had been married to another woman before marrying their mother. This declaration, known as Titulus Regius, removed them from the line of succession, and their uncle became King Richard III.

The two brothers, often referred to as the "Princes in the Tower", were last seen in the Tower of London in mid-1483. Their fate remains one of history's greatest mysteries. Many believed their uncle Richard III had them killed, as dramatized in Shakespeare’s play Richard III. However, there are other theories, including the possibility that they died of illness.

In 1674, bones believed to belong to two children were found in the Tower and placed in Westminster Abbey. However, it has never been proven that these were the remains of the princes. The mystery surrounding their disappearance continues to intrigue historians. In 1486, Richard's eldest sister, Elizabeth of York, married Henry VII of England, uniting the Houses of York and Lancaster and bringing an end to the Wars of the Roses.

Category:British Dukes and Duchesses
Category:House of York
Category:1473 births
Category:1483 deaths