By 1674, this building was in such a shocking state that King Charles the Second decided to remove it. The foundations of the tower, estimated to be about twenty feet square, went very deep. It was during excavations, at a depth of ten feet, that a wooden wardrobe chest was discovered. Inside were found the skeletons of two small individuals - children. It was said that the taller of the two skeletons lay on its back while the smaller one lay face down on top. It was immediately assumed that they were the remains of Edward the Fifth and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. What better place to bury them in secret then beneath stairs meant for the private use of royalty?
‘Fragments of velvet were found with the bones which strongly suggests that the remains were indeed the children of King Edward the Fourth since only individuals of such high rank were allowed to wear velvet under the restrictive laws of the land, plus velvet was imported then and very expensive. Between say 1400 and 1674, there were no prisoners unaccounted for in the Tower other than the two princes, so it’s reasonably safe to assume that these two small, slender skeletons were the remains of Edward the Fifth and his brother, Richard.’
Laura paused then and looked directly at Gail. ‘Not much fun, is it, when you’re dealing with children? Hastings and all the rest, adult games played by the nobility, one against the other, like a chess match. I very much doubt if the common people of England could have cared less if men like Rivers, Hastings, et cetera were weeded out now and again, but the murder of innocent children, that’s quite another matter. Infanticide has never been accepted by any civilised society, then or now.
‘The bones were eventually placed in a white marble coffin and interred by order of King Charles at Westminster Abbey. In 1933, the tomb was opened and the remains examined. The teeth were used to determine age at time of death. The results were consistent with children who died between the ages of twelve to thirteen years and nine to eleven years of age.
‘Assuming the older skeleton was Edward the Fifth, he was definitely not a happy camper. Examination of the skull revealed that the child probably suffered from osteomyelitis which is an infection of the bone tissue. Both sides of his lower jaw were badly infected, indicating that he suffered from swollen and inflamed gums which would have caused considerable pain. Chances are then he was not in very good health and was probably miserable most of the time. Could this be the reason why he was hidden away in Ludlow, so far away from court? The disease would remain chronic without treatment so it’s likely that Edward would not have ruled very well or, for very long. If the true state of his health was known, would it be reason enough to block his assumption to the throne? Did Richard learn the truth at Stony Stratford and decide then that Edward was unfit to rule?
‘If young Edward was in poor health it puts a whole new complexion on the issue. The various paintings which show the two boys as angelic may be a far cry from the truth. Edward, at least, was probably what we would call a spoiled brat, raised to the purple in a Wydville controlled environment. The younger boy was still in his mother's keeping, which again would be predominately Wydville. Remember too, Richard didn't know either of them well. We aren't taking about an uncle/nephew scenario with Richard playing with them, bouncing them on his knee or something. Richard had spent most of the past ten years in the north while the boys were growing up. He saw them maybe twice, and that's all.’
‘So, what are you saying?’ Gail asked.
‘I'm saying that Richard may well have felt nothing for the boys and that’s significant. When you’re dealing with murder you have to ask yourself the same question Cicero did - Cui bono? - who profits? Not even the most die-hard Ricardian will deny that Richard would profit the most if both boys died by whatever means. Until conclusive evidence to the contrary is revealed, we have to put Richard at the top of the list of suspects.’
‘Where he belongs,’ Gail snapped.
‘Perhaps,’ Laura sighed. ‘Anyhow, sorry to put you through all this, but when we go in there,’ she nodded towards the White Tower, ‘it’s best to know a few facts. If you’re ready, let's go.’
Again, they made their way through the gate under the Bloody Tower although this time Gail stopped to admire the portcullis and the massive wooden and iron reinforced doors. She paused too, to look back towards the Thames and Traitors Gate. What thoughts raced through the minds of those unfortunate individuals as they walked through this gateway, prisoners? Gail went back over a few names; Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Sir Thomas More, Princess Elizabeth. Then, Gail's mind caught on young Richard, Duke of York, running ahead of all the adults in his eagerness to see his older brother who had been proclaimed King.
‘Just a minute, I want to check something.’ Laura continued on to the north-west corner of the White Tower, looked east briefly before turning back. ‘There’s just a small queue waiting to see the Crown Jewels. If you want to have a look, I think we should go now.’
‘Good idea.’
As they slid into line, Laura whispered to Gail. ‘Most of the royal treasure was broken up and sold by Cromwell during the Commonwealth so there are very few pieces dating from before the mid-seventeenth century. To keep in step with the Story, only one piece, the gold Anointing Spoon may have been seen by Richard during his coronation and, since pearls were added by William and Mary in sixteen-something-or-other, it’s no longer original. The other piece to watch out for is the Imperial State Crown which contains two magnificent stones; Edward the Confessor's sapphire and an uncut balas ruby which, legend says, Richard wore in his crown, well coronet, at Bosworth.’ Laura smiled as she nudged Gail. ‘One thing is certain, Richard had good taste. The jewelled coronet was worth a fortune, and he wore it atop a gilded helmet. Reason enough for someone to knock his block off, I would think.’
*****
By the time they exited the magnificent display, they were both in a state of shock. ‘Beats a trip to Tiffany’s, don’t you think?’ Laura said, blowing her cheeks out in wonder and delight.
Gail laughed as she fell in step beside Laura and together they followed the path that ran along the eastern side of the great central Keep towards the wooden steps leading upwards to the first floor of the famous White Tower.
As she climbed, Laura flipped through her volume of notes. On the landing just outside the main entrance, she paused and pulled Gail to one side. Turning to face the river, she produced a rumpled sheet of paper on which she had drawn a sketch of the placement of the various buildings as they might have appeared five hundred years before. ‘Before we go in, have a look at this. All this open, grassy area between the White Tower and the walls was once the Royal Ward. The entrance was via the Coldharbour Gate just around the corner on the west side of the White Tower. All that’s left of it are a couple of stone circles in the grass. Where we’re standing now was the site of the building beneath which the skeletons were found.’
Gail studied the sketch in amazement. She had no idea that there were so many buildings contained in such a relatively small space. ‘So, Richard lived here?’
‘I doubt it. Before he became king he rented the house of a wealthy merchant - Crosby House. The hall portion still exists by the way. He also stayed at Baynard Castle, the ancestral home further along the Thames although his mother may have been in residence there from time to time so it wasn’t an ideal location for intrigue. Once king of course, he could sleep wherever he wanted to and he probably did.’ She smiled suggestively. ‘Come on, let’s see inside.’
Within, the White Tower contained a wondrous collection of armour and weapons displayed in glass cases. Laura was most impressed by the display of armour for horses, and stood a long while admiring a life-size reconstruction of a war-horse dressed
