How did the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower affect Richard III’s reputation?

The disappearance of the Princes in the Tower—Edward V and his brother Richard—has been the defining factor in the historical reputation of Richard III, long serving as a byname for infamy.1

Following their confinement in the Tower of London in 1483, the princes vanished, and it was widely assumed they were murdered to eliminate them as threats to Richard’s claim to the throne. While Richard never denied the assumption that they were dead, he faced enduring accusations of orchestrating the crime. This narrative was solidified by later writers like Thomas More and William Shakespeare, whose works depicted Richard as a villainous usurper.234

However, modern historians often take a more nuanced or sympathetic view. While some sources implicate the Duke of Buckingham or Richard’s successor, Henry VII, others argue that Richard may have been framed. Ultimately, the lack of definitive evidence regarding the princes' fate has left Richard’s legacy as a subject of intense historical debate rather than settled fact.132