Why do historians remain uncertain about who killed the Princes in the Tower?

Historians remain uncertain about who killed the Princes in the Tower because there is no reliable contemporary evidence confirming the exact circumstances of their deaths. While the princes disappeared from the Tower of London in 1483, their fate was never officially clarified, and Richard III never denied the assumption that they were dead.12

Most historical accounts blame Richard III, as he held the princes in his custody and they represented a significant threat to his reign, even after he declared them illegitimate. However, the lack of definitive proof has led to alternative theories. Some sources implicate the Duke of Buckingham, a powerful ally of Richard, while others suggest the responsibility may lie with Richard’s successor, Henry VII. Although skeletons discovered in the Tower in 1674 are widely believed to be those of the princes, the absence of conclusive documentation ensures that the identity of the perpetrator remains a subject of historical debate.12