Breakthrough in centuries-old Princes in the Tower mystery revealed in new Channel 5 Documentary

Princes in the Tower: A Damning Discovery investigates the disappearance of the two young Princes at the Tower of London in 1483. The new programme sees Tim Thornton, Professor of History and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Huddersfield, exclusively reveal the first new evidence in generations, as Channel 5 takes a fresh look at this most intriguing of historic who-dunnits.

Historian Tracy Borman, and keen history enthusiast, actor Jason Watkins, meet with Professor Thornton, who discloses that he has identified a prized possession of Edward V, the young Prince who had just become king, at the age of only 12. The discovery, buried deep in a Register of Wills held at the National Archives, is the first reference found, in more than 500 years, to any physical item belonging to one of the Princes – before this, they had simply vanished without trace. The will, written in 1516, 33 years after the young prince’s disappearance reads: “Also, I bequeath to my son, Sir Giles, his father’s chain which was young King Edward the V’s”.*    

The intrigue builds as further research finds a familial link between the owner of the will and Sir James Tyrell, a member of Richard III’s royal household, and somebody previously named and accused in historical documents of ordering the murder of the two young Princes. The will has been written by Sir James Tyrell’s sister-in-law, Margaret Capell.   

The bequeathed item, a chain, is of the utmost significance. The symbolism a royal chain of office holds, as a marker of identity and hierarchy, means it would have been irreplaceable, and forever linked with its owner, as well as being priceless. Tyrell’s alleged involvement in the disappearance of the Princes was first reported by Sir Thomas More. He claimed that Tyrell had hired two men to carry out the killing. More personally knew the son of one of those men, which aids the credibility of this account. Together with the new evidence unearthed by Professor Thornton, that Tyrell’s family member had this royal possession, it potentially offers the most complete picture we have of who most likely ordered the murder of the Princes in the Tower.     

Professor Thornton, Professor of History and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Huddersfield, says: “After centuries of speculation and uncertainty about the fate of the princes in the Tower, we can now show that when Sir Thomas More accused Sir James Tyrell of responsibility for their deaths of the princes he was in touch with people who were part of the story, including Tyrell’s in-laws – and that they owned the young king’s chain.”   

Tracy Borman, Historian and Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, and presenter, continues: “The fate of the Princes in the Tower is one of the most intriguing mysteries in the long history of this iconic fortress and palace. It continues to fascinate visitors today, more than 500 years after the princes disappeared. The story has long been of great interest to me personally: in fact, first learning about it at school was the reason I became a historian. Being able to walk in the footsteps of the characters involved whilst making this programme was a great privilege. And the fact that Professor Thornton’s discovery was brought to light during filming was hugely exciting. I will never forget seeing that will in the National Archives for the first time. It was a real shivers down the spine moment.”   

Lucy Willis, Commissioning Editor, Channel 5 Factual, adds: “We’re hugely privileged that Professor Thornton chose Channel 5 to be the first media outlet to see his discovery and we’re incredibly excited to bring this astonishing new evidence about the Princes in the Tower to our audience. Thanks to the teams at both the National Archive and Historic Royal Palaces. And of course, a big thanks to Professor Tim Thornton himself!”   

The startling discovery in Princes in the Tower: A Damning Discovery, a documentary made by Lion Television, part of All3Media, for Channel 5, brings back to life one of the most infamous and shocking crimes in English history, when two young princes, just nine and twelve, were taken to the Tower of London under the protection of their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. A few weeks later they vanished. The mystery of what happened has gripped people ever since. This new discovery reignites and supports suspicion around the key protagonists.   

Sarah Sarkhel, Executive Producer, Lion Television, concludes: “The disappearance of the Princes in the Tower is one of the most famous whodunnits in the  world. It's quite incredible to think five hundred years later new evidence can still come to light, thanks to Professor Tim Thornton's ground-breaking research. And to be filming when it was revealed was extraordinary - one of those once in a lifetime, spine tingling moments in television. Working with Professor Thornton, Historic Royal Palaces, the National Archives, and of course, Channel 5, and their commitment to history, has been very exciting for the whole production team.”   

Watch the findings first revealed in Princes in the Tower: A Damning Discovery, airing Tuesday 3rd December, 9pm on Channel 5 & My5.   

Images are available at https://app.mediasilo.com/review/67475a54d777ee06431a74f4     

Editor’s Notes: 

*For a full academic overview of Professor Thornton’s research and discovery please see: History: The Journal of the Historical Association https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-229X.13430 

About Channel 5 

 Channel 5 is a multi-award-winning public service broadcaster and the UK’s third largest commercial TV station. Launched in March 1997, Channel 5 has been part of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS) since its acquisition in September 2014. Its portfolio includes digital channels 5STAR, 5USA, 5SELECT, 5ACTION.   Channel 5 and on-demand platform My5 offer a diverse range of critically acclaimed, original programmes featuring well-known faces and fresh new talent – from issue-led documentaries, popular factual series and accessible history shows to premium drama and agenda-setting news & current affairs. Channel 5 is the only PSB to air children’s content daily through its much-loved programming strand Milkshake!, home to some of the world’s favourite pre-school characters. The free to air channel’s distinctive British programming aims to tell the story of modern Britain by reflecting the lives of people across the UK.   This year Channel 5 has continued to attract industry acclaim for documentary White Nanny Black Child, winning both a BAFTA Television Award (Specialist Factual) and an RTS Award, whilst Endurance Race to the Pole received a BAFTA nomination in the Factual Entertainment category. In 2023, Who Killed Billie Jo? won best documentary series at the inaugural True Crime Awards and home-grown drama All Creatures Great and Small took home the Stress Buster Award at the Radio Times’ Screen Test Awards.   

About Professor Thornton 

Tim Thornton completed undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at Oxford, the latter a doctorate on Cheshire, 1480–1560, under the supervision of Chris Haigh. Author of a number of books and articles on late medieval and early modern political history, he is a Royal Historical Society prize winner (David Berry prize, Alexander prize proxime accessit). Tim is currently Professor of History and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Huddersfield.   

About Historic Royal Palaces 

 Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that loves and looks after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world.  These palaces are the setting for the stories that shape us all, and we’re bringing them to people in ways that mean more to them.   We want everyone to find themselves in the spaces and stories we share.  Registered charity number 1068852. For more information visit www.hrp.org.uk   

About The National Archives 

The National Archives is a non-ministerial government department and the official archive for the UK Government, and for England and Wales. We look after and make available to the public a collection of historical records dating back more than 1,000 years, including records as diverse as the Domesday Book and MI5 files. We are also a cultural, heritage and academic organisation which promotes public accessibility to iconic documents while ensuring preservation for generations to come. Follow @UKNatArchives for the latest news.   

About Lion Television 

Lion is one of the UK’s leading producers of factual television and content. With bases in London, New York and Glasgow and particular experience in Asia, Lion have been making multi- Emmy, BAFTA, RTS award-winning shows for the last 25 years. At Lion, we produce for the world’s biggest broadcasters and content providers including Netflix, BBC, Microsoft, National Geographic, Channel 4, PBS, Sky and Smithsonian.     

Recent series include Mysteries of the Terracotta Warriors (Netflix), Pompeii: The New Dig (BBC2), Meet The Roman Emperor with Mary Beard (BBC2), Sexy Beasts (Netflix), Arctic From Above (Sky/NBCU), Wild Caribbean (BBC2), 22 Kids and Counting (C5), Homes Under the Hammer (BBC1), Alan Cumming’s Paradise Homes (Discovery) and Inside the Tower of London (C5).  Lion has a stellar track-record in documentaries including Secrets of The Saqqara Tomb (one of the Top 5 documentaries in Netflix history), Stolen (BBC’s highly commended Art heist series), Pompeii: The New Dig (a ratings and critical hit for BBC Two), Irresistible: Why We Can’t Stop Eating for BBC Two, and Britain’s Shoplifting Gangs Exposed: Dispatches, for Channel 4, as well as drama documentary co-production with Tailfeather for Netflix, Alexander: The Making of A God.  Lion Television is part of All3Media.   Ends.