This article, by Matt Lewis of Matt’s History Blog – well respected, and always a good read – is a classic example of why historical fiction is such an exciting area to write in.
Matt takes a close, well-informed look at the two rebellions by young boys in the reign of Henry Tudor, the usurper who killed Richard lll on the field of battle. Was either one – or both – the son of Edward V, the Princes in the Tower, supposedly killed by Shakespear’s caricature of nasty old hunchbacked Richard the Evil Uncle?
It’s possible. But 15thC records can be obscure, and Henry seems to have been quie thorough in his burning of all relevant records. A non-fiction book summarising all this would have an awful lot of gaps and speculation. Step forward, the historical fiction writer… Someone (not me, not my period) is going to have tremendous fun writing a novel or two about this. I wish them well, and look forward to it!
This post turned into a way longer piece than I meant, so please bear with it!
When I wrote The Survival of the Princes in the Tower, I posited a theory, one of many alternatives offered. This particular idea has grown on me ever since, and I find myself unable to shake it off. I’m beginning to convince myself that the 1487 Lambert Simnel Affair was never an uprising in favour of Edward, Earl of Warwick, as history tells us. I think I’m certain I believe it was a revolt in support of Edward V, the elder of the Princes in the Tower. Sounds crazy? Just bear with me.
Why do we think we know that the Yorkist uprising of 1487 favoured Edward, Earl of Warwick? In reality, it is simply because that was the official story of the Tudor government. It made the attempt a joke; a rebellion in…
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Eclectic pleasures 