[Artemisia] the princes in the tower

[Catherine Helm-Clark]

On Dec 17, 2006, at 11:00 AM, artemisia-request at lists.gallowglass.org  
wrote:
>>> ****  I also know that about 2-3 years ago, or maybe more   
>>> recently, the
>>> skeletons of two boys 7-10 years old were found entombed in  a  
>>> staircase that
>>> was being restored, one that in fact had been "restored"  during  
>>> Richard's
>>> reign, and that there was evidence that they were alive  when  
>>> they were put
>>> in there.  ****
>
> I remember the 2 skeletons  but not the "evidence" - where would  
> you go to
> find that source  Morgan?

Try the Encyclopedia Britannica, that old war horse of sources.

The sketetons and the staircase incident happened in 1674 during a  
renovation
of the White Tower.  The remains were reburied in Westminster Abbey  
since
Charles II was of the opinion that the bones were the remains of the  
missing
princes on the strength of an account of the murder of the princes  
written by Sir
Thomas More.  The remains were exhumed in 1933 and examined.  The  
results
were that the remain contained both human and animal bone remains and  
age
and gender were not able to be determined using the forensic  
techniques of the
time.

During the current reign, there have been requests to open the grave  
at the
Abbey for new forensic investigation and these have been turned down by
Queen Elizabeth II.

ttfn
Therasia