Edward V

This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: There appears to be new (November 2023) documentary proof that Edward V. was alive in 1487. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (February 2024)

Edward V
Depiction of Edward as Prince of Wales in the Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers, 1477
King of England (more...)
Reign	9 April 1483 – 25 June 1483[1]
Predecessor	Edward IV
Successor	Richard III
Lord Protector	Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Born	2 November 1470 Westminster, London, England
Died	c. mid-1483 (aged 12)
House	York
Father	Edward IV of England
Mother	Elizabeth Woodville
Signature

Edward V (2 November 1470 – c. mid-1483)^[1][2] was King of England from 9 April to 25 June 1483. He succeeded his father, Edward IV, upon the latter's death. Edward V was never crowned, and his brief reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle and Lord Protector, the Duke of Gloucester, who deposed him to reign as King Richard III; this was confirmed by the Titulus Regius, an Act of Parliament which denounced any further claims through Edward IV's heirs by delegitimising Edward V and all of his siblings. This was later repealed by Henry VII, who wished to legitimise his reign by marrying Elizabeth of York, Edward V's eldest sister.

Edward V and his younger brother, Richard of Shrewsbury, are known as the "Princes in the Tower". They disappeared after being sent to heavily guarded royal lodgings in the Tower of London. Responsibility for their disappearance and presumed deaths is widely attributed to Richard III, who sent them to the Tower, but the lack of conclusive evidence and conflicting contemporary accounts allow for other possibilities.