<P> "The Princes in the Tower" is an expression frequently used to refer to Edward V, King of England and Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York . The two brothers were the only sons of Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville surviving at the time of their father's death in 1483 . When they were 12 and 9 years old, respectively, they were lodged in the Tower of London by the man appointed to look after them, their uncle, the Lord Protector: Richard, Duke of Gloucester . This was supposedly in preparation for Edward's forthcoming coronation as king . However, Richard took the throne for himself and the boys disappeared . </P> <P> It is unclear what happened to the boys after they disappeared in the Tower . It is generally assumed that they were murdered; a common hypothesis is that they were killed by Richard in an attempt to secure his hold on the throne . Their death may have occurred some time in 1483, but apart from their disappearance, the only evidence is circumstantial . As a result, several other hypotheses about their fates have been proposed, including the suggestion that they were murdered by Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham or Henry VII, among others . It has also been suggested that one or both princes may have escaped assassination . In 1487, Lambert Simnel initially claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, but later claimed to be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick . From 1491 until his capture in 1497, Perkin Warbeck claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, having supposedly escaped to Flanders . Warbeck's claim was supported by some contemporaries (including the aunt of the disappeared princes, Margaret of York). </P>

Who killed the twins in the tower of london