Chapters 1-2, Richard III and the Chroniclers, The Sanctuary Child Summary and Analysis

Those who write about the Princes in the Tower divide into two groups who either believe that Richard III committed the murder but refuse to commit and those who want Richard III canonized. Weir avers that there is now enough evidence to solve the mystery. The subject cannot be studied without discussing the reliability of the original sources.

The book discusses primarily the years from 1483 to 1485, between the rule of Edward V and Richard III. Most sources have a partisan bias and few royal letters survive. Some of the secondary sources are reliable and well-done. Weir reviews some of the sources and remarks on the details about their authors and the texts themselves. Biographers are reviewed, including Sir Thomas More, whose work Weir...