Which Yorkist prince, the younger son of Edward IV, disappeared in the Tower of London?

The younger son of Edward IV who disappeared in the Tower of London was Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York.

Born on 17 August 1473, Richard was the second son of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. After Edward IV died in April 1483, Richard’s older brother became King Edward V. Their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, took Edward V to the Tower, ostensibly for his coronation, and later required the younger Richard to join him there.

Richard entered the Tower on 16 June 1483. The two boys became known as the Princes in the Tower. They were soon declared illegitimate after claims that Edward IV’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was invalid. Richard of Gloucester then became King Richard III.

The princes disappeared from public view in 1483, and their fate remains unresolved. They are widely presumed to have been murdered, but no definitive proof identifies who was responsible. Richard of Shrewsbury is often confused with Edward V, who also disappeared in the Tower; the clue “younger son” distinguishes Richard from his elder brother.