In the summer of 1483, England watched a political earthquake. King Edward IV died suddenly, leaving a 12-year-old heir: Edward V. His uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, became Lord Protector—tasked with safeguarding the boy and the kingdom. Within weeks, the young king and his brother, Richard, Duke of York, were lodged in the Tower of London, a royal fortress used both as a residence and a prison. At first, it didn’t look like a disappearance story. It looked like a coronation waiting room. T