Two princes. One tower. No answers. In 1483, Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, vanished behind the cold stone walls of the Tower of London—and were never seen again. Was it murder? Political strategy? Or a cover-up that still echoes through history?

In this episode of The Lion and The Rose, I dive deep into the disappearance that has haunted England for over 500 years. From Richard III’s rise to power, to the chilling theories surrounding Henry VII and the Duke of Buckingham, we leave no stone unturned.

Was it really as simple as history wants it to be? Or is the truth darker—and closer—than we think?

🎙️ Join me as we investigate bones in the staircase, royal paranoia, pretenders to the throne, and the cold case that just won’t die.

⚠️ Side note: if I sound a bit tired in this one—it’s because I’m still recovering from knee surgery. But nothing keeps me from chasing down royal conspiracies for you.

🔥 NEW EPISODE – "The Spies Are Coming: Francis Walsingham & The Tudor Shadow War" 🔥

He wasn’t just a spymaster—he was England’s deadliest weapon. Francis Walsingham built a network of spies that exposed traitors, thwarted assassins, and stopped invasions before they began. From uncovering the Babington Plot that sealed Mary, Queen of Scots' fate, to misleading the Spanish Armada, Walsingham’s intelligence web kept Elizabeth I’s enemies one step behind—until the day he was gone.

But who really was the man behind the shadows? How did he intercept secret letters, crack coded messages, and manipulate foreign courts? And why did the man who saved England die broke and forgotten?

In this episode of The Lion & The Rose, we dive into the life and legacy of Tudor England’s spymaster-in-chief—and the deadly game of shadows he played.

🎙️ Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your history fix!

🔗 Support the podcast on Patreon & unlock exclusive content: [The Lion & The Rose] 📖 Join the discussion on Sunstack & get bonus history insights: [The Lion & The Rose]

The Tower of London—a fortress, a palace, and one of history’s most feared prisons. Few who entered ever left, but in 1597,Father John Gerard pulled off one of the mostdaring escapes in history.

A Jesuit priest imprisoned for his faith, Gerard enduredbrutal torture at the hands of Elizabeth I’s interrogators. But even as his hands were mangled and his body broken, Gerard plotted his way to freedom. With the help of an underground network, awell-placed bribe, and arope stretched across the Tower’s moat, Gerard risked everything in adeath-defying escape that left the authorities baffled.

How did he outwit the Tower’s guards? What drove Elizabethan England’sobsession with crushing Catholic priests? And how did Gerard make sure his allies inside the Towerdidn’t pay the price for his escape?

This is more than just a story of survival—it’s a masterclass in courage, strategy, and resilience.

🔔Follow @TheHistoryMike on Instagram, TikTok, and The Lion & The Rose onYouTube and Facebook for behind-the-scenes content and updates on the next episode in theGreat Escapes Series!

🎧 Subscribe toThe Lion & The Rose for more thrilling stories from English history.