Secrets of the Wallace: Princes in the Tower by Hippolyte (Paul) Delaroche (1831)

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• published: 15 Nov 2013
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The Princes in the Tower isn't just an infamous moment in the history of England, it's also the subject of one of French painter Paul Delaroche's most important works. The painting reveals Edward V and his brother trapped in the Tower of London in 1483 as their uncle the Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III, wanted the throne for himself. Watch Penina and Safirah explore the rumours of their deaths and the secrets about the painting with Stephen Duffy, the Senior Curator at the Wallace Collection. Hello, my name is Safirah. Penina and I have been researching the murder mystery of The Princes in the Tower. The painting was by Hippolyte (Paul) Delaroche in 1830. Penina will be talking to Senior Curator, Stephen Duffy, who will be revealing the dark secrets of the story. What is the story behind this painting? Well it's 1483, we're in the Tower of London. Here you see two boys, on the left the Duke of York, who is 11 years old. On the right is his elder brother, who is only 13, Edward V. Their father Edward IV has just died and they've been placed in the Tower of London by their uncle, who will soon be crowned Richard III. Of course they will soon disappear, some people believe they were murdered on the orders of Richard III, while some people question this. It is a great historical uncertainty. What is clear is that the painter of this picture, Paul Delaroche in 1831, believed that they were murdered by Richard III. So too did Shakespeare and this is a painting derived from Shakespeare's play Richard III. Why do you think there is a glowing shadow of footsteps coming from beneath the door? Shakespeare believed, and this is the story, that they will be suffocated by two men called Dighton and Forrest, who are acting for their uncle, Richard III. Clearly Delaroche is indicating here the approach of those assassins Does it look like the two boys are crying? I don't know if they are crying but they certainly seem watery-eyed and they are no doubt aware of their fate or at least they are aware that they are in great danger. What do you think happened to the Princes? I don't know and I wouldn't like to get too involved, it is a very contentious issue as to whether they were murdered by Richard III or not. The point for this painting is that Delaroche accepts Shakespeare's story Why do you think this painter from the nineteenth-century chose to paint this? In 1830 when Delaroche painted it, no French person when thinking about the death of these English princes in the 15th century in the Tower of London in mysterious circumstances, could fail to think of the young, uncrowned Louis XVII who also died in mysterious circumstances. He was the son of the executed Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. He died in unknown circumstances in La Conciergerie in Paris, during the French Revolution. Delaroche refers to that in this picture. It is not just a scene from English history that he has taken by chance. He is thinking of Louis and expects his audience to have a French take on the subject here. Thank you So the mystery continues, if you would like to see this painting and many others then please come down to the Wallace Collection. Keep watching for the next podcast. This podcast is part of the 'Secrets of the Wallace' podcast series and is available on iTunes.