Princes in the Tower may have been forewarned of Edward's illness. It is reported that he then went to York Minster to publicly "pledge his loyalty to his new king". The Croyland Chronicle states that, before his death, Edward IV designated his brother Gloucester as Lord Protector. Edward's request may not have mattered, however, since "as the precedent of Henry V showed, the council was not bound to follow the wishes of a dead king". Edward V and Gloucester set out for London from the west and north respectively, meeting at Stony Stratford on 29 April. The following morning, Gloucester arrested Edward's retinue including
Princes in the Tower without Richard's knowledge and overlook the fact that Richard was responsible for the safekeeping of his nephews". The Beaufort theory has more recently been supported by Philippa Gregory and is explored in her "Cousins' War" novels, as well as her BBC documentary series "The Real White Queen and her Rivals", but is not supported by any evidence other than a speculative one of possible motive. Historian David Baldwin suggests that Henry VII's reticence on the subject may have been due to the fact that at least one of the princes was still alive; he considers that the likelier candidate for