The Prince of Rags and Patches by Terry Deary

In the last days of Elizabeth I's reign the Marsden family are living in the North of England. While the country waits and wonders who will take the throne the north is worried the Scottish King James will be the next king. There is a long history of hatred between the Scots and the fear is they will sweep south and exact revenge ... with the monarch's blessing. The Marsden family have a tradition of telling stories and those stories shed light on their present problems. In "The Prince of Rags and Patches" they find themselves entangled in a murder mystery and Great Uncle George's launches into the story of Richard III and the princes in the Tower.