Lambert Simnel

Lambert Simnel (c. 1477 – c. 1525) was an English pretender to the throne whose claim became one of the most significant threats to Henry VII's reign during the Wars of the Roses. Born in Oxford, Simnel was likely the son of a tradesman, but was schooled by an Oxford priest named Richard Symonds, who coached him to impersonate Edward, Earl of Warwick, a young nobleman with a strong claim to the throne. With support from the Irish nobility, Burgundian merchants, and the dowager Duchess of Burgundy, Simnel gathered an army and invaded England in 1487. He was defeated at the Battle of Stoke Field, the last major battle of the Wars of the Roses. Rather than execute him, Henry VII showed mercy and employed Simnel in the royal household, where he lived out his remaining years. Simnel's case exemplifies the tumultuous succession politics of medieval England and Henry VII's pragmatic approach to consolidating his power.