Which pretender claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, in the 1490s?

Perkin Warbeck was the pretender who claimed to be Richard, Duke of York, in the 1490s. Richard was the younger of the two sons of Edward IV who became known as the Princes in the Tower and whose disappearance created one of the great mysteries of English history.

Warbeck first attracted attention in Europe around 1490, claiming that he had escaped the Tower and survived. His story threatened Henry VII’s hold on the throne because a living Richard would have possessed a strong Yorkist claim. Warbeck received support from foreign rulers and was recognised by Margaret of York, Edward IV’s sister, although her true belief in his identity remains uncertain.

He attempted invasions of England and Ireland, but his rebellions failed to gain enough support. The alternative Lambert Simnel was a different impostor: Simnel claimed to be Edward, Earl of Warwick, and had challenged Henry VII earlier, in 1487. Warbeck was captured in 1497, imprisoned, and executed at Tyburn in 1499 after becoming involved in another alleged conspiracy.