Lambert Simnel (Aged 10), the Yorkist Pretender to the English Throne, Is Brought to Ireland

1487 – Lambert Simnel, Yorkist Pretender, Is Brought to Ireland

At just 10 years old, Lambert Simnel, a boy of humble origin—believed to be the son of a baker—is presented to the Irish nobility as Edward, Earl of Warwick, the rightful heir of the House of York.

Although the real Edward, the son of George, Duke of Clarence, is imprisoned in the Tower of London, Simnel’s handlers, including Oxford priest Richard Symonds, claim the boy is the rightful king. Many Yorkist loyalists in Ireland, especially in Dublin, accept the claim. Simnel is even crowned King Edward VI in a lavish ceremony at Christ Church Cathedral.

This bold act leads to an attempted invasion of England with the support of Irish troops and German mercenaries under Martin Schwartz, culminating in the Battle of Stoke Field in June 1487. The rebellion is defeated by forces loyal to the Tudor king, Henry VII.

Surprisingly, Simnel is not executed. Recognizing the boy as a pawn rather than a mastermind, Henry VII spares his life and puts him to work in the royal kitchens, later making him a falconer in the royal household.

This event marks one of the earliest significant uses of Ireland as a base for Yorkist resistance to Tudor rule.