Lambert Simnel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lambert Simnel |
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| Pretender | |
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| Born | c. 1477 |
| Died | After 1534 (aged approximately 57) |
| Regnal name claimed | Edward VI of England Crowned on 24 May 1487 at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin |
| Title(s) | Pretended Earl of Warwick |
| Throne(s) claimed | England |
| Pretend from | 1487 |
| Connection with | Claimed to be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, son of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence |
| Royal House | In the name of the House of York |
Lambert Simnel was a young boy who lived in England around the late 1400s. He became famous for pretending to be a prince and trying to take the throne. In 1487, he claimed to be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick. This claim was a big threat to the new king, King Henry VII.
Lambert Simnel became the public face of a rebellion. This rebellion was planned by people who supported the House of York. The rebellion failed in 1487. Because Lambert was so young, King Henry VII forgave him. Lambert then worked in the royal palace. He started as a scullion, which is someone who washes dishes. Later, he became a Groom of the Stool, a trusted helper to the king.
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Simnel's Early Life
Lambert Simnel was born around 1477. We don't know his real name for sure. Some old records call him John. His last name might not even be Simnel. People had different ideas about his parents. Some said his father was a baker. Others thought he was an organ builder. What we do know is that he came from a very ordinary family.
When he was about ten, a priest named Richard Simon took him as a student. Simon had studied at Oxford. He seemed to want to help make a new king. He taught Lambert how to act like someone from the royal court. People at the time said Lambert was good-looking. He learned proper manners and was well-educated by Simon.
The Pretender's Plan
Richard Simon noticed that Lambert looked a lot like the sons of King Edward IV. At first, Simon wanted Lambert to pretend to be Richard, Duke of York. Richard was one of the "Princes in the Tower" who had disappeared.
But then, Simon heard a rumor. It said that the real Earl of Warwick had died in prison. This rumor was not true at the time. The real Warwick was a boy about the same age as Lambert. He was born in 1475. Warwick had a strong claim to the throne. He was the son of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence. George was King Edward IV's brother. Many people who supported the York family still loved Warwick. They even wore his family symbol.
Lambert Simnel was just a tool for a bigger plan. The Yorkist leaders wanted to overthrow King Henry VII. They planned a serious uprising. They hoped to get a lot of support from England and from other countries.
Simon then spread a new rumor. He said that Warwick had escaped from the Tower of London. He claimed Warwick was now under his care. Simon got some support from Yorkist followers. He took Lambert to Ireland. Many people in Ireland still supported the Yorkist cause. Simon showed Lambert to the Lord Deputy of Ireland, the Earl of Kildare. Kildare agreed to help the story. He also agreed to invade England to remove King Henry.
Lambert Simnel was paraded through the streets of Dublin. A very tall man named D'Arcy of Platten carried him on his shoulders. When King Henry VII heard about this, he acted quickly. He brought the real Earl of Warwick out of the Tower. He paraded him through London. This was to show everyone that the rumors were false. But news traveled slowly back then. So, this did not stop the rebellion.
A "King" is Crowned
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On May 24, 1487, Lambert Simnel was "crowned" in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. He was called "King Edward VI." He was only about 10 years old. Lord Kildare gathered an army of Irish soldiers. His younger brother, Thomas FitzGerald of Laccagh, led them.
John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln, joined the plan against King Henry VII. Lincoln was once supposed to be the next king after his uncle, King Richard III. Lincoln went to Burgundy. There, Warwick's aunt, Margaret of York, lived. Margaret was a powerful duchess. Lincoln claimed he had helped young Warwick escape. He also met Viscount Lovell. Lovell had supported an earlier failed uprising in 1486. Margaret gathered 2,000 soldiers from Flanders. She sent them to Ireland. A famous military leader named Martin Schwartz led them. They arrived in Ireland on May 5. King Henry learned about this. He began to gather his own troops.
The Battle of Stoke Field
On June 5, 1487, Simnel's army landed on Piel Island. This island is in Lancashire, England. His army was mostly soldiers from Flanders and Ireland. Some English supporters joined them. But most local nobles did not. Only Sir Thomas Broughton joined them. King Henry had been getting information about the events in Ireland. He had started gathering troops as early as February.
Simnel's army did not get much English support. So, they changed their plan. They decided their only chance was one quick battle. On June 15, 1487, they camped near East Stoke, Nottinghamshire. This was close to Newark-on-Trent. The King's army was much larger, with 12,000 soldiers. They camped about 10 miles away.
On June 16, 1487, the rebels fought the King's army. This was the Battle of Stoke Field in Nottinghamshire. The rebels were defeated. Lincoln and Thomas FitzGerald were killed. Lovell disappeared. People rumored he had escaped to Scotland.
Richard Simon, the priest, was not executed. This was because he was a priest. But he was put in prison for life. Lord Kildare had stayed in Ireland. He was forgiven by the King.
Cultural Depictions
Lambert Simnel's story has appeared in many forms:
- In 1972, the BBC show The Shadow of the Tower featured Simnel.
- In 1996, the band Blyth Power released a song called Lambert Simnel.
- In 2006, Steeleye Span released a song about him called The Story of the Scullion King.
- In 2017, the TV show The White Princess included Simnel.
- The 2017 children's book The Player King by Avi tells a fictional story of Simnel's life.
See also
