| Perkin Warbeck | |
|---|---|
| Pretender | |
 16th-century copy by Jacques Le Boucq of the only known contemporary portrait of Warbeck, Library of Arras[1][2] | |
| Born | Pierrechon de Werbecque c. 1474 Tournai, Tournaisis |
| Died | 23 November 1499 (aged 24–25) Tyburn, Middlesex, England |
| Title(s) | Pretended Duke of York |
| Throne(s) claimed | England |
| Pretend from | 1490 |
| Connection with | Claimed to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, son of Edward IV of England |
| Royal House | In the name of the House of York |
| Father | Jehan de Werbecque; claimed to be Edward IV of England |
| Mother | Katherine de Faro; claimed to be Elizabeth Woodville |
| Spouse | Lady Catherine Gordon |
Perkin Warbeck (c. 1474 – 23 November 1499) was a pretender to the English throne claiming to be Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, who was the second son of Edward IV and one of the so-called "Princes in the Tower". Richard, were he alive, would have been the rightful claimant to the throne, assuming that his elder brother Edward V was dead and that he was legitimate—a point that had been previously contested by his uncle, King Richard III.
Due to the uncertainty as to whether Richard had died (either of some natural cause or having been murdered in the Tower of London) or whether he had somehow survived, Warbeck's claim gained some support. Followers may have truly believed Warbeck was Richard or may have supported him simply because of their desire to overthrow the reigning king, Henry VII, and reclaim the throne. Given the lack of knowledge regarding Richard's fate, and having received support outside England, Warbeck emerged as a significant threat to the newly established Tudor dynasty; Henry declared Warbeck an impostor.
Warbeck made several landings in England backed by small armies but met strong resistance from the King's men and surrendered in Hampshire in 1497. After his capture, he retracted his claim, writing a confession in which he said he was a Fleming born in Tournai around 1474. He was executed on 23 November 1499. Dealing with Warbeck cost Henry VII over £13,000 (equivalent to £12,916,000 in 2023), putting a strain on Henry's weak state finances.
- ^ Lutkin, Jessica (2016). A/AS Level History for AQA The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 Student Book. Cambridge University Press. p. 157. ISBN 9781316504376. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Carson, Annette (2017). Richard III The Maligned King. History Press. p. vii. ISBN 9780752473147.