Pretenders that could have contended

Charles Stuart, "the Young Pretender" is famous as a pretender to the throne of England who led a famous rebellion, but stayed all his life as a pretender to the throne.

However, on occasion people in this situation have become kings. Famous examples include Henry Tudor and Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte.

Which pretenders could most plausibly have become kings, but didn't?
 
Henry, Count of Chambord

Louis XVII, assuming he escaped

James III, the Old Pretender

"Carlos V", Count of Molina

Perkin Warbeck

Lambert Simnel

Arthur, Duke of Brittany

Robert Curthorse
 
Excellent list, though I'm not sure if the two guys who were fakes belong on it. You might as well include the pseudo-Dmitri from Russian history then.
 
"Why not?"

Well they would have been found it if they had gotten further than they did, which wasn't very far. They were useful tools for other countries and the nobility to use against Henry VII, whose own claims everyone knew to be shakey.

The Pseudo-Dmitri emerged in a vacuum where there were no legitimate candidates, though in this case one really did get into the Kremlin, and not as a cook.

Is there any instance of a claimant to the throne actually getting crowned and installed as king, and it was found out later that he was a humbug?

The only possibilities I can think of are Charles VII and Napoleon III, both of France. And both were born when their parents were legitimate kings/ queens or at least princes/ princesses, and recognized as such at the time.
 
Maybe the sons of Napoleon I and Napoleon III can be added, though the son of Napoleon III seems to have been somewhat of an idiot and I don't think the son of Napoleon I would have tried for it.
 
Henry, Count of Chambord

Louis XVII, assuming he escaped

James III, the Old Pretender

"Carlos V", Count of Molina

Perkin Warbeck

Lambert Simnel

Arthur, Duke of Brittany

Robert Curthorse

Except for Warkbeck and Simnel, this could have been my list as well. I'd add the Orleanist pretender, Phillipe, Count of Paris (L-P's grandson) who could have been/would have been king if Chambord had died prior to 1873 or not been so intransigent. Also the Empress Matilda/Maud - does she count as a "pretender"? If so, she easily makes the list.

Also, how about Charles Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp (father of Peter III of Russia) who was thought to be his uncle Charles XII's choice of heir and could easily have been King of Sweden.
 
There is some evidence suggesting that the first of the "pseudo-Dmitrii" really was the true Dmitrii;and thus the legitimate heir to Ivan IV.
The evidence is not conclusive, but neither are the arguments against him.

There are also other pretenders and candidates who could have found their way to the throne in the chaotic climate of early 1600s Russia. Such as Fedor Mstislavskii, or Simeon Bekbulatovich - a surprisingly serious candidate, considering how he was a legitimate Chinggisid but rather weakly tied to the old Russian dynasty.
 
Henry, Count of Chambord

Louis XVII, assuming he escaped

James III, the Old Pretender

"Carlos V", Count of Molina

Perkin Warbeck

Lambert Simnel

Arthur, Duke of Brittany

Robert Curthorse

I'd also add Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, uncle of Louis V
 
napoleon the first son was emperor for a very short time if i recalled.

Theoretically for like a week after Nappy I abdicated, though I'm not sure that counts.

Maybe the sons of Napoleon I and Napoleon III can be added, though the son of Napoleon III seems to have been somewhat of an idiot and I don't think the son of Napoleon I would have tried for it.

Is that based on him getting himself killed by Zulus or something else? Because a lot of 23-year olds overeager for military adventure/glory do stupid stuff and get themselves killed.

Is there any instance of a claimant to the throne actually getting crowned and installed as king, and it was found out later that he was a humbug?

Simnel was crowned in Dublin, though given their goal was England that doesn't really count. The cynical view is that several of those present at the coronation already knew he was an impostor.

Something regarding Bardiya, briefly ruler of the Achaeamenids? One of the stories has him being killed by noblemen who had discovered that he was an impostor, though some historians think he was genuine, so...

In general, if a claimant is successful enough to get the throne they'll be able to clamp down on any rumours and launch a propaganda war to prove their legitimacy. If Perkin Warbeck had seized the throne then he would of had the name "Perkin Warbeck" scrubbed from history (as best he could), and the accepted story would be Richard of Shrewsbury miraculously escaping and then returning to England to depose the Tudor usurper. ITTL the idea that a Flemish nobody impersonated Richard of Shrewsbury and took the throne would be the conspiracy theory and minority opinion.
 

King Thomas

Banned
The Young Pretender-at one point there were just four thousand soldiers between him and London, but the clan chiefs lost their nerve.
Duke Robert of Normandy.
William Clito.
Matilda.
Boudicca
 
Not kings exactly, but one thing about the Sengoku Jidai era is that there are like 5-10 guys who had very realistic shots at the 'crown' and in many ways the 3 unifiers would never even make that list if you didn't know they'd done it.
 

Rarename91

Banned
Not kings exactly, but one thing about the Sengoku Jidai era is that there are like 5-10 guys who had very realistic shots at the 'crown' and in many ways the 3 unifiers would never even make that list if you didn't know they'd done it.
link me to more info on this.
 
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