WI Yorkists Win In 1489

What if the Yorkists won the Battle of Stoke and Lambert Simnel became Edward VI? Would Edward, Earl of Warwick, be placed on the throne or would Simnel be King? Elizabeth of York would flee with her children and there would be a longer Wars of the Roses. What would this York's restoration be like? What if?
 
Much depends on who does what and i take it we assume Henry VII is killed at Stoke.

Simnel was pretending to be Warwick so no doubt his backers would substitute him for the real one if they succeeded.

You have three big problems though - Elizabeth of York, Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort.
There are suggestions that the Queen's mother had been in touch with Lincoln but it is scant and not necessarily true.
Margaret Beaufort is hugely wealthy and has strong and loyal support - she will move heaven and earth to ensure her grandson the infant Prince Arthur is proclaimed.
Elizabeth of York is also going to protect her son and his claim above whatever family loyalty she might feel for her cousin's (Lincoln and Warwick).
We don't really know much about Lincoln's motives (he never claimed the throne himself was married to a niece of Queen Elizabeth Woodville and had been a key player at Prince Arthur's christening).
The infant Prince is going to be mighty attractive to a lot of people - he has both Lancastrian and York claims and an attractive widowed mother with a strong claim to the throne in her own right.
I don't think the newly proclaimed Warwick stands much of a chance of holding his throne for very long.
 
Much depends on who does what and i take it we assume Henry VII is killed at Stoke.

Simnel was pretending to be Warwick so no doubt his backers would substitute him for the real one if they succeeded.

You have three big problems though - Elizabeth of York, Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort.
There are suggestions that the Queen's mother had been in touch with Lincoln but it is scant and not necessarily true.
Margaret Beaufort is hugely wealthy and has strong and loyal support - she will move heaven and earth to ensure her grandson the infant Prince Arthur is proclaimed.
Elizabeth of York is also going to protect her son and his claim above whatever family loyalty she might feel for her cousin's (Lincoln and Warwick).
We don't really know much about Lincoln's motives (he never claimed the throne himself was married to a niece of Queen Elizabeth Woodville and had been a key player at Prince Arthur's christening).
The infant Prince is going to be mighty attractive to a lot of people - he has both Lancastrian and York claims and an attractive widowed mother with a strong claim to the throne in her own right.
I don't think the newly proclaimed Warwick stands much of a chance of holding his throne for very long.



First, Prince Arthur is an infant. Secondly, his main backers are female. This makes Warwick look rather more attractive.
 
Arthur is an infant facing a long regency - he has a dual claim to the throne through both of his parents.

Those three women can probably drum up rather a lot of support.
Jasper Duke of Bedford (Henry VII's Uncle) if he survives is married to Buckingham's widow and has gained significant support and is battle hardened and experienced - you also have other Tudor supporters in the mix as well as some Yorkist whole will prefer to support Edward IV's grandson over Clarence's son.
Oxford is a key supporter unlikely to switch sides.

Lincoln had very little support in England (Irish nobles and a few northern peers but not the great ones - Northumberland and Lord Strange both supported Henry)

I would suspect that even the shock of Henry's defeat at Stoke would not necessarily destroy the regime - Tudor's supporters still hold London and may be able to regroup before Lincoln even gets there.
 
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