Attempts to maintain the Yorkist cause: Margaret of Burgundy, the Earl of…

The idea

The Yorkist cause was sustained through a combination of legitimate claimants and foreign-backed pretenders. Edward, Earl of Warwick, the nephew of Edward IV, was the most legitimate Yorkist claimant; despite being imprisoned in the Tower by Henry VII, he remained a potent symbol for rebellions until his execution in 1499. Margaret of Burgundy, sister to Edward IV, was the chief financier and international sponsor of Yorkist plots, using her court as a safe haven for exiles. She heavily backed Perkin Warbeck, who impersonated Richard, Duke of York, for nearly a decade. Warbeck's persistent threat relied on support from France, Scotland, and Burgundy, forcing Henry VII to use diplomacy and trade embargoes to neutralise the network.

What earns the marks

• Analyse the strategic importance of Margaret of Burgundy as a financier and international sponsor of Yorkist opposition.
• Evaluate the threat posed by the Earl of Warwick as a legitimate figurehead, explaining why Henry VII kept him imprisoned and eventually executed him.
• Assess the longevity of the Perkin Warbeck threat, attributing his survival to the shifting diplomatic support from France, Burgundy, and Scotland.
• Examine Henry VII's methods for dealing with Warbeck, including the use of the Magnus Intercursus to sever Burgundian support and the Treaty of Ayton with Scotland.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Stating that the Earl of Warwick actively led rebellions against Henry VII.

  Put it right: He was imprisoned in the Tower of London from 1485 and was used as a figurehead by others.

• Claiming Perkin Warbeck was a legitimate Yorkist heir.

  Put it right: He was a pretender from Tournai who impersonated Richard, Duke of York, one of the Princes in the Tower.

• Viewing Margaret of Burgundy's opposition as purely emotional.

  Put it right by acknowledging her strategic use of trade and diplomacy to destabilise the Tudor regime.

Exam tips

• Link domestic Yorkist threats to foreign policy, demonstrating how Henry VII used treaties to strip pretenders of their international backing.
• Contrast the threat of Perkin Warbeck with Lambert Simnel, noting that Warbeck's threat was prolonged and diplomatic, whereas Simnel's culminated in a pitched battle.
• Discuss the execution of the Earl of Warwick in 1499 as a turning point that finally extinguished the direct male Yorkist line and secured the Spanish marriage alliance.