Richard de la Pole
24th February 1525. Death of Richard de la Pole, Yorkist claimant.
Richard de la Pole was the last Yorkist to actively claim the throne of England. A son of John de la Pole and Elizabeth of York he was a grandson of Richard, 3rd Duke of York and nephew to Kings Edward IV and Richard III.
Much of Richard’s life was spent in exile in France or Brittany. He struck up a good relationship with Louis XII of France through fighting in his armies.
In 1515 Louis XII was willing to back a Yorkist invasion of England. A force of 12000 men was assembled in Brittany for the venture: dwarfing the armies used by the Yorkists in 1460 or 1471. However, a truce between France and England was agreed upon just before the fleet was due to embark.
A second invasion was mooted in 1523 but came to nothing. Richard died in battle, fighting for the French King Francis I at the Battle of Pavia.
