MARGARET raised a small army and Perkin sailed for England, only to be driven off from Deal in Kent on July 3rd, 1495, without stepping ashore. Chased out of Ireland too, he was welcomed to Edinburgh by James IV of Scotland, who hoped Warbeck’s claims would sow enough doubt in England to prosper a Scottish invasion backed by Spain. James even married Perkin off to Lady Catherine Gordon, daughter of the Earl of Huntly, and hosted a tournament in his honour.

However, James’s invasion of England was snuffed out in Northumberland, just four miles south of the border. Warbeck then tried to capitalise on grievances in Cornwall, landing there on September 7th, 1497, but after failing to capture Exeter the self-declared ‘King Richard IV’ lost his nerve, deserted his army on September 21st, and hid in Beaulieu Abbey. He gave himself up, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London, not unkindly; but two escape attempts led to his execution on 23rd November, 1499.