William de la Pole (1478–1539)

William de la Pole (1478 – November 1539) was an English nobleman, the son of John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln, and Margaret FitzAlan. He was a potential Yorkist claimant to the throne of England during the reign of Henry VIII.

Following his father's death at the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487, William was attainted, although he was not executed. He was imprisoned, initially in the Tower of London. Over the years, he was moved to various locations, including the Tower and Windsor Castle.

William's claim to the throne stemmed from his father’s designation as Richard III's heir apparent. With the defeat and death of Richard at the Battle of Bosworth Field and the subsequent reign of Henry VII, the Yorkist claim was significantly weakened. John de la Pole subsequently rebelled against Henry VII, resulting in his death at Stoke.

William remained in prison for much of his life, representing a latent threat to the Tudor dynasty. He never actively pursued his claim to the throne while imprisoned, but the potential for Yorkist resurgence always lingered. He died in the Tower of London in November 1539, still a prisoner. With his death, the senior line of the de la Pole family was extinguished. His younger brother, Richard de la Pole, continued to claim the throne until his own death in battle in 1525.