life. Yet ultimately the King feared that by showing clemency, he would be endangering himself through encouraging other potential conspirators. As a consequence, Sir William was condemned to death, and a few days later, beheaded. Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poetical illustration Sir William Stanley, to the heading portrait above, tells his story. In popular culture Sir William Stanley appears as a character in three episodes of the 1972 BBC television series about the reign of Henry VII, The Shadow of the Tower, played by John Franklyn-Robbins. In the 2017 Starz miniseries The White Princess, Stanley is portrayed by Guy Williams. Notes References 257 1430s births 1495 deaths People from Lytham St Annes Knights of the Garter People of the Wars of the Roses 15th-century soldiers English soldiers 15th-century English people William People executed under the Tudors for treason against England Executed people from Lancashire People executed by Tudor England by decapitation People executed under Henry VII of England Executions at the Tower of London Knights banneret of England English politicians convicted of crimes Younger sons of barons