Are there any examples of a pretender to the throne successfully overthrowing a legitimate monarch?

by Mauser_X

I'm thinking of somebody with no traceable claim to the throne or an imposter overthrowing the legitimate ruler and being crowned.

I've been doing some research into the Lambert Simnel rebellion, which could have conceivably achieved this, and it got me wondering.

DaveyGee16

There's a bit of an issue with your question. A pretender, by definition, has a claim to the throne while someone taking a throne with no traceable claim would simply be an invader, a revolutionary ect.

There are plenty of cases of pretenders taking crowns from the rightful owner to secure their junior claim. The one that comes to mind most readily is the English Civil War and the installment of William of Orange.

Were you looking for complete removal of dynasties by people that had no claim at all? Like the Norman invasion of England. Its hard to settle in on what you want to know hehe.