The Spaniard who was King of England for a day

We have probably all heard stories of people who have bet ridiculous amounts during a hand of poker.

Perhaps they gambled away their monthly salary, a designer watch or even their car, but nothing so great as an entire country. Nevertheless, this is exactly what happened.

In the mid 15th century there was a sailor and adventurer called Juan who lived in the small town of Lepe in the southwestern Huelva province, as as such became known as Juan de Lepe.

READ ALSO: The one thing to know about each of Spain's 'crazy' kings and queens

One day, Juan decided to sail to England and somehow (history is a bit unclear on this part) managed to wheedle his way into the court of King Henry VII - the Tudor King, eventually becoming his confident, friend, dinner guest, jester and yes… opponent in all types of games.

In fact, people from Lepe are the butt of many jokes in Spain, so perhaps it's not surprising at all to Spaniards that Juan managed to get into the English court as an entertainer.

It is said by historians that Henry VII was a secretive and wary person, but also patient and vigilant, as well as having a love for all sorts games.

Juan de Lepe was supposedly Henry VII's favourite opponent, but one day while playing a hand of cards (some sources say it was a game of chess), the English King decided to wager his crown, saying that if his Andalusian rival won the game, he would make him King of England for a day.

Inevitably, Juan did win and to the surprise of the rest of the court, Henry VII kept his promise and crowed him king for one day. He even made the announcement public, and Juan was greeted by the people as “Little King of England”. But it wasn’t just a title that he gained, it was also the riches that came with it too.

Henry told Juan he had the permission and the right to benefit and enjoy everything he had received during that day.

READ ALSO: The small coastal town that was Spain's capital for a day

Some claim that Juan even went so far as taking one of Henry VII’s crowns for himself. Other sources say he robbed it while others state it was a gift from the king. Whatever the truth, Juan returned to Lepe a rich man.

Then there are historians who believe he started his return journey to Spain straight afterwards, while others say he waited until after the death of Henry VII in 1509.

Again, we simply can't be certain, but what we do know is that Juan was able to live a lavish life back in his native Lepe, and even donated many of his riches to the nearby Franciscan monastery of Santa María de la Bella.

In 2010, several Spanish newspapers published articles saying that the crown that Juan de Lepe took/was gifted by Henry VII and gave to the monastery, was to finally go on display for the first time in 500 years. They described it as an engraved silver crown with enamel.

The crown along with some of Juan’s other riches donated to the monastery went on display again this year (2025) on September 20th during the extraordinary Magna Mariana celebration, a huge procession throughout the province of Huelva.

READ ALSO: The Spanish town where 700 people have the surname Japan

There is even a tiny village in the UK on the coast of the county of Hampshire called Lepe. Some believe it was named after King for a day, Juan de Lepe himself, while others say the name dates back to Roman origins.

The story continues that when he died, Juan de Lepe wanted certain elements of his life remembered and inscribed on his gravestone, and left instructions for the Franciscan brothers to do so.

While his actual tombstone was lost during the French invasion of Spain centuries later, the engravings were copied by witnesses and has been authenticated by numerous documents and public deeds.

In 1583, Father Gonzaga, general of the Franciscan order, wrote it down and made it public in his work ‘Origine Seraphicae Religionis’.

It says: “In the church of this convent you can still see the tomb of a certain Juan de Lepe, born of low lineage from the aforementioned town of Lepe, who, as he was a favourite of Henry VII, King of England, with whom he often ate and even gambled, happened to win from the king the income and jurisdiction of the entire kingdom for one calendar day, from which he was called by the English The Little King."