Plantagenet Kings

 John of Gaunt

 

He was the son of king and father of a king. But, paradoxically and ironically, he was not a king. John of Gaunt was born in 1340. The name ''Gaunt'' comes from the Flemish city of Ghent which was his birthplace. He was the third son of King Edward III of England. 

John of Gaunt (1340-1399)

During the mid 14 century, England and France had been embroiled in a series of constant battles known in history as the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). During the first phases of the conflict, England won several key battles against France at Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356). 

The Battle of Poitiers (1356). The Anglo-Gascon army, led by Edward the Black Prince, the heir of the English throne and John's eldest brother, defeated the army led by John II of France. The French King was subsequently captured by the English and ransomed four years later.

In 1359, John married Blanche of Lancaster, daughter of the Duke of Lancaster and his third cousin. In 1362, after his father-in-law passed away, John became Duke of Lancaster himself. However, Blanche will die in 1368, no before having three children. During 1370s, John will play an important role in the second phase of the Hundred Years War. His military campaigns would prove unsuccessful. Back in England, Edward the Black Prince died in 1376, followed a year later by his father, King Edward III. As a result, Richard, the Black Prince's son, would be crowned king. Because he was only twelve years old, a series of regency councils would govern the country. This proved a great opportunity for John to consolidate his power and influence at the court. In 1386, John left England to seek to throne of Castile, by claiming the right of his second wife, Constance of Castille, whom he had married in 1371. No sooner had he left, the crisis ensued. King Richard II's misrule brought England on the verge of a civil war between the Crown and a group of nobles known as the Lords Appellant, among them being Henry Bolingbroke, John's son. Therefore, John gave up on his claims to the Castillan Crown and returned to England in order to broker a truce between the king and nobles in 1389. During the 1390s, his reputation was restored and England experience of political stability and economic prosperity. John would eventually die in 1399. Immediately after his death, King Richard would confiscate his estates and forced Henry into exile. However, the latter would return the same with an army and deposed Richard, thus becoming King Henry IV of England.