Henry V
Henry V was born on 16 September 1386, at Monmouth Castle, one of his father's possessions. He was the son of King Henry IV, Bolingbroke, and Mary de Bohun.
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| Monmouth Castle, Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales. Today in ruins |
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| Henry V (1386-1422) |
A few things about him and his family. Let's begin with Henry's great-grandfather, King Edward III of England who reigned between 1327 and 1377. He had numerous sons, including Edward the Black Prince and John of Gaunt, the latter being Henry's grandfather. The Black Prince died in 1376. As a result, his son Richard became King of England a year later after the death of Edward. However, Richard II was a ineffective ruler, and he drew heavy criticism from the nobility, among them being Henry Bolingbroke, his first cousin and Henry's father.
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| King Edward III (1312-1377) |
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| Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376) |
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| John of Gaunt (1340-1399) |
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| Richard II (1367-1400) |
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| Henry IV (1367-1413) |
In 1399, after the death of John of Gaunt, King Richard disinherited Bolingbroke and banished him. Henry went to France where he gathered an army in order to depose his cousin. He succeeded almost effortlessly, and he was crowned King Henry IV at Westminster Abbey on October 13th, 1399. He was the first Lancastrian king to ascend to the throne.
However, many saw him as an usurper, and, as a result, his reign was marked by unrest and rebellions. His son was not idle, and he was totally involved in these events. Between 1400 and 1404, Henry of Monmouth carried out the duties of High Sheriff of Cornwall. Moreover, he saw battle firsthand. In 1403, he led his father's army against Henry ''Hotspur'' Percy. At the Battle of Shrewsbury, the royalists won a decisive victory. Young Henry was severely wounded in battle. He would have died if it hadn't been for his physicians. Over the next years, as King Henry IV's health deteriorated, the young prince would step in the state affairs, becoming the de facto ruler of the country. Eventually, Henry IV died in 1413, and his son succeeded him. He was crowned on 9 April 1413 at Westminster Abbey as King Henry V.
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| King Henry V (1413-1422) |
Henry wanted to unite all political factions of his realm. Therefore, all nobles who raised in rebellion against his father were pardoned. Of course, he never hesitated to use brutal force when necessary. For instance, during the Lollard discontent of 1414 led by Sir John Oldcastle, Henry crashed the rebellion following a decisive battle on St. Gile's Fields. Furthermore, he had all the leaders executed without blinking an eye. It is worth mentioning that Henry V promoted the use of English language within government. Now that the young monarch consolidated his position, he could turn his attention to foreign affairs. Accusing the French of supporting revolts in England, and the political instability of the French kingdom, which was ruled by a king, Charles VI, with serious mental illnesses, Henry saw the perfect opportunity to resume the Hundred Years War, which had been on a pause since 1389.
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| Charles VI ''the Mad'' of France (1368-1422; reigned 1380-1422) |
On 12 August 1415, Henry sailed for France. He began by capturing the fortress at Harfleur after a month siege. He then marched his army toward Calais. However, the French forces intercepted him near the village of Agincourt. Despite the fact that the English were exhausted and outnumbered almost 3 to 1, King Henry prepared his soldiers for battle. On 25 October 1415, despite the odds, the English won a decisive battle, destroying the French army. The victory boosted the English morale, further solidifying Henry's claim to the French throne.
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| The Battle of Agincourt (1415) |
After the victory, England conquered the entire Normandy and much of the northern France. In 1420, the two kingdoms signed the Treaty of Troyes. The terms were harsh for the French side: Henry V was made the regent and heir of the French throne, and he also married Catherine of Valois, the daughter of King Charles VI. His son, future King Henry VI, would be born a year later.
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| France after the Treaty of Troyes (1420). The English territorial gains are in red. |
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| Catherine of Valois (1401-1437). Henry V's wife. After his death in 1422, she married Sir Owen Tudor, the founder of the Tudor Dynasty |
With the French under his yoke, and with a male heir, Henry was at the height of his power. However, his end came sooner than expected. In May 1422, he contracted dysentery. He died on 31 August 1422 at the Chateau de Vincennes to the east of Paris. He was buried in Westminster Abbey on 7 November 1422. As his son was an infant, a regency government was formed by Henry's surviving brothers, John, Duke of Bedford, and Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester.
Despite having a short reign, his legacy was rich. His military victories against the French fostered a strong sense of English nationalism and transformed England into a key player on the European stage.
