Henry V of England
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against France made England one of the strongest military powers in Europe. Immortalised in Shakespeare's "Henriad" plays, Henry is known and celebrated as one of the greatest warrior-kings of medieval England.
Henry V
21 March 1413 – 31 August 1422
9 April 1413
21 May 1420 – 31 August 1422
16 September 1386
Monmouth Castle, Wales
31 August 1422 (aged 35)
Château de Vincennes, Kingdom of France
7 November 1422
During the reign of his father, Henry IV, the young Prince Henry gained military experience fighting the Welsh during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr, and against the powerful Percy family of Northumberland, playing a central part at the Battle of Shrewsbury, despite being just sixteen years of age. As he entered adulthood, Henry played an increasingly central role in England's government, due to the declining health of his father, but disagreements between king and heir led to political conflict between the two. After his father's death in March 1413, Henry ascended to the throne of England and assumed complete control of the country, also reviving the historic English claim to the French throne.
In 1415, Henry followed in the wake of his great-grandfather, Edward III, by renewing the Hundred Years' War with France, beginning the Lancastrian phase of the conflict (1415–1453). His first military campaign included capturing the port of Harfleur and a famous victory at the Battle of Agincourt, which inspired a proto-nationalistic fervour in England.[1][2] During his second campaign (1417–20), his armies captured Paris and conquered most of northern France, including the formerly English-held Duchy of Normandy.[3][4] Taking advantage of political divisions within France, Henry put unparalleled pressure on King Charles VI of France ("the Mad"), resulting in the largest holding of French territory by an English king since Angevin Empire. After months of negotiation with the representatives of Charles VI, the Treaty of Troyes (1420) recognised Henry V as regent of France and heir apparent to the French throne, disinheriting Charles's own son, the Dauphin Charles.[5] Henry was subsequently married to Charles VI's daughter, Catherine of Valois. The treaty ratified the unprecedented formation of a union between the kingdoms of England and France, in the person of Henry, upon the death of the ailing Charles. However, Henry died in August 1422, less than two months before his father-in-law, and was succeeded by his only son and heir, the infant Henry VI.
Analyses of Henry's reign are varied. According to Charles Ross, he was widely praised for his personal piety, bravery, and military genius; Henry was admired even by contemporary French chroniclers. However, his occasionally cruel temperament and lack of focus regarding domestic affairs have made him the subject of criticism.[6] Nonetheless, Adrian Hastings believes his militaristic pursuits during the Hundred Years' War fostered a strong sense of English nationalism and set the stage for the rise of England (later Britain) to prominence as a dominant global power.[7]
Early life[edit]
Birth and family[edit]
Henry was born in the tower above the gatehouse of Monmouth Castle in Wales, and for that reason was sometimes called Henry of Monmouth.[8] He was the son of Henry of Bolingbroke (later Henry IV of England) and Mary de Bohun. His father's cousin was the reigning English monarch, King Richard II. Henry's paternal grandfather was the influential John of Gaunt, a son of King Edward III. As he was not close to the line of succession to the throne, Henry's date of birth was not officially documented, and for many years it was disputed whether he was born in 1386 or 1387.[9] However, records indicate that his younger brother Thomas was born in the autumn of 1387 and that his parents were at Monmouth in 1386 but not in 1387.[10] It is now accepted that he was born on 16 September 1386.[11][12][13][17]
Upon the exile of Henry's father in 1398, Richard II took the boy into his own charge and treated him kindly.[18] The young Henry accompanied Richard to Ireland. While in the royal service, he visited Trim Castle in County Meath, the ancient meeting place of the Parliament of Ireland.
In 1399, John of Gaunt died. In the same year, King Richard II was overthrown by the Lancastrian usurpation that brought Henry's father to the throne, and Henry was recalled from Ireland into prominence as heir apparent to the Kingdom of England. He was created Prince of Wales at his father's coronation and Duke of Lancaster on 10 November 1399, the third person to hold the title that year. His other titles were Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Chester and Duke of Aquitaine. A contemporary record notes that in 1399, Henry spent time at The Queen's College, Oxford, under the care of his uncle Henry Beaufort, the chancellor of the university.[19] During this time, due to taking a liking to both literature and music, he learned to read and write in the vernacular; this made him the first English King that was educated in this regard.[20] He even went on to grant pensions to composers due to such love for music.
Marriage[edit]
After his father became king, Henry was created Prince of Wales. It was suggested that Henry should marry the widow of Richard II, Isabella of Valois, but this had been refused. After this, negotiations took place for his marriage to Catherine of Pomerania between 1401 and 1404, but ultimately failed.[55]
During the following years, marriage had apparently assumed a lower priority until the conclusion of the Treaty of Troyes in 1420 when Henry V was named heir to Charles VI of France and provided in marriage to Charles's daughter Catherine of Valois, younger sister of Isabella of Valois.[40] Her dowry, upon the agreement between the two kingdoms, was 600,000 crowns.[56] Together the couple had one child, Henry, born in late 1421.[40] Upon Henry V's death in 1422, the infant prince became King Henry VI of England.[40]