Henry IV

Miniature portrait by unknown artist (c. 1402)

Regnal name: King Henry IV of England

Birth name: Henry Bolingbroke Plantagenest of Loncastre

Born: c. April 1367, Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, Kingdom of England

Father: Prince John of Gaunt

Mother: Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster

House: Lancaster

Nationality: English

Religion: Catholicism

Claim: Usurpation and Grandchild of Edward III 

Reign: 30 September 1399 - 20 March 1413 (13 years)

Coronation: 13 October 1399

Predecessor: Richard II

Successor: Henry V

Died: 20 March 1413 (aged 45), Westminster, Middlesex, Kingdom of England

Cause: Seizure

Burial: Canterbury Cathedral

Motto: Sovereign 

Spouse(s):

• Lady Mary de Bohun (m. 1381 - 1394)
• Princess Joan of Navarre (m. 1403 - 1413) 

Children:

• With Lady Mary de Bohun
• King Henry V of England (1386 - 1422)
• Thomas, Duke of Clarence (1387 - 1421)
• John, Duke of Bedford (1389 - 1435)
• Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (1390 - 1447)
• Lady Blanche of Lancaster (1392 - 1409)
• Philippa, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1394 - 1430)

• With Unknown Woman
• Edmund Leborde (1401 - 1419)

•  With Princess Joan of Navarre
• *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1403 - 1403)
• *Unnamed Prince/Princess* (1403 - 1403) 

Appearance:

He was noted as having unhealthy skin, particular later on in his life. This was believed to have been leprosy at the time, but may have in fact been a result of psoriasis. He was often covered in rashes, pustules, and ulcers. 

 

He was likely of medium build, though was described as having a more round stomach, and a chubby neck.

 

Character:

Henry was reported to have been a very skilled knight and fighter, securing many victories, including his victory over his claim to the English throne. 

 

He was also quite a loyal and devoted family man, and remained close with his step-mother, his siblings and step-siblings, as well as his children. However, later on in his life, he became a lot more anxious and paranoid, likely as a result of the numerous rebellions against him. 

 

Henry was also deeply religious, and enjoyed music, something which he shared with his eldest son, also named Henry. 

 

He may have also possessed a strong sense of justice due to his refusal to be disinherited from his rightful claim as the Duke of Lancaster, though this may have morphed into greed and a need for vengeance against his former close friend, King Richard II, resulting in him usurping the throne of England.

 

Biography:

Henry was born in Lincolnshire in 1367 to the Duke and Duchess of Lancaster, and was the first cousin of the current reigning monarch, King Richard II. As a result, his family were very wealthy and held a powerful position of influence within the English court. He also had many siblings whom he shared complex relationships with throughout his life, though they always remained quite close. However, 

 

Growing up, he was very close with Richard II, and the two of them were raised together, and were playmates. Even though Henry took part in a rebellion against Richard II in 1387, Henry did not receive punishment. Instead, Richard made him the Duke of Hereford. 
 
Sometime in 1381, Henry married his first wife, Lady Mary de Bohun, and the two of them would have six children together. After her death in 1398, he also fathered one illegitimate child. 

 

For the majority of his youth, Henry worked as a knight, joining expeditions to the Duchy of Lithuania, which involved the kidnapping of women and children to convert them to Catholicism, but this was ultimately unsuccessful. Instead, Henry then journeyed to Jerusalem and vowed to lead a crusade, though this is something he would never accomplish. 
 
By 1398, his close friendship with Richard II became rocky after he reported some comments made by the Duke of Norfolk as treason. Henry was then banished from England by both the king and his own father, alongside Norfolk. When his father died in 1399, Henry was forbidden from inheriting the Duke of Lancaster title and lands, unless he asked for Richard's permission. 

 

While Richard was away in Ireland, Henry allied himself with the banished former Archbishop of Canterbury, and launched a military campaign within England, seizing lands, destroying property, and insisting that he be given his rightful position as the Duke of Lancaster. However, he was able to gain himself enough influence and power that he deposed of King Richard II and proclaimed himself King Henry IV of England. Many people in England quickly surrendered to Henry's forces, largely due to the fact that Richard was a very unpopular monarch. The former King Richard was arrested, imprisoned, and then likely starved to death, and the original line of succession was ignored in order for Henry to declare himself king. 
 
Henry would then spend the rest of his life and reign defending himself from rebellions and uprisings as a result of him usurping the throne. It was his actions that would ultimately lead to the Wars of the Roses, a bitter rivalry between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that would last nearly a century. 
 
In 1403, Henry married his second wife, Princess Joan of Navarre, whom already had nine children from her first marriage. The two of them would have only two children together, a set of twins who were stillborn in 1403. 

 

During the last years of his life, Henry was plagued by frequent illnesses, in particular a skin disease which was believed to have been leprosy at the time. However, he may have also been suffering from epilepsy, and his death in 1413 is believed to have been the result of either a seizure or a heart attack.

 

Rule:

The reign of Henry IV was very tumultuous due to his seizure of the throne from Richard II. He faced frequent rebellions, which he was able to successfully defeat. He was ruthless against those who did rebel against him, and often executed them without trial. 

 

Henry would also often consult with parliament, as they faced the issue of the Lollard movement within England, in which Henry was able to gain the ability to burn heretics at the stake. 

 

Henry also faced rebellions within Wales, which almost resulted in the death of his son. Through the later years of his reign, it was mainly his son's military successes that secured his place on the throne. 

 

In terms of foreign policy, Henry offered his support to Emperor Manuel II of Byzantine against the Ottoman Empire. He was also able to successfully imprison King James I of Scotland after he was captured by pirates in the North Sea, destabilising the Kingdom of Scotland in the process. 

 

During his reign, Henry was also plagued by rumours that the previous King Richard II was still alive, despite displaying his body, and this also sparked further rebellions within England. 

 

Overall, although he was able to successful seize and maintain power, his rule was far from stable, and he was often viewed as a usurper.

 

Trivia:

• He was the first monarch since before King William I to speak English during his coronation speech.
• There was a prophecy regarding Henry's death according to Raphael Holinshed, where it was stated that Henry would die in Jerusalem. Henry interpreted this as that he would die while on a crusade, but in actuality, he would die in the Jerusalem Chamber of Westminster Palace. 

 

Quotes:

 

N/A

 

 

Timeline of Reign:

| 1400: Epiphany Rising - Henry defeats rebellion led by Richard's remaining supporters.

| 1400: Former King Richard II dies - Richard is likely starved to death while imprisoned. 

| 1400: Invasion of Scotland - England fails to successfully invade Scotland.

| 1400: Glyndŵr Rebellion begins - Owain Glyndŵr declares himself Prince of Wales. 

| 1401: Height of Lollard movement - A Protestant-like movement causes chaos within England.

| 1401: Lollards burned as heretics - Henry and Parliament suppress and burn Lollards.

| 1403: First Percy Rebellion - Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, rebels against Henry.

| 1403: Battle of Shrewsbury - Henry defeats Percy and his rebels.

| 1406: Capture of Prince James of Scotland - Future King James I of Scotland captured by England.

 

 

Sources & Further Reading:

Britannica. (2019). Henry IV | King of England. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-IV-king-of-England

Cartwright, M. (2020). Henry IV of England. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Henry_IV_of_England/ 

Henry IV: the usurper king. (2021). HistoryExtra. https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/henry-iv-the-usurper-king/ 

Illumination of Henry IV (cropped).jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2009). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illumination_of_Henry_IV_(cropped).jpg

pixeltocode.uk, P. (n.d.). Henry IV. Westminster Abbey. https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/henry-iv