Henry V is known as one of the greatest monarchs to ever grace the English throne. He was born on 9th August, 1386 at Monmouth Castle in Wales, earning him the moniker Henry of Monmouth to Henry Bolingbroke, who was the future king of England at the time. Henry was the oldest son of Bolingbroke, and events during his time would soon transpire, making Henry of Monmouth heir to the English crown.
Henry V had a relatively short 9-year reign, but during his time on the throne he did some exceptional deeds for England. He was politically and militarily adept, and is very well known for the victory he achieved against overwhelming odds at Agincourt.
His military successes against France during the Hundred Years’ War soon made England a top-tier European power; this warrior-king is celebrated as one of the most successful Plantagenet’s that ever lived, forever immortalised in history, literature, and drama.
Early Life
Henry was given a privileged upbringing due to his noble status as a member of the Lancastrian line of Plantagenets. He was the grandson of John of Gaunt, a key figure in the politics of England at the time, and was given a very good education. He became very keen on reading and had a love for music; he soon became well-versed in many religious texts and was fluent in many languages.
Henry’s father was exiled by Richard II in 1398. He would have been very young at this time, so Richard kept him at court and treated him with kindness and respect, eventually giving him a knighthood in 1399. Henry Beaufort, his uncle, is known to have been responsible for his education and training.
Henry’s father returned to England in 1399 after John of Gaunt died. Bolingbroke took advantage of the weak reign of Richard II and forced him to abdicate, thus taking the throne of England for himself and becoming Henry IV. His son became Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, and Earl of Chester by right.
Welsh Rebellion
It is claimed that Henry was quite rambunctious in his youth, as per the Shakespearean plays, but he supposedly rebuked these antics when he eventually ascended the throne. However, Shakespeare and other playwrights of his time did often exaggerate their stories, so some of Henry’s supposed behaviour can’t be taken as completely truthful. However, to take care of this restless energy, Henry’s father charged him with the administration of Wales, as well as dealing with the many rebellions rising from the Welsh lords.
In 1403, Henry was at his father’s side at the Battle of Shrewsbury. The royalist army suffered many casualties, but it was a decisive victory for the Lancastrian forces, ensuring that Bolingbroke remained on the throne. Henry suffered an arrow to the face during the fighting, causing an awful wound. He was lucky to not have been killed. A physician managed to remove the arrow, but it left a permanent scar.
Over the coming years, Henry proved to be a great leader and cunning tactician and he quashed many uprisings in Wales, up until around 1408. The Welsh eventually came to heel when Henry captured one of their most strategic fortresses – Harlech Castle. After his many successes, he demanded a place in government and the royal council.
Many were captured and killed at Harlech, the years Henry had spent crushing the rebels in Wales showed just how capable he was, not just as a military leader but also one day as a king. It has been said that the young Henry didn’t really have a place in the political world of England until his father died in 1413, regardless of his newfound proficiency in military and leadership skills.
This caused an uneasy relationship with his father. While he was Prince of Wales and was authorised to act in the king’s place if needed, the two clashed when it came to politics and military affairs, including foreign policy. While Henry would often take brief control when his father suffered from ill health, any measures he put in place were quickly rebuked by the king upon his recovery, causing more rifts between father and son.
Early Reign
Henry succeeded the English throne on March 21st 1413, at the age of 26. The beginning of Henry’s reign wasn’t too unlike that of his father’s, often plagued with rebellion and deceit. However, Henry very quickly put a stop to those who wished to dethrone him, and he was merciless in his punishments.
In January 1414, a Lollard uprising threatened Henry’s reign. Lollards are considered followers of John Wycliffe (after 1382), who was a philosopher based at Oxford University. He had some radical religious views, not too different from those of the 16th-century supporters of the Reformation. Wycliffe believed that preaching and scripture were the key roots of Christianity, he also compared the Pope to the Anti-Christ and was a hard advocate for the destruction of the Papacy.
Wycliffe was charged with heresy in 1378 and retired. He died in 1384, but he had gained a following with his beliefs and the faction continued to grow. During Henry IV’s reign, heresy was outlawed and in 1401 the first English statute was passed for the burning of heretics. The 1414 rebellion was easily defeated by Henry, and the Lollards’ influence in England began to wane.
In July of 1415, another rebellion known as the Southampton Plot arose. Richard of York, 3rd Earl of Cambridge, conspired with Lord Scrope, one of the king’s diplomatic favourites, and Sir Thomas Grey of Northumberland, to assassinate the king and replace him with Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, who did actually have a strong claim to the English throne.
Ironically, Mortimer was the one to give the plot away to the king, and the three men were executed for treason. Some historians think the purpose of this rebellion was due to Henry’s views on France and his upcoming military plans to invade. Others think there was no plot and that the men were killed for other acts of disloyalty to the king.
France and Agincourt
Regardless of the troubles in the realm, the young Henry had his eyes set on France. He wanted to reclaim the former Angevin Empire that his Plantagenet ancestors had once ruled, claiming dominion over half of France, but he also wanted to spread his influence further and conquer the French entirely, claiming that he was the true king of France through his great-grandfather Edward III.
Negotiations with France had begun during Richard II’s reign, but they rarely came to fruition. Henry was aware of this, and he began to prepare for war, fully expecting any peace talks to end in failure. In June 1415, the negotiations were finally stopped, and Henry began proceedings for his conquest of France.
Henry would execute his plans exceedingly well. He was fully supported by the English magnates as well as the nation, and his plan was to lay siege and reduce the number of towns and fortresses that were vital to the French. He believed this would weaken his enemy and reduce the need to actually win battles, which would take up even more of his men and resources.
In September 1415, Henry captured Harfleur in Normandy. The siege lasted only four days, and the defenders of the town surrendered, becoming prisoners of war. Despite the English victory, they still suffered high casualties, likely not helped by an outbreak of dysentery. They then withdrew towards Calais, but were met by the French at Agincourt on the way.
The Battle of Agincourt was fought on October 25th, 1415. The English were massively outnumbered by a superior French army, but this didn’t stop them from claiming victory that day. Henry himself led his troops into battle and participated in the fighting, but the real heroes on this day were the English and Welsh archers – the English longbow caused havoc in the French ranks, and it is estimated that archers made up around 80 percent of Henry’s army.
Agincourt ended in an overwhelming victory for the English. It was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years’ War – just as successful, if not more, than those of Crecy (1346) and Poitiers (1356). Even to this day, Agincourt is celebrated as one of England’s most important triumphs; it continues to fascinate to this day and has inspired famous literature including Shakespeare’s Henry V (1599).
Death and Legacy
Henry’s incredible victory at Agincourt turned him into the legend he still is today. In 1416, he made an alliance with the Holy Roman Emperor at Canterbury, using this partnership to persuade Genoa to cut ties with France. He continued his conquest in Normandy, and Rouen and Burgundy were in the hands of the English by 1419.
The French were forced to agree to the Treaty of Troyes on May 21st, 1420. This recognised Henry V as heir to the French throne, he was also married to Catherine, daughter of the king of France at the time. Henry had achieved amazing things, but he unfortunately died in 1422 from dysentery while continuing his conquest in France.
While it is easy to admire Henry and his accomplishments, he was by no means perfect. He was known to be ruthless when he didn’t get his own way, and he couldn’t abide any who would oppose him, no matter how small the issue. Regardless of these flaws, he was a brave warrior and adopted traits fit for kingship and leadership.
Henry V will always remain high on the list when it comes to the abilities and triumphs of English kings. Henry and his outstanding reign will always be remembered, however it could be argued that his conquest of France was not entirely necessary – Henry’s claim to the French throne was probably weaker than that of Edward III’s, and the resources he used up overseas could have been put to better use at home in England.
Regardless, he unfortunately died too soon, and the son that would succeed him would go on to cause chaos in England. I wonder how different history would have been had Henry V survived and continued on his path of success?
I suppose we will never know.
References
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-V-king-of-England
https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/henry-v-england