|  | | Henry IV of England | | | | also known as | Civilization: | British: England | Henry Bolingbroke | Era: | Plantagenet | | 1367–1413 | Field of Renown: | monarch: King |
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Henry of Bolingbroke: King Henry IV
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Henry Bolingbroke was very close in age to his cousin, Richard II, and they were playmates and
companions from childhood. Richard was son of the eldest of Edward III's son, the Black
Prince, while Henry was the son of Edward's third son, John of Gaunt. John of Gaunt was the richest
and most powerful noble in England for the last half of the 15th century, but his children
were not thought to be in line for the throne. Even if Richard failed to produce an heir,
another cousin, Edmund Mortimer, (son of the second son of Edward III) was in line before
the offspring of John of Gaunt. Furthermore, John of Gaunt had married into the very wealthy
Lancaster family, and was therefore as rich and influential as the king. Gaunt had been regent
for much of Richard's minority, and helped him, rather than opposed him, during his struggles
with the Barons.
Richard's reign was a troubled one, and he remained unpopular with his barons. Furthermore,
he feared the influence of the Lancasters, in spite of the fact that they had not done anything
to undermine his power. When John of Gaunt died, therefore, he stripped Henry of all of his
inheritance in order to decrease his influence. This utterly backfired however. Henry raised
an army in France and allied himself with several of Richard's disgruntled Barons. Originally
he sought only to claim his property, but he was encouraged to deposed Richard entirely
and claim the throne for himself, bypassing not only Richard, but also Mortimer, the rightful
heir. (This usurpation was ultimately the cause of the War of the Roses three generations
later.)
Although most of the barons accepted Henry as king, there were numerous rebellions. The most
desperate was that of the Percys of Northumberland, but Henry put them down at the Battle of
Shrewsbury with the help of his son Prince Henry, later Henry V. One of the causes of
Richard's unpopularity had been his reluctance to continue the war in France. Henry was
aware of this, and planned to resume hostilities, but he was kept busy putting down rebellions
and also suffered from declining health. His son, however, had all the marks of a great soldier,
and began his sensational reconquest of France soon after his fathers death in 1413.
Key events during the life of Henry IV of England
| Year |
Event |
| 1367 |
Henry Bolingbroke born to John of Gaunt and Blanche Lancaster. |
| 1380 |
Marriage to Mary De Bohun. |
| 1387 |
Birth of Henry V. |
| 1399 |
Death of John of Gaunt, Bolingbroke disinherited and sent into exile. |
| 1399 |
Bolingbroke returns to claim inheritance and deposes Richard II. |
| 1403 |
Bolingbroke puts down rebellion of Percy at the Battle of Shrewsbury. |
| 1410 |
Some power devolved to prince Henry, after declining health. |
| 1413 |
Death of Henry IV. Henry V ascends to the throne. |
| Contemporary |
Short Biography |
| Richard II of England |
Son of the Black Prince. Reigned after Edward III. Deposed by Henry Bolingbroke. |
| John of Gaunt |
Third son of Edward III, and father of Henry Bolingbroke. Extremely influential 14th century noble. |
| Henry V of England |
Led a victorious army of longbowmen against France at Agincourt. |
| Henry Hotspur Percy |
Famous warrior of his age. Arch rival of the Scottish Douglases. Helped to depose Richard II in favor of Bolingbroke. |
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Henry of Bolingbroke: King Henry IV.