Henry
IV was born to John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster in 1367, a grandson of
Edward III through his father, who was the latter’s fourth son. His mother was
the heir to the extremely wealthy duchy of Lancaster, which included
significant land holdings that made Lancaster the richest duchy in England.
Thus, when Henry inherited the duchy of Lancaster, he not only became the
biggest landowner in England, but also the most powerful man in the country
after the king, his cousin, Richard II. Henry was an extremely charismatic
leader who had a considerable following from among the populace. Furthermore,
despite being a part of the French Plantagenet dynasty, he became the first
English monarch since the Normal conquest to use English as his native
language.[i]
He also exercised a lot of influence in the country to such an extent it would
play a critical role in bringing about his ascension to the throne later in
life.
One
of the most significant factors concerning the future Henry IV was his
rebellions against Richard II, his cousin. While his father, John of Gaunt, had
an extremely stable relationship with Richard II, the same cannot be said of Henry,
who had a tumultuous relationship with his cousin. A consequence of this
situation was Henry got involved in a rebellion against Richard II known as the
Lords Appellant rebellion of 1387.[ii]
While the rebellion was defeated, Henry ended up being spared execution on
account of not only being a member of the royal family, but also a very close
relative of the king. Instead, rather than being executed, he was raised to the
duchy of Hereford. His elevation to the duchy and being spared execution seems
to have pushed Henry to leave the country, leading to his exploring Europe;
campaigning with the Teutonic Knights in their efforts to Christianize the
Lithuanians, as well as undertaking a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.[iii]
Following his return to England, he made a remark that came to be interpreted
as treason and while this act was supposed to be resolved through the use of a
duel of honor, Richard II, on the advice of Henry’s own father, banished Henry
from England. The latter decision can be considered a part of the significant
rift that existed between Henry and his father and the manner through which John
of Gaunt sought to control his son’s actions. It is also likely that John
sought to win the favor of Richard II so that his nephew could provide him with
the support he needed to acquire the throne of Castile; which he pursued in the
name of his wife, Constanza of Castile.
The
problems between Richard II and Henry of Lancaster came to a head when John of
Gaunt died. Following his uncle’s death, Richard II nullified the documents
that automatically accorded Henry the rights to his Lancastrian inheritance;
requiring that Henry request for his inheritance in person. This situation did
not go down well with Henry, with the result being he approached the former
archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Arundel, who had participated in the rebellion
of the Lords Appellant. Arundel provided Henry with the support to invade
England, timing their invasion during a time when Richard II was away in
Ireland.[iv]
Richard II ended up being forced to abdicate and was imprisoned, where he would
die weeks later, and although the cause of death has yet to be determined, the
most likely cause may have been starvation. It was following Richard II’s death
that Henry’s rule began in earnest but while this may have been the case, his
reign was also marked by a number of rebellions.
Rebellions
against Henry IV often came about because of the common belief that Richard II
was not actually dead. Therefore, the rebellions were means to ensure Richard
II was placed back on the English throne. Two major rebellions of note have to
be considered and these are in Wales and in Northumberland. In Wales, the
uprising was led by Owain Glyndwr in 1400, who essentially sought Welsh
independence through his declaration of himself as the Prince of Wales.[v]
In Northumberland, the rebellion was led by the Percy family, which held the
earldom of Northumberland and was tasked with the defense of the northern part
of England against Scotland.[vi]
While both rebellions ended up being put down by the forces loyal to Henry IV,
they represented the relative instability of his reign based on his more
distant claim to the throne as well as the manner through which he had taken it
from his predecessor.[vii]
It may also have been an indication of the considerable support that Richard II
continued to have despite the fact of his death; which many of his supporters
did not believe had happened.
The
later life of Henry IV is one that saw the king essentially withdraw from
public life. This came about because of a disfiguring disease that made him
become a recluse. A result of this situation was his son, Henry, Prince of
Wales, was given control of the government, which he ran alongside a council.[viii]
The king was wary of his son, who he believed was too eager for the throne, but
while this may be the case, the Prince of Wales effectively took power from his
father during the latter’s lifetime. The debilitating disease, as well as the
skin disease that he suffered from, ensured that his reign would come to a
discomfiting end since despite having seizing the throne from his cousin; he
was unable to enjoy his gains. Not only was he forced to withdraw from the
public and become a recluse, he ended up bowing to the inevitable when he was
forced to surrender his power to his son, who would eventually ascend the
throne as Henry V following his death in 1413.
In
conclusion, Henry IV displayed considerable ambition, which was reflected
through his behavior towards his cousin, Richard II. While he was able to
achieve his goal of gaining the throne, his rule was a period of turmoil in
England because rather than promoting stability, it would eventually plant the
seeds of the civil war that would come to be known as the War of the Roses. The
latter war not only split the Plantagenet family, but it would also lead to its
doom because the family would be supplanted by the Tudors. Therefore, while
Henry IV’s reign may have begun with promise, it created the conditions that
would make the country extremely unstable due to the rival claims to the throne
by the different branches of the Plantagenet dynasty.
[i] Isabelle Janvrin and Catherine Rawlinson, The French in London: From William the Conqueror to Charles De Gaulle
(Bitter Lemon Press, 2016), 16.
[ii] Bryan Bevan, Henry Iv (Springer,
1994), 6.
[iii] Chris Given-Wilson, Henry Iv
(Yale University Press, 2016), 66.
[iv] Bevan, 51.
[v] Anthony Goodman, "Owain Glyn Dwr before 1400," Welsh History Review= Cylchgrawn Hanes Cymru
5 (1970): 67.
[vi] JMW Bean, "Henry Iv and the Percies," History 44, no. 152 (1959): 212.
[vii] Peter McNiven, "Legitimacy and Consent: Henry Iv and the Lancastrian
Title, 1399-1406," Mediaeval Studies
44 (1982): 470.
[viii] "The Problem of Henry Iv's Health, 1405-1413," The English Historical Review 100, no.
397 (1985): 747-48.
