Henry IV of England

 

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.

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[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.