|
The Kings and Queens of
England, who shaped the century which saw the last glorious
victories of the "Hundred Years War" with France.
The Wars of the Roses, Caxtons printing press and the Renaissance.
| HENRY IV
Son of John of Gaunt, Duke of
Lancaster. The first "Lancastrian" King known as
Henry of "Bolingbroke" (he was born at that
castle in Lincolnshire) born in 1367. Henry, Duke of
Lancaster usurped the English throne from King Richard II,
and ruled from 1399 - 1413. Henry suffered ill health and
rebellion from his English and Welsh subjects, as well as
religious troubles from the "Lollards", many of
whom suffered death by burning for their stand against the
church. Henry had married Mary de Bohun
in 1381 and they had four sons (later Henry V, Duke of
Clarence, Duke of Bedford & Duke of Gloucester) and
two daughters. Mary died in child-birth and Henry
remarried, as King, Joan of Navarre. They
had no children. Henry died of a stroke in the Jerusalem
Chamber in Westminster Abbey and is buried with Queen
Joan, in Canterbury Cathedral. |
 |
|
HENRY V
Eldest son of Henry IV. Born
at Monmouth Castle in 1387, and ruled from 1413 - 1422.
One of England's greatest Kings. As Prince of Wales he
took part in the campaign against Owen Glendower and his
Welsh rebels. He also fought with his Father at the
Battle of Shrewsbury, a victory over the English rebels,
led by Henry "Hotspur" Percy.
Henry V's reign saw
persecution of the lollards, the invasion of France and
victory at the Battle of Agincourt. Henry forced the
Treaty of Troyes (1420) on the defeated French, married Katherine
of Valois and was recognised as the heir to the
French throne. Henry died, on campaign in France,
leaving his nine month old son to inherit both Crowns and
all the trouble Henry's empire building eventually caused.
Henry V is buried in Westminster Abbey, London. Katherine
went on to secretly marry Owen Tudor a
Welsh squire of her household. Their secret relationship
resulted in a number of children, their grand-child,
Henry, earl of Richmond becoming King Henry VII.
|
 |
|
HENRY VI
Born at
Windsor Castle in 1421, his early reign saw England ruled
by an effective and loyal council. Upto 1437, when Henry
came of age, this Council ran England, France and the war
with great success only marred by infighting between the
Kings uncles; John, Duke of Bedford - Regent of France,
and Humpherey, Duke of Gloucester - Protector of England
who had fallen out with his step uncle Cardinal Beaufort.
Henry was not a good King. His policies, shifts and
changes coupled with his foolish use of Royal largess and
justice, made for trouble. During the 1440's and 1450's
factions struggled for control of Henry, who, in 1453, had
suffered a total mental collapse.
Henry had married Margaret
of Anjou a French princess, a match intended to
help peace negotiations between England and France. The
Queen was very unpopular and during Henrys collapses added
to the troubles. They had one son (though scandal
mongerers threw doubt as to the true father), Edward,
Prince of Wales, who's was killed at the battle of
Tewkesbury in 1471. Henry reigned from 1437 - 1461 when he
was deposed in favour of the son of Richard, Duke of York,
Edward IV. Henry spent some years wandering around
Northern England before being taken prisoner by the
Tempest family (also of Lincolnshire) near Waddington Hall
in Lancashire and taken to the Tower of London. In 1470
the Earl of Warwick (the kingmaker) used Henry as his
puppet and placed him back on the throne, by this time
Henry was a bemused spectator
of events and in 1471 the Yorkist Edward IV again took
control and Henry, after attending the Battle of Barnet
with Edward, was once again placed in the Tower. After the
Battle of Tewkesbury Henry died, or was murdered in the
Tower and was first buried in Chertsey Abbey and then
reburied, more fittingly, by Richard III in St.George's
Chapel, Windsor.
|
 |
|
EDWARD IV
Eldest son of Richard, Duke
of York. Born at Roeun, France in 1441. Edward was
declared King in 1461 after the death of his father at the
Battle of Wakefield and Edward's own victory at the Battle
of Mortimers Cross. Edward, supported by Richard Neville,
earl of Warwick (the kingmaker). rallied
the Yorkist party and defeated the Lancastrian forces of
Henry VI at the Battle of Towton, March 1461. Edward IV
faced many problems at the outset of his reign; Scots
aggression, Lancastrian castles under siege, treason,
treachery and rebellion not to mention re-establishing law
and order and re-coining the national currency!
Edward weathered
these storms, including being forced to flee to Burgundy
(modern Holland/Belgium) by Warwick the Kingmaker, and
then fighting to successfully retake his throne again. In
1475 Edward was safe enough to invade France with the best
equipped English army ever seen (to that period). Due to
the Duke of Burgundy's lethargy and lack of commitment the
invading Edward allowed the French to buy him off with an
impressive pension and future marriage treaty for his
eldest daughter plus a lasting peace. Edward
married a Lancastrian widow. Elizabeth Woodville
in 1464, causing much offence to the Earl of Warwick and
others. They had a number of children including Edward,
Prince of Wales, who became, for a short time Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, who became
known as the princes in The Tower. Edward IV died in 1483
and is buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
|
 |
Edward V
Eldest
son of Edward IV, and born in sanctuary at Westminster Abbey 1470.
Edward was made Prince of Wales and, when old enough, lived at
Ludlow Castle on the Welsh border, his household forming the
Council of Wales. Edward was not crowned and only ruled,
nominally under his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester as
Protector. Edward was deposed by his uncle Gloucester and
was secured in the Tower of London, later with his younger
brother, Richard, Duke of York. By late summer 1484 it is
generally recognized that King Edward V and his brother were dead.
Richard III
A younger son of Richard, Duke of York
(killed at Wakefield 1460) and brother of Edward IV (died 1483).
Richard was born at Fotheringhey Castle, Northamptonshire in 1450.
Made Duke of Gloucester by Edward IV, Richard remained steadfastly
loyal to his brother when George, Duke of Clarence his elder
brother did not. Richard married Anne Neville, younger daughter of
Richard, earl of Warwick and they had one son who became, for a
short time, Edward, Prince of Wales. Richard
deposed his nephew Edward V and took the throne himself, becoming
Richard III. Richard III will always suffer from the uncertainty
of the fate of his nephews and the short period he reigned. On the
22nd August 1485 King Richard III died defending his crown on the
battlefield of Bosworth in Leicestershire, against Henry, earl of
Richmond. Richard III's body was taken to Leicester for burial and
was lost during the dissolution of the Monasteries. It was Richard
III who created Sir Thomas Burgh Knight-of-the-Garter.
HENRY VII
The only son of Edmund Tudor, earl of
Richmond and Margaret Beaufort. Born at Pembroke Castle, Wales in
1457, Henry faced excile in Brittany for most of his early life in
the company of his uncle Jasper Tudor, earl of Pembroke. Henry was
recognised as a claimant to the English throne during the
1470's by Edward IV, who tried to entice Henry home. During
Richard III's reign Sir Thomas Burgh was sent to Brittany to
negotiate the return of this dangerous young man. Henry escaped to
France and in 1485 invaded England, challenged Richard III and
defeated him on Bosworth Field. Crowned Henry VII, the reign saw
the end of the Wars of the Roses, rebellions, impostors, treason
and treachery. Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, eldest
daughter of Edward IV and their sons became Arthur, Prince of
Wales and Henry, Duke of York who later became King Henry VIII.
Their daughter Margaret became Queen of Scotland. Henry died
peacefully in 1509 and is buried in his beautiful chapel in
Westminster Abbey.
|
