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Henry IV was the king of England from 1399 to 1413, who overthrew and imprisoned his cousin Richard II. He was the son of John of Gaunt, a grandson of Edward III, and the father of Henry V.
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Aug 1, 2024 · Henry IV was the first king of England from the house of Lancaster, who seized the throne from Richard II in 1399. He faced many challenges from nobles, Welsh rebels, and foreign enemies, and suffered from a mysterious illness in his later years.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Birth & Family
- Rivalry with Richard II
- Seizure of The Throne
- Rebellion
- The Long Parliament
- Death & Successor
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Henry was born in April 1366 CE at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, the son of John of Gaunt (l. 1340-1399 CE), himself the son of Edward III of England (r. 1327-1377 CE) and so a claimant for the throne of Richard II (who was the grandson of Edward III and the son of Edward the Black Prince, l. 1330-1376 CE). John was a powerful but unpopular f...
By 1386 CE Henry Bolingbroke had risen to be one of the foremost barons in England, and he was a member of the disgruntled group of noblemen who took exception to the king's favouritism towards Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford. Richard had made the hugely unpopular de Vere the Duke of Ireland in December 1387 CE. The dissatisfied barons made their mo...
Henry set off from Boulogne and landed at Spurn Head northeast England with a small army, perhaps only 300 men, and then marched south to press his claim in June-July 1399 CE. The timing of the invasion was excellent because Richard was then away in Ireland. Without their king, the royalist support faded away, perhaps, too, because Richard had neve...
Henry faced an immediate crisis in September 1400 CE in Wales where Owain Glyn Dwr (b. c. 1359 CE) had declared himself the Prince of Wales. Even more ominously, the Welshman had the support of The Earl of March, whose son Edmund Mortimer, as the great-great-grandson of Edward III, was a possible claimant to Henry's throne. Also supporting the Wels...
Another source of friction at court was the king's relationship with Parliament. The so-called 'Long Parliament' of 1406 CE sat an unusually long time from March until December as it deliberated over the ever-prickly issue of state finances. Parliament was not impressed with the lack of success against the Welsh rebels or the presence of French tro...
Henry IV died on 20 March 1413 CE. He was only around 46 and had been wasting away, wracked by disease - possibly leprosy or severe eczema - since 1406 CE. In addition, the king suffered multiple strokes at the end of his life and this when his mind had already long been troubled with remorse for his treatment of King Richard. He was buried in Cant...
Learn about the life and reign of Henry IV, who deposed his cousin Richard II and became the first king of the House of Lancaster. Find out how he faced rebellions, wars, and Parliament during his turbulent rule.
- Mark Cartwright
Learn about Henry IV, who became king in 1399 after overthrowing Richard II. Find out about his life, reign, family, and legacy in this concise article.
Feb 19, 2021 · Only after his assassination in November 1407 by agents of the Duke of Burgundy did the onslaught relent and the French could bring themselves to address “Henry, king of England”, rather than “Henry of Lancaster, despoiler and wrongfully ruler of the kingdom of England”.
Jan 12, 2022 · Learn about the life and reign of Henry IV, who seized the throne from Richard II in 1399 and founded the Lancastrian dynasty. Find out about his family, his conflicts, his skin disease, his son Henry V and his death.
Jun 28, 2017 · Learn about Henry IV, the king who overthrew Richard II and faced many rebellions and plagues in his reign. Find out how he died in 1413 and was succeeded by his son, Henry V.
