Henry V

(Henry V of England)

1387–1422

Henry V is one of the most romantic heroes of Mediaeval Britain. While he is most well known for his astounding victory at Agincourt, he showed consummate skill as a warrior in all of his wars and battles, beginning at Shrewsbury at age 16, which was a rebellion against his father fought on English soil. He accomplished more in six years of campaigning in France than England had achieved in the previous sixty years, and won nearly every encounter. This made him enormously popular within England. Yet stories are also told from his youth, recounting how he gave up his childish amusements in order to assume greater responsibilities. In one case he is credited with thanking a judge who sentenced him and his cohorts to prison in their youth instead of allowing them to go just because they were nobles. In any case, he is one of the most popular monarch in English history in spite of his short reign, and his death at only 34 was a great blow to England.

PRINCE HENRY OF MONMOUTH, LATER HENRY V.

Before for generations before Henry V came to the throne, England and France had been engaged in the Hundred Years War. At first the war had gone well for England, but over time she had lost much ground, and the nobles in both England and France were not agreed upon how to proceed. Henry V, however was very ambitious. He noted that the king of France was nearly senile, and there was a great divisions between the French court and that of Burgundy. He correctly predicted an impending civil war within France and seized on the opportunity. With only a small army he cross the channel and began his invasion of Northern France. After his victory at Agincourt he took the Burgundians as his allies and within a few years controlled much of Northern France. At this point he negotiated a treaty providing for his marriage to a princess of France, and stipulating that the crown would pass to himself or his son after the death of the French king, rather than the dauphin Charles. After coming within a hair of achieving the union of France and England under a single crown, Henry V died unexpected while campaigning in France. Although his son Henry VI was crowned on the death of the King of France a few months later, the war between the two countries continued to rage. And without Henry V's strong hand, much of the English gains in France were soon lost.

Key events during the life of Henry V of England:

Year	Event
1387	Birth of Henry V.
1399	Henry's father deposes Richard II and assumes the throne.
1403	Henry's defends his father against the Percy Rebels at the Battle of Shrewsbury.
1410	Assumed more influence in the government as his father declined in health.
1413	Ascends to the throne on the death of Henry IV.
1416	Tremendous victory for England over France at Agincourt.
1419	Rouen falls to England.
1420	Marries Catherine of Valois, daughter of the French King.
1421	Birth of Henry VI, heir to both England and French crowns.
1422	Unexpected death of Henry V in France.

Other Resources

Story Links	Book Links
Harry of Monmouth  in	Historic Boys  by  E. S. Brooks
A Merry Young Prince  in	Cambridge Historical Reader—Primary  by  Cambridge Press
Agincourt  in	Stories From English History, Part Second  by  Alfred J. Church
Henry V  in	Famous Men of the Middle Ages  by  John H. Haaren
Lancastrian Kings, & Close of the Hundred Years' War in	The Story of England  by  Samuel B. Harding
Battle of Agincourt  in	The Story of France  by  Mary Macgregor
The Story of How Prince Hal was Sent to Prison  in	Our Island Story  by  H. E. Marshall
France: The Hundred Year's War  in	The Story of Europe  by  Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
Agincourt  in	The Boy's Book of Battles  by  Eric Wood

Image Links
There is but one lad in all England can do that,' cried enthusiastic Lionel  in Historic Boys	Harry of Monmouth dashed to his father's aid  in Historic Boys	Harry of Monmouth, Prince of Wales  in Historic Boys
Prince Henry and Chief Justice Gascoigne.  in Cambridge Historical Reader—Primary	The Morning of the battle of Agincourt  in  The Story of the English	Wooing of Henry V.  in  The Story of the English
King Henry V rejects his early companions  in Famous Men of the Middle Ages	Henry V. Rejects Falstaff Henry V. Rejects Falstaff  in Back Matter	'For your contempt and disobedience I send you to prison,' said Judge Gascoigne.  in Our Island Story

Contemporary	Short Biography
Henry IV	Son of John of Gaunt. Assumed the throne after Richard II was deposed.
Henry Hotspur Percy	Famous warrior of his age. Arch rival of the Scottish Douglases. Helped to depose Richard II in favor of Bolingbroke.
Catherine of Valois	French princess married to Henry V after his victory at Agincourt.
Charles VI	Senile king of France during the war with Henry V.