Henry V | The King who won Agincourt

The second Lancastrian king and the fifth Henry to take the throne, Henry V was widely known as Henry of Monmouth, after his birthplace; Monmouth Castle in Wales.   

Quick Facts:  

Born: 16th September 1386, Monmouth Castle, Wales 
Died: 31st August (aged 35), Chateau de Vincennes, France 
Reign: 21st March 1413- 31st August 1422 
Parents: Henry IV of England and Mary de Bohun 
Predecessor: Henry IV (father) 
Successor: Henry VI (son) 
Spouse: Catherine of Valois 
Children: Henry VI of England 
Royal House: Plantagenet, Lancastrian branch 

As the grandson of John of Gaunt, who in turn was the son of a king, Henry grew up as a member of the aristocracy and enjoyed many of the privileges of the royal house. At the time of his birth, his second cousin, Richard II was king and his father, Henry Bolingbroke, the Duke of Lancaster. Despite his wealthy upbringing, Henry’s childhood was a difficult one, his mother, Mary de Bohun, died when he was young and when he was just 12, his father was exiled following a failed coup against the king. Following his father’s exile, the young Henry was taken into the care of King Richard, who by all accounts, treated him kindly and allowed him to accompany him on royal visits. While he was in Ireland on the king’s business, his father returned to England and deposed Richard, naming himself King. Henry, now 13, was recalled from Ireland and during his father’s coronation was named Prince of Wales and Duke of Lancaster, the third person in the space of a year to receive the title. During his lifetime, he also held the titles of Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Chester, Duke of Aquitaine, High Sheriff of Cornwall and Heir Apparent to France.  

Life as the heir  

His life as heir to the English throne was full of danger, as his father’s rule was questioned multiple times during his reign, particularly from members of their own family. By 16 though, Henry was well versed in battle and had shown exceptional ability. Over his short time as prince, he had already fought the Welsh during Owain Glyndwr’s campaign to reclaim Wales and took part in the Battle of Shrewsbury, where he was struck by an arrow which almost killed him. The arrow became lodged in his face, and he bore the scars for the rest of his life. Though his scars made him instantly recognisable, he was also described as being tall and slim and wore his hair cropped in a ring above his ears, something that has been used to identify him in popular culture ever since.  

As well as military skills, Henry learned how to be King before coming to the throne too. As his father’s health weakened, Henry was given more and more power, eventually leading on his behalf. The pair had differing political beliefs, but Henry IV trusted his son enough to keep the peace, though records showed that they came to blows on occasion.  

Henry ascended the throne at the age of 27 in 1413 following the death of his father. As well as taking the English throne, he also asserted a claim on the French throne and instantly launched plans to reclaim the French lands of his ancestors. Though Henry’s reign saw a lot of successes, it was relatively short and some more superstitious documentarians put this down to a terrible snowstorm which hit England on the day of his coronation. The weather has been noted as being both a good and a bad omen, however Henry’s military successes, particularly at the Battle of Agincourt and his domestic policy have left him as a popular king.  

A popular king 

Once he became king, Henry’s main priority was unifying the country. He had his second cousin, the deposed King Richard honourably re-interred and Richard’s son Edmund, taken into royal favour. Similarly, any of the heirs or family members that suffered under his father were also restored. This in part, is why his reign was relatively free of trouble. Aside from the Southampton Plot, which aimed to replace him with Edmund, there was little in the way of domestic issues and Edmund remained a loyal subject, keeping Henry’s favour. Another policy which endeared him to historians was the promotion of the English language within government. He was the first King to be known to use English in his personal correspondence since the Norman conquest.  

While many historians agree that Henry was a fair ruler and extended favours to his family and friends which kept the peace at home, he was also known to act ruthlessly in certain situations, especially after winning the Battle of Agincourt, when he not only allowed, but actively encouraged the starvation of women and children who were attempting to flee into Rouen.  

 Henry and the Battle of Agincourt 

It is for the Battle of Agincourt that Henry V is widely remembered. The battle has been immortalised in a number of plays, films and books, including those written by William Shakespeare. One of Henry’s main motivations was reclaiming the lands of his ancestors on the continent and he managed to win back Normandy from the French. Following his win at Agincourt, Henry signed the Treaty of Troyes, which recognised him as the Regent and Heir Apparent to the French throne. To further cement his claim, he married Catherine of Valois, the daughter of the French king, Charles VI. The English throne wasn’t the only thing that was kept in the family, Catherine was the younger sister of Isabella, the wife of Richard II.  

Following the Battle of Agincourt and his marriage with Catherine, it looked like he would unite England and France under one crown, but he died two years after signing the treaty, before any steps towards unification could take place. He and Catherine had one son, Henry VI, who was born on 6th December 1421 at Windsor Castle and ascended the throne as an infant.  

Henry died on 31st August 1422 while in France after suffering with dysentery. It is believed that he became ill during the siege which was exacerbated by heatstroke. He was 35 and had only reigned for nine years. However, he made England one of the greatest military powers in Europe. Before his death, he named his brother, John, the Duke of Bedford, as the regent of France in the name of his son, despite the fact that he hadn’t been crowned as King of France himself. Charles, the actual King of France, outlived him by 2 months.  

Henry was brought back to England and was buried in Westminster Abbey. In the 1950s, he was exhumed and it was discovered that he had been sharing a grave with Richard Courtneney, of the Devon Courteneys, since his burial. This led to speculation that the pair might have been lovers, it is true that they were close friends and that Courtney was considered to be a mentor, however Henry’s will left very specific instructions on how he should be buried and they made no mention of being interred with anyone else.  

His son ascended at the age of 9 months.  

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Places to visit: 

Bermondsey Square, London
Henry's wife died here. 
Dartford, Kent 
The town hosted Henry V’s funeral service at the Holy Trinity Church. Later, his son accepted the surrender of Richard Duke of York in the town.  
Howden Bishop’s Manor, Yorkshire 
Henry V stayed here and is one of several monarchs that are thought to have visited the manor.
Grosmont Castle, Gwent, Wales 
Prior to being crowned, Henry V used the castle to battle against Owain Glyndwr   
Long Crendon Courthouse, Buckinghamshire 
Used as a manor court under Henry V’s rule and at one time, one of the manors here was held by Henry’s wife Catherine.  
Westminster Abbey
Henry and his wife Catherine are buried here.