Henry VI

1422 - 1461

aka Henry of Windsor

Henry was 8 months old when he became king of England and heir to the French throne. His admirers described him as being tall, slender and handsome, with a good and kind demeanour. It was said that, unlike his father, he hated war. He was instead peaceful and deeply religious. Unfortunately his quest for peace with France earned him enemies who resented the loss of the empire his father, Henry V, had built. His detractors said he came from his mother’s side and had inherited the mental instability of his grandfather King Charles VI of France. To them he was seen as a weak king, ushering in the Wars of the Roses between the Houses of York and Lancaster that lasted for over 30 years.

Throughout his reign, Henry showed that he lacked the heart and the mental strength for war. His kingdom was ruled by regents who fought for control as Henry failed to hold on to his French lands and protect his English subjects from exploitation. His wife, Queen Margaret, fought hard on his behalf during the feud of the Plantagenet family.

While Henry enjoyed an allegedly boisterous childhood, a regency governed for him consisting of his uncle Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester and his uncle John, Duke of Bedford alongside Cardinal Henry Beaufort. They were a successful and stable influence on the kingdom. Henry was heir to the French throne but his right to succession was contested by the Dauphin, his uncle. The Dauphin became King Charles VII in 1429. Three years later, Henry took the French throne from him and was crowned at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

In 1437, aged 15, Henry began to take on some of the responsibilities of a king. He wasn’t entirely suited to the role however. Sensing his vulnerability, his regents vied for power with other noblemen. Henry, meanwhile, was busy placating his enemies abroad. On marrying Margaret of Anjou in 1445, Henry handed back Anjou and Maine to the French. This was an unpopular move. Along with the burden of heavy taxation, corrupt officials, forced labour conditions and unpaid wages to the army, it led to a rebellion. This was spearheaded by an ex-soldier called Jack Cade. While ultimately unsuccessful it attracted peasants, land owners and clergy members who gathered in the south east and marched on London in 1450. The mob killed the Archbishop of Canterbury and Sir James Fiennes, the Treasurer. Eventually Cade was caught and hung, drawn and quartered. By 1453, Normandy and Aquitaine were also under French control. Only Calais remained of the lands Henry’s father had fought so hard to secure in the name of their ancestors.

This same year, Henry experienced his first episode of mental instability. He suffered a breakdown necessitating the appointment of Richard, Duke of York, as Protector of the Realm. Richard excluded Queen Margaret from any decisions. He lost no time in imprisoning the Earl of Somerset in the Tower of London, supposedly for failing to secure English gains in France. On his recovery, Henry released the Earl, however the argument mounted. Richard and the Earl of Warwick were on one side, as the Yorkists, and Queen Margaret, the Earl of Somerset and the Percys of Northumberland, the Lancastrians, were on the other. This led to the opening battle of the Wars of the Roses. This was the first Battle of St Albans in 1455. On the King’s Lancastrian side, the Earl of Somerset was killed.

In 1460, Richard beat the Queen’s army at Northampton and captured King Henry. Queen Margaret and the Prince of Wales took refuge in Scotland. Despite the King already having provided an heir, Richard insisted that he be named heir instead. Richard didn’t remain in that role for long. Queen Margaret raised an army and killed Richard that December at the Battle of Wakefield. Henry was released from captivity two months later. In a triumphant gesture, Margaret had a paper crown set on Richard’s severed head as it sat on the gates of York.

Retribution however was swift and brutal. Richard’s son declared himself Edward IV before winning a bloody and decisive victory the following spring, at the battle of Towton. In March 1461, Edward’s forces routed the Lancastrians. The loss of life was enormous, at least 28,000 men died. Three years later, Henry was captured by the army of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, and held at the tower. However, over the next few years, Richard Neville and Edward IV quarrelled and Richard turned his loyalty from Edward and restored Henry to the throne.

Henry’s mental health was not strong at this time, which left his wife Margaret to fight for him again, this time at the battle of Tewkesbury. She and Henry were captured during the conflict, and Henry’s heir, the Prince of Wales, was killed. Margaret was only freed when the king of France paid a ransom. Henry was not so fortunate. He was confined to the Tower of London, where he was murdered. Had Prince Edward not been killed at Tewkesbury, Henry might have survived. As King, Henry was a lesser threat than his son Edward, Prince of Wales. With Prince Edward’s death came Henry’s as Edward IV took the throne.

Henry VI Factfile