Today's Monarch of England has a tragic tale of inadequacy, woe, and madness. The third Lancastrian King of England, and the only king who was actually crowned, dethroned, and crowned again, we have, for your amusement, King Henry VI.
- As the only child of King Henry V, 9 month old Henry VI inherited the crown of England. 2 months later, when his maternal grandfather, Charles VI died, he also became king of France.
- Of course, since he was still a baby, both England and France appointed their own regency councils. Nothing really changed much in either realm. The war ground on.
- His mother, Catherine of Valois, was viewed with suspicion by the English, as she was a princess of France. She was not allowed to raise young king Henry, instead she was moved to another castle. She soon remarried a young Welsh courtier named Sir Owen TUDOR. (Dun dun dunnnnn!)
- Catherine and Owen had several children, including Edmund and Jasper Tudor. (Don't forget them.) Henry VI was kind to his half siblings, even granting them Earldoms. He even married Edmund Tudor to one of his cousins, Margaret BEAUFORT. (remember them? The line of half siblings of Henry IV who could supposedly never inherit the throne?)
- Henry grew up as a scholarly and VERY religious young man.
- When he was 8, the Valois family of France broke the agreement they had made with Henry V and crowned Charles VII as the king of France. England swiftly crowned Henry full king of England and France to contest this, but it did no good. Henry was king of France in name only.... and that was only spoken of in England, of course.
- Neither side could really push the matter forward. Henry was still a child, and living in England. France had a king, but by this time "France" was really only the southern 1/3 of the country... England controlled the rest, including Reims and Paris. So, of course, the war raged on.
- Henry VI was crowned when his mother died. He was 16 years old. He was meek, mild mannered, pious, and nervous. More able nobles quickly dominated the shy young king, and set to squabbling among themselves about how to move forward in the war. Henry seemed more interested in praying and reading than ruling. He was, in short, a nerd.
- Began to lose ground in France when Joan of Arc began to lead the nation into glorious victory. England would never again gain the momentum it had under Henry V.
- However, Henry was known for his aiding of education. He founded new colleges in Oxford and Cambridge, and donated much of his fortune to building libraries. Academics loved Henry VI... unfortunately, academics didn't run the country.
- In order to secure peace, Henry VI married the 15 year old niece of Charles VII, Margaret of Anjou. Margaret was a stunning beauty, and the king of France agreed to give her to Henry VI on the condition that Maine and Anjou be given back to France. The king agreed, without Parliament's permission. When the whole thing came to light, England was outraged. Luckily for Henry, most of the hatred went to William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, who had arranged it. Instead of punishing la Pole, Henry rewarded him by naming him 1st DUKE of Suffolk, and he and his wife were determined to protect the man that brought them together. Many feelings were hurt all around.
(Side note, William de La Pole's coat of arms was an Ape's Clog on a chain... a heavy piece of wood one would tie a monkey to for keeping as a pet. Because of this, and because of his viewed mischief in brokering this deal, some called him "Jack of Napes."(A slang word for a monkey.) This man is where we get the terms "Jackanapes" (upstart) and "Monkey Shines."(mischief)
- Margaret of Anjou was a far more capable ruler than her husband. She had no tolerance for insolence, and hounded any supposed "Traitors" doggedly. She made many friends and enemies, while her rather mild husband read his books.
- When Richard of York, the next in line to the throne (a descendant of Lionel, John of Gaunt's older brother, remember?) ran afoul of William de la Pole and Margaret, the queen arranged for Richard to be sent to ireland as "governor." This exile, followed by the unpopular la Pole being given the title of "Duke" (usually only given to members of the royal family) infuriated many. Sadly, this did not sway the king or queen to change their minds.
- Most of England rose up to take down the "Corrupt Court," and their leader, William de la Pole. Parliament impeached him, and a mob howled in the streets for "the traitor's blood to be spilled." Henry, in desperation, arranged for William to be smuggled out in a ship. However, the ship was intercepted, and William's dead bloated body was soon discovered on a nearby beach.
- England was becoming increasingly lawless. A short lived rebellion even took control of London, until the residents of London sent them packing a few days later. Henry was largely ineffective in doing anything worthwhile... his military tactics were generally laughable.
- Joan of Arc and the French swept forward, removing all English presence form the mainland of Europe, except for Calais, a lone port city, that the English were able to hold. Henry had effectively lost the war.
-Now completely fed up with king Henry and his vindictive wife, the nobility of England invited Richard, Duke of York, to return from Ireland and get rid of the "corrupt governance" of Henry. Richard obliged. Henry managed to keep power for a year, but the loss of France seems to sent him into a personal hell.
- Madness, inherited from his grandfather, Charles VI, had passed down to Henry VI. (It also came from Isabella, his great-great-great-grandmother, wife of Edward II.) It seems that Henry had a form of schizophrenia. He became completely catatonic and unresponsive to the world for a year. He missed the birth of his child, and did not even recognize his own wife. He mumbled to himself most of the time, or walked about, seemingly in a haze, talking to walls or people no one could see.
- Edmund Beaufort, grandson of John of Gaunt and Kathrine Swynford, (See Richard II and Henry IV if you forgot them,) had become close to the queen... close enough that some rumors were circulating. Richard of York demanded that Beaufort be clapped in irons or beheaded. The queen would have none of that, of course. A showdown was coming between the queen and the Duke of York.
- Henry VI regained his senses around Christmas of the next year. By then, all hell was breaking loose. Many powerful nobles demanded that Richard of York be appointed regent and heir, even though he was older than the king. The queen flatly refused to acknowledge this. War broke out.
- Edmund Beaufort was killed at the Battle of St. Albans. The Lancaster and Beaufort forces clashed over and over with the armies of the Yorks. Later, the Duke of York was killed, and his head impaled on a pike with a paper crown by the Lancastrians. Edward of Westminster, the king's son, and Edward of York, Richard's son, continued the wars, and Lancastrians and Yorkists committed atrocities the likes of which had not been seen since the days of Stephen and Matilda.
- Henry VI was captured and imprisoned for a few years. Later, Queen Margaret's forces freed Henry, but the war and the disorder were taking their toll not only on England, but also its king. Henry became increasingly despondent, and slipped back into madness. He laughed and wept as the battles raged on, often dancing for no reason, or singing to no one in particular.
- Edward of York finally managed to take the throne in 1461, deposing Henry and Margaret. The king and queen fled to Scotland and kept the war going. Edward IV became king of England. Four years later, Henry, who had been hidden in various locations, was recaptured by Edward IV and imprisoned in the tower of London.
- Margaret plotted in France, trying to take back the throne for her increasingly unhinged husband, and their young son, Edward of Westminster. Two of Edward IV's closest men, the Earl of Warwick, and Edward's own brother the Duke of Clarence, defected to Margaret's side and waged war on the Yorkists. Edward IV was forced to flee, and Henry VI was re-crowned king of England in 1470. However, by then, he was completely incapable of ruling, having become a bit of a hermit who never bathed and mostly just read books all day, when he wasn't singing or laughing.
- the Earl of Warwick ruled in Henry's stead, but he ran afoul of the Burgundians, who threw their lot in with exiled Edward IV. Edward returned with a mighty army, and met the Lancasters at Tewkesbury. Young prince Edward, Henry's son, was killed in the battle. Henry was dethroned again, this time permanently. The Lancasters were finished. With his son dead, there was no need to keep the useless old king around, and Henry VI died mysteriously in the tower of London a few days after the battle.
- Edward IV was now fully king, and the House of York was now ready to show they could do a better job than those dirty usurping Lancasters....
or could they?
- As the only child of King Henry V, 9 month old Henry VI inherited the crown of England. 2 months later, when his maternal grandfather, Charles VI died, he also became king of France.
- Of course, since he was still a baby, both England and France appointed their own regency councils. Nothing really changed much in either realm. The war ground on.
- His mother, Catherine of Valois, was viewed with suspicion by the English, as she was a princess of France. She was not allowed to raise young king Henry, instead she was moved to another castle. She soon remarried a young Welsh courtier named Sir Owen TUDOR. (Dun dun dunnnnn!)
- Catherine and Owen had several children, including Edmund and Jasper Tudor. (Don't forget them.) Henry VI was kind to his half siblings, even granting them Earldoms. He even married Edmund Tudor to one of his cousins, Margaret BEAUFORT. (remember them? The line of half siblings of Henry IV who could supposedly never inherit the throne?)
- Henry grew up as a scholarly and VERY religious young man.
- When he was 8, the Valois family of France broke the agreement they had made with Henry V and crowned Charles VII as the king of France. England swiftly crowned Henry full king of England and France to contest this, but it did no good. Henry was king of France in name only.... and that was only spoken of in England, of course.
- Neither side could really push the matter forward. Henry was still a child, and living in England. France had a king, but by this time "France" was really only the southern 1/3 of the country... England controlled the rest, including Reims and Paris. So, of course, the war raged on.
- Henry VI was crowned when his mother died. He was 16 years old. He was meek, mild mannered, pious, and nervous. More able nobles quickly dominated the shy young king, and set to squabbling among themselves about how to move forward in the war. Henry seemed more interested in praying and reading than ruling. He was, in short, a nerd.
- Began to lose ground in France when Joan of Arc began to lead the nation into glorious victory. England would never again gain the momentum it had under Henry V.
- However, Henry was known for his aiding of education. He founded new colleges in Oxford and Cambridge, and donated much of his fortune to building libraries. Academics loved Henry VI... unfortunately, academics didn't run the country.
- In order to secure peace, Henry VI married the 15 year old niece of Charles VII, Margaret of Anjou. Margaret was a stunning beauty, and the king of France agreed to give her to Henry VI on the condition that Maine and Anjou be given back to France. The king agreed, without Parliament's permission. When the whole thing came to light, England was outraged. Luckily for Henry, most of the hatred went to William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, who had arranged it. Instead of punishing la Pole, Henry rewarded him by naming him 1st DUKE of Suffolk, and he and his wife were determined to protect the man that brought them together. Many feelings were hurt all around.
(Side note, William de La Pole's coat of arms was an Ape's Clog on a chain... a heavy piece of wood one would tie a monkey to for keeping as a pet. Because of this, and because of his viewed mischief in brokering this deal, some called him "Jack of Napes."(A slang word for a monkey.) This man is where we get the terms "Jackanapes" (upstart) and "Monkey Shines."(mischief)
- Margaret of Anjou was a far more capable ruler than her husband. She had no tolerance for insolence, and hounded any supposed "Traitors" doggedly. She made many friends and enemies, while her rather mild husband read his books.
- When Richard of York, the next in line to the throne (a descendant of Lionel, John of Gaunt's older brother, remember?) ran afoul of William de la Pole and Margaret, the queen arranged for Richard to be sent to ireland as "governor." This exile, followed by the unpopular la Pole being given the title of "Duke" (usually only given to members of the royal family) infuriated many. Sadly, this did not sway the king or queen to change their minds.
- Most of England rose up to take down the "Corrupt Court," and their leader, William de la Pole. Parliament impeached him, and a mob howled in the streets for "the traitor's blood to be spilled." Henry, in desperation, arranged for William to be smuggled out in a ship. However, the ship was intercepted, and William's dead bloated body was soon discovered on a nearby beach.
- England was becoming increasingly lawless. A short lived rebellion even took control of London, until the residents of London sent them packing a few days later. Henry was largely ineffective in doing anything worthwhile... his military tactics were generally laughable.
- Joan of Arc and the French swept forward, removing all English presence form the mainland of Europe, except for Calais, a lone port city, that the English were able to hold. Henry had effectively lost the war.
-Now completely fed up with king Henry and his vindictive wife, the nobility of England invited Richard, Duke of York, to return from Ireland and get rid of the "corrupt governance" of Henry. Richard obliged. Henry managed to keep power for a year, but the loss of France seems to sent him into a personal hell.
- Madness, inherited from his grandfather, Charles VI, had passed down to Henry VI. (It also came from Isabella, his great-great-great-grandmother, wife of Edward II.) It seems that Henry had a form of schizophrenia. He became completely catatonic and unresponsive to the world for a year. He missed the birth of his child, and did not even recognize his own wife. He mumbled to himself most of the time, or walked about, seemingly in a haze, talking to walls or people no one could see.
- Edmund Beaufort, grandson of John of Gaunt and Kathrine Swynford, (See Richard II and Henry IV if you forgot them,) had become close to the queen... close enough that some rumors were circulating. Richard of York demanded that Beaufort be clapped in irons or beheaded. The queen would have none of that, of course. A showdown was coming between the queen and the Duke of York.
- Henry VI regained his senses around Christmas of the next year. By then, all hell was breaking loose. Many powerful nobles demanded that Richard of York be appointed regent and heir, even though he was older than the king. The queen flatly refused to acknowledge this. War broke out.
- Edmund Beaufort was killed at the Battle of St. Albans. The Lancaster and Beaufort forces clashed over and over with the armies of the Yorks. Later, the Duke of York was killed, and his head impaled on a pike with a paper crown by the Lancastrians. Edward of Westminster, the king's son, and Edward of York, Richard's son, continued the wars, and Lancastrians and Yorkists committed atrocities the likes of which had not been seen since the days of Stephen and Matilda.
- Henry VI was captured and imprisoned for a few years. Later, Queen Margaret's forces freed Henry, but the war and the disorder were taking their toll not only on England, but also its king. Henry became increasingly despondent, and slipped back into madness. He laughed and wept as the battles raged on, often dancing for no reason, or singing to no one in particular.
- Edward of York finally managed to take the throne in 1461, deposing Henry and Margaret. The king and queen fled to Scotland and kept the war going. Edward IV became king of England. Four years later, Henry, who had been hidden in various locations, was recaptured by Edward IV and imprisoned in the tower of London.
- Margaret plotted in France, trying to take back the throne for her increasingly unhinged husband, and their young son, Edward of Westminster. Two of Edward IV's closest men, the Earl of Warwick, and Edward's own brother the Duke of Clarence, defected to Margaret's side and waged war on the Yorkists. Edward IV was forced to flee, and Henry VI was re-crowned king of England in 1470. However, by then, he was completely incapable of ruling, having become a bit of a hermit who never bathed and mostly just read books all day, when he wasn't singing or laughing.
- the Earl of Warwick ruled in Henry's stead, but he ran afoul of the Burgundians, who threw their lot in with exiled Edward IV. Edward returned with a mighty army, and met the Lancasters at Tewkesbury. Young prince Edward, Henry's son, was killed in the battle. Henry was dethroned again, this time permanently. The Lancasters were finished. With his son dead, there was no need to keep the useless old king around, and Henry VI died mysteriously in the tower of London a few days after the battle.
- Edward IV was now fully king, and the House of York was now ready to show they could do a better job than those dirty usurping Lancasters....
or could they?