Henry V of England

Henry V (16 Henry V, or Henry of Monmouth (September 1386 – 31 August 1422), was the King of England from 1413 to 1422. He was born at Monmouth, Wales. It is not known whether he was born on 9 August 1386 or 16 September 1387. What we know is that Henry V is the second Lancastrian king of England. 

Henry V was the son of Henry Bolingbroke, later Henry IV, and Mary de Bohun, who died before Bolingbroke became king. 

Henry IV was very unpopular, because he was actually not the rightful man to the throne. But his son, Henry V became greatly favoured by his people. In the earlier war against Wales, he and his father had fought the 'Prince of Wales', Glyndwen. After the death of Henry IV, Henry V pardoned the Prince, and went to fight France, claiming that he should be the king of France. 

A few decades before, England had started a century-long war, the Hundred Years' War with France. Henry IV had lost his part of the war and switched to fighting at home, at the border of Wales. After resuming the war at France, Henry V defeated the French at the famous Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Shakespeare wrote a play about that and made him important in other plays too. 

Henry V was important in British politics too. He created a court system to solve crimes, cases and arguments in justice. Many people liked this democracy. He was also a brilliant military general, who won many battles and ingeniously defeated armies that were far larger than his. Unfortunately, the next king, his infant heir Henry VI, lost all his gains after he died, and turned England to a chaotic nation.  

Category:1387 births
Category:1422 deaths
Category:House of Lancaster
Category:15th century in England