Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster

Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster KG was an English statesman, diplomat, soldier, and Christian writer who owned Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire. A member of the House of Plantagenet, he became the wealthiest and most powerful peer of the realm. The son of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, and Maud Chaworth, he became one of King Edward III’s trusted captains in the Hundred Years’ War, achieving victory in the Battle of Auberoche. In 1348, he was a founding member and the second knight of the Order of the Garter and was created Duke of Lancaster in 1351. He authored the book Livre de seyntz medicines and was one of the founders of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Henry was the great-great-grandson of Louis VIII of France and a cousin to English royalty. His education was orthodox, and he excelled in martial arts over academic subjects, learning to read later in life. He inherited his uncle’s wealth and titles after a series of familial and political shifts. He represented his father in Parliament, attended the King’s council, and managed his family’s estates. Grosmont’s relationship with the crown was secured through shared interests with King Edward III, and he never faced the adversities that his father did.