John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford

John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford KG, was an English prince, general, and statesman who led England’s military campaigns in France during the Hundred Years’ War. Born as the third son of King Henry IV of England and brother to Henry V, he served as the regent of France for his nephew, Henry VI. Bedford was recognized for his military and administrative skills, which elevated England’s dominance in France. His role became challenging with Joan of Arc’s emergence and was complicated by political discord in England and the unreliable alliance with Duke Philip of Burgundy and his followers.

Bedford’s latter years were marked by a war of attrition, with increasing difficulties in funding the ongoing war. He passed away at the congress of Arras in 1435, coinciding with Burgundy’s impending defection to Charles VII of France, signaling a shift in the war’s dynamics.