Henry IV of England

Henry IV, born in April 1367 and also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was the King of England from 1399 until his death in 1413. He was the first English monarch since the Norman Conquest whose mother tongue was English. His reign continued the claim to the French throne initiated by his grandfather Edward III, opposing the House of Valois.

As the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Henry was involved in the Lords Appellant’s revolt against Richard II in 1388 but escaped punishment. Following his father’s death in 1399 and the subsequent denial of his inheritance by Richard II, Henry gathered support, deposed Richard, and ascended to the throne, setting the stage for the Wars of the Roses and leading to a more stable monarchy. During his reign, he quelled significant rebellions, including those led by Owain Glyndŵr and Henry Percy (Hotspur). His health declined in 1410, and his eldest son, Henry of Monmouth, took over governance until Henry IV’s death in 1413.