Henry V of England (9 August 1386 – 31 August 1422) was King of England from 20 March 1413 until his death on 31 August 1422. He succeeded his father, Henry IV, and was followed by his infant son, Henry VI. The second Lancastrian monarch, Henry is best remembered for his military successes during the Hundred Years' War, particularly his celebrated victory at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. His short reign marked the height of English power in France, though many of his gains were lost after his death.
Biography[]
Henry was born in Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales, on 9 August 1386, the eldest son of Henry Bolingbroke (later King Henry IV) and Mary de Bohun. Through his father, he was the grandson of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, making him a great-grandson of Edward III of England. This Lancastrian descent gave him a strong dynastic claim to the throne.
In his youth, Henry gained early military experience. As Prince of Wales, he fought against the Welsh during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr and took part in campaigns in Scotland. At the Battle of Shrewsbury (1403), aged only sixteen, he distinguished himself in combat despite receiving a serious wound from an arrow that struck him in the face. The injury left him scarred for life but enhanced his reputation for toughness and courage.
During his father’s reign, Henry gradually assumed political responsibilities, especially as King Henry IV’s health declined from 1405 onwards. This led to occasional friction between father and son, particularly over policy and the influence of royal favourites, but Henry nonetheless emerged as an experienced administrator and military commander by the time of his accession.
King of England[]
King Henry in London, 1415
Henry became king upon his father’s death in March 1413. One of his earliest actions was to restore domestic stability. He reconciled with rivals, including the heirs of Richard II, and strengthened ties with the Catholic Church, notably by suppressing the Lollard revolt led by Sir John Oldcastle. His reign was marked by both religious orthodoxy and personal piety, earning him the reputation of a devout ruler.
Henry also revived England’s dynastic claim to the French throne, pressing it more assertively than his predecessors. He sought both military conquest and diplomatic legitimacy, framing his campaigns as a rightful assertion of inheritance rather than mere aggression.
In 1415, Henry launched an expedition to France. He first besieged and captured Harfleur, though disease decimated his army. Choosing to march toward Calais, he was intercepted by a far larger French force. On 25 October 1415, at the Battle of Agincourt, Henry led his troops to a decisive and unexpected victory. English longbowmen, combined with the king’s disciplined generalship, routed the French nobility. The triumph cemented Henry’s reputation as one of England’s greatest warrior-kings.
Victory in France[]
King Henry and his troops at Agincourt
After Agincourt, Henry pursued a more sustained conquest. In 1417 he invaded Normandy, capturing towns, fortresses, and Rouen itself after a protracted siege. By 1419, much of northern France was under English control, and Henry demonstrated both ruthlessness in warfare and skill in administration, integrating conquered territories into the English realm.
These successes forced the French to the negotiating table. In May 1420, the Treaty of Troyes was signed with the mentally ill French king Charles VI of France. The treaty recognized Henry as regent of France and heir to the French throne, and sealed his dynastic ambitions through marriage to Charles’s daughter, Catherine of Valois. The Dauphin, the future Charles VII, was disinherited, though he continued resistance with support from loyalist French factions.
Henry’s final campaign came in 1422 during the siege of Meaux, a stubbornly defended town near Paris. Although victorious, he contracted dysentery during the campaign and died at the Château de Vincennes on 31 August 1422, aged just 36. His body was brought back to England and buried with honour in Westminster Abbey. His infant son succeeded him as Henry VI of England, but under weak regencies, England’s fortunes in France quickly waned.
Legacy[]
Henry V was celebrated during his lifetime and afterwards for his piety, martial skill, and kingship. His reign represented the zenith of English military success in the Hundred Years’ War, yet his premature death left the English crown vulnerable and his conquests unsustainable.
He has been immortalized in legend and culture as the model of the chivalric warrior-king. Shakespeare’s Henry V famously dramatised his life, shaping popular memory through fictionalised episodes such as the “tennis balls” insult and the “St. Crispin’s Day speech.” These embellishments, though unhistorical, reinforced Henry’s enduring image as a patriotic hero and inspirational leader.
Gallery[]
| Monarch of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Henry IV |
1413 – 1422 | Succeeded by: Henry VI |