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Historical background for Shakespeare's Henry IV

Henry IV part 1 was written before 1597. The story begins with Hotspur's battle against Douglas in 1402, and ends with the defeat of the rebels in 1403.

Timeline

• 1154 Henry II (Henri "Plantagenet") ascends to English throne, beginning Plantagenet dynasty. He assumed the crown based on a ducal claim to Normandy inherited from his mother, as duke of Aquitaine by marriage, and by virtue of his strength of arms. As a duke, Henry II ruled more land in France than the French king. Henry's son Richard The Lionheart manages to preserve most of England's holdings in France during his reign.
• 1214 Philip II of France confiscates Normandy, Anjou, and Maine (claimed by the Plantagenet kings by virtue of the Norman conquest of 1066) from the English king John I, and resists armed attempts by the English to retake the land.
• 1259 In the Treaty of Paris, Henry III relinquishes Plantagenet claims to Normandy, Anjou, Maine, Touraine, and Poitou to Philip II. Henry retains ducal control of Guyenne, but must pay homage to French king.
• 1327 Edward III crowned. His mother was sister to three French kings, none of whom produced a direct male heir to the French throne.
• 1328 Death of French king Charles IV, last hereditary heir of Capetian dynasty. Edward II's claim of succession is rejected, and Philip VI accedes to French throne.
• 1337 Start of Hundred Years' War. Philippe VI declares Guyenne forfeited because Edward III harbored Robert d'Artois. Edward III disputes Philippe VI's claim to French thrown.
• Edward III assumes the title "king of England and France" and makes an alliance with the Flemish. Edward's navy defeats the French fleet at Sluys.
• 1348-49 The bubonic plague sweeps over England and France.
• 1350 Death of Philippe VI, and assession of Jean II in France.
• Various ongoing battles between French and English.
• 1377 Death of Edward III, accession of Richard II (son of Edward the Black Prince, and grandson of Edward III).
• Numerous battles between England and France.
• 1396 Richard II marries Isabella, daughter of French king Charles VI. England and France agree to a truce, but many of the English nobles resent loosing the opportunity to plunder France.
• 1399 Henry Bolingbroke (son of John of Gaunt, grandson of Edward III) and Thomas de Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, engage in dispute over royal succession. Richard banishes both men, disinheriting Bolingbroke.
• Later that year, Louis, Duke of Orleans, takes control of the French court when Charles VI goes insane. Peace between Richard and Charles does not suit Louis' political ambitions, so Louis returns Bolingbroke to England. Henry deposes Richard II, and begins the Lancasterian dynasty as Henry IV.
• 1402 Scots invade England (assisted by French troops).
• 1405 Owen Glendower leads revolt in Wales against Henry IV, but fails. France sent troops to back Glendower.
• 1407 Assassination of Louis duc d'Orleans (brother of Charles VI) sparks civil war in France between the Armagnacs (loyal to Orleans) and the duke of Burgundy.
• 1413 Henry IV dies, and his son Henry V takes power. The Armagnacs control Paris, and expel the Burgundians. Henry V allies with Burgundy.
• 1415 Henry V defeats French (Armagnacs) at Agincourt.
• 1417-19 Henry V conquers Normandy. Strife amount factions of French civil war continues.
• 1422 Henry V dies. Henry VI, Henry V's eight month old son, becomes king of England. Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, (Henry IV's youngest son and Henry VI's uncle) appointed as the Regent of England by the regency council. John, Duke of Bedford, (Henry IV's elder surviving son and Henry VI's uncle) was appointed Regent of France (in charge of England's army in France).
• 1437 Henry VI assumes power as King of England and King of France. John, Duke of Bedford, had died in 1435.
• 1445 Desiring peach with France, Henry VI marries Charles VII's wife's niece, Margaret of Anjou. The marriage and peace agreement are brokered by the Duke of Suffolk. As a condition of the marriage and peace agreement, Henry agrees to relinquish Maine and Anjou to France. Henry keeps this deal secret from parliament and the English people. It did not become public until the following year.
• 1447 Glouchester publicly opposes the deal to relinquish Maine and Anjou. Suffolk, Somerset, and the queen have Glouchester arrested, but he dies in custody before being tried for treason. The death of Glouchester leaves Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, as Henry's presumptive heir, but Henry pointedly neglects to officially acknowledge him.
• 1449 Due to York's opposition to Henry's French policy, Henry appoints York as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. York is effectively banished from England, but takes 600 troops with him when he leaves.
• 1450 York returns from Ireland, and marches toward London, raising an army along the way. This is the first blush of the War of the Roses. York finds too little support, and withdrawals when faced with Henry's superior numbers.
• 1453 Henry has a mental breakdown. His son Edward is born. York is named Protector of the Realm.
• 1455 Henry regains his senses. York confronts Henry and Somerset at St Albans. Somerset dies in combat, and his son, Henry, also wounded in the battle, becomes Duke of Somerset. Official start of the War of Roses.
• 1460 Richard, Duke of York, invades from Calais, and occupies London. York claims the throne, but is killed at Wakefield.
• 1461 Henry VI captured at Northhampton and imprisoned by his cousin, Edward of York (Richard's son), who is crowned Edward IV. Edward defeats Lancastrian army at Towton (28,000+ casualties), but Henry VI escapes to Scotland.
• 1465 Henry VI betrayed and captured in Lancashire.
• 1469 Queen Margaret, encouraged by her cousin, King Louis XI of France, recruits former Eward IV loyalist Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, by marrying Warwick's daughter to the Price of Wales. Warwick defeats and captures Edward IV at Edgecote Moor
• 1470 Richard Neville frees Henry VI from the Tower of London, and returns him to the throne.
• 1471 Warwick starts a war with Burgundy. Burgundy responded by aiding forces loyal to Edward. They free Edward, and remove Henry from the throne. Henry VI dies in Tower of London.
• 1483 Edward IV dies, and is succeeded by Edward V. Two months later, parliament declares Edward V illegitimate, and crowns Richard, Duke of Glouchester (brother of Edward IV) as Richard III.
• 1483 Sons of Edward IV disappear from Tower of London (likely killed by Richard III).
• 1485 Henry Tudor crowned Henry VII after killing Richard III at Bosworth.
• 1487 Henry VII defeats the impostor Lambert at Stoke, ending the War of the Roses

Links

• English Monarchs family tree at Wikipedia
• Hundred Years' War at Wikipedia
• Henry IV of England the actual King at Wikipedia
• Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1 at Wikipedia
• Shakespeare's Henry IV part 2 at Wikipedia
• A Child's History of England by Charles Dickens
• Chronological list of events in the Hundred Years' War
• War of the Roses at Wikipedia
• Percy-Neville feud
• War of the Roses timeline

© Paul Gorman