Henry VI of England managed to lose his throne not once, but twice.
Henry VI was king of England from 1422 to 1461 and 1470 to 71, and has been left with the ignominy of being deposed twice by forces loyal to the Yorkist faction in the Wars of the Roses. His temperament appears unsuited to the demands of a medieval king, especially one ruling during a multi-generational war against a neighbour which he had little interest in.
Born to King Henry V of England on September 1st 1522, Henry VI should have inherited a vast and recently conquered polity which included the French throne.
Indeed, Henry V died a little over two months later, and the French king Charles VI after that, so the young Henry was crowned king of both (in separate ceremonies). His regency clung onto what they had in France, as the French factions which had allowed English conquest bound together to oppose the English and Henry V’s frosty genius was not replaced.
Henry VI assumed command of his kingdom in 1437, but he was disinterested in martial affairs and never commanded an army in France, leaving the war to his nobles; it turned increasingly bad for England. Henry was more interested in religious and educational matters, founding and encouraging, and continued to spend. Unfortunately the finances of the crown were creaking due to the war and the loss of continental estates, and the English were proving increasingly unwilling to find Henry’s failures.
Henry was also alienating key members of the nobility by focusing and rewarding just a small group of close allies, including Suffolk and Somerset.
When one of the richest and most powerful men in England, Richard of York, was snubbed by Henry he took advantage of Henry’s mental collapse in 1453 to force himself into the role of Protector. Henry’s wife, Margaret of Anjou, took the actions Henry was incapable of, and managed to push Richard away as Henry recovered his mind.
However, Margaret and Richard were not diplomats of any skill, and the crisis continued to worsen, until in 1455 hostility broke out between Henry’s (and increasingly Margaret’s) Lancastrian faction and Richard’s Yorkists. The latter fought Henry, captured him, and forced him into disinheriting the prince and recognising Richard’s son as royal heir, but Richard was soon killed and his son Edward left to continue the fight. Henry was beaten again, replaced as king by Edward VI, and he fled with Margaret to Scotland. He attempted a return in 1464 but was captured later on and locked away in the Tower of London until Edward argued with Warwick ‘the Kingmaker’ who rescued Henry and restored him to the throne in 1470. More on the Wars of the Roses.
However, Edward was able to raise forces, return, kill Warwick, defeat Margaret in battle and capture Henry, who was killed in prison in 1471. Some have blamed Richard of York for the start of the wars, but equally Henry’s faults and weaknesses have been pinpointed as the greatest cause, and that rebellion would have followed without Richard and his possible early claim on the crown. He has been judged mostly as a failure, although his father had not left him in an ideal situation.
Youth
Born to King Henry V of England on September 1st 1522, Henry VI should have inherited a vast and recently conquered polity which included the French throne.
Indeed, Henry V died a little over two months later, and the French king Charles VI after that, so the young Henry was crowned king of both (in separate ceremonies). His regency clung onto what they had in France, as the French factions which had allowed English conquest bound together to oppose the English and Henry V’s frosty genius was not replaced.
Alienating England
Henry VI assumed command of his kingdom in 1437, but he was disinterested in martial affairs and never commanded an army in France, leaving the war to his nobles; it turned increasingly bad for England. Henry was more interested in religious and educational matters, founding and encouraging, and continued to spend. Unfortunately the finances of the crown were creaking due to the war and the loss of continental estates, and the English were proving increasingly unwilling to find Henry’s failures.
The Wars of the Roses
Henry was also alienating key members of the nobility by focusing and rewarding just a small group of close allies, including Suffolk and Somerset.
When one of the richest and most powerful men in England, Richard of York, was snubbed by Henry he took advantage of Henry’s mental collapse in 1453 to force himself into the role of Protector. Henry’s wife, Margaret of Anjou, took the actions Henry was incapable of, and managed to push Richard away as Henry recovered his mind.
However, Margaret and Richard were not diplomats of any skill, and the crisis continued to worsen, until in 1455 hostility broke out between Henry’s (and increasingly Margaret’s) Lancastrian faction and Richard’s Yorkists. The latter fought Henry, captured him, and forced him into disinheriting the prince and recognising Richard’s son as royal heir, but Richard was soon killed and his son Edward left to continue the fight. Henry was beaten again, replaced as king by Edward VI, and he fled with Margaret to Scotland. He attempted a return in 1464 but was captured later on and locked away in the Tower of London until Edward argued with Warwick ‘the Kingmaker’ who rescued Henry and restored him to the throne in 1470. More on the Wars of the Roses.
Death and Reputation
However, Edward was able to raise forces, return, kill Warwick, defeat Margaret in battle and capture Henry, who was killed in prison in 1471. Some have blamed Richard of York for the start of the wars, but equally Henry’s faults and weaknesses have been pinpointed as the greatest cause, and that rebellion would have followed without Richard and his possible early claim on the crown. He has been judged mostly as a failure, although his father had not left him in an ideal situation.
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