Cole - Henry V: the life of the warrior King & the battle of Agincourt 1415

First published 2015

Amberley Publishing
The Hill, Stroud
Gloucestershire, GL5 4EP

www.amberley-books.com

Copyright Teresa Cole, 2015

The right of Teresa Cole to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN 9781445636795 (HARDBACK)
ISBN 9781445636955 (eBOOK)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Typesetting and Origination by Amberley Publishing.
Printed in the UK.
Map design by Thomas Bohm at User design.

The following all played a major part in the life and fortunes of Henry V. Since many have the same first name or title the following guide may help to identify whos who. They are introduced by the name most frequently referred to in the text. More information on many of them, and on the extended family of Henry V, can be found in Appendix I.

ARUNDEL, Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury. Chancellor to Henry IV. Worked with Henry, Prince of Wales, on the Royal Council.

ARUNDEL, Richard FitzAlan, Earl of Brother of Thomas Arundel. One of the Lords Appellant involved in a power struggle with Richard II.

ARUNDEL, Thomas FitzAlan, Earl of Son of Richard FitzAlan. Military commander under Henry V at Harfleur.

BEAUFORT, Henry Legitimated son of John of Gaunt. Bishop of Lincoln, Bishop of Winchester and ultimately cardinal. Uncle to Henry V and long-term Chancellor during his reign.

BEAUFORT, John Legitimated son of John of Gaunt. Earl of Somerset. Uncle to Henry V.

BEAUFORT, Thomas Legitimated son of John of Gaunt. Earl of Dorset, Duke of Exeter. Uncle to Henry V and served as Admiral of England and military commander under him in his campaigns in France.

BERNARD, Count of Armagnac Father-in-law of Charles, Duke of Orleans, and leader of the Armagnac faction in France. Later Constable of France.

BOUCICAUT, Marshal Originally Jean Le Maigre. Marshal of France and commander of French forces at Agincourt.

BRADMORE, John Physician who treated the serious arrow wound of Henry, Prince of Wales, after the Battle of Shrewsbury.

CHARLES VI King of France and later father-in-law of Henry V.

CHARLES, Duke of Orleans Nephew of Charles VI of France. Led French forces at Agincourt and was taken prisoner.

CHICHELE, Henry Archbishop of Canterbury following Archbishop Arundel. Chancellor of England after Bishop Henry Beaufort.

CORNWAILLE, Sir John Military commander under Henry V.

DALBRET, Charles Constable of France and leader of French forces during Agincourt campaign.

DAUPHINS Louis, John and Charles Sons of Charles VI and successively heirs to the French throne. Dauphin Charles subsequently became Charles VII.

DE GAUCORT, Raoul French commander at the siege of Harfleur and later a prisoner of Henry V.

DE GROSMONT, Henry First Duke of Lancaster and originator of the wealth and power of his son-in-law John of Gaunt. Great-grandfather of Henry V.

DU CHATEL, Tanneguy Military captain of Dauphin Charles and possible murderer of John, Duke of Burgundy.

EDMUND, Earl of March Son of Richard IIs nominated heir and possible rival for the throne. Imprisoned by Henry IV. Freed by Henry V and served him loyally as military commander.

GLENDOWER, Owen Self-proclaimed Prince of Wales who rebelled against Henry IV and tried to establish an independent Welsh principality.

HOLLAND, Sir John Military commander under Henry V in France and leader of sea patrols in the Channel.

HUMPHREY OF LANCASTER Duke of Gloucester. Youngest brother of Henry V.

JAMES I OF SCOTLAND A prisoner in England from the age of eleven. Later fought in France under Henry V.

JOHN OF GAUNT Duke of Lancaster. Third son of Edward III. Father of Henry Bolingbroke and grandfather of Henry V.

JOHN OF LANCASTER Duke of Bedford. Third son of Henry Bolingbroke and younger brother of Henry V.

JOHN THE FEARLESS Duke of Burgundy. Leader of Burgundian faction in France until his death. Sometime ally of Henry V.

KATHERINE OF FRANCE Otherwise Katherine of Valois. Daughter of Charles VI of France and wife of Henry V.

MORTIMER, Edmund Uncle and supporter of Edmund, Earl of March. Supporter of Owen Glendower. Fought Henry, Prince of Wales, in his Welsh campaigns.

OLDCASTLE, Sir John Lollard peer and friend of Henry V who later attempted to raise a rebellion against him.

PERCY, Henry, Earl of Northumberland Early supporter of Henry IV who later plotted to overthrow him.

PERCY, Henry, Hotspur Son of the Earl of Northumberland. Early supporter of Henry IV and justiciar to Henry, Prince of Wales. Led a rebellion against Henry IV which ended at the Battle of Shrewsbury.

PHILIPPE OF BURGUNDY Son of John the Fearless and later ally of Henry V in France.

POPES BENEDICT, GREGORY AND JOHN Rival popes at the time of the Western Schism in the Catholic Church.

POPE MARTIN V Pope elected at the Council of Constance, with the aid of the English delegation, to put an end to the Western Schism.

RICHARD II King of England overthrown by Henry Bolingbroke. During the time of Bolingbrokes exile, he held the future Henry V hostage.

SIGISMUND Holy Roman Emperor and supporter of Henry Vs claim to the throne of France.

THOMAS OF LANCASTER Duke of Clarence. Second son of Henry Bolingbroke and brother of Henry V.

WARWICK, Thomas de Beauchamp, Earl of One of the Lords Appellant involved in the power struggle with Richard II.

WARWICK, Richard de Beauchamp, Earl of Son of Thomas de Beauchamp. Close friend and military commander of Henry V.

WORCESTER, Thomas Percy, Earl of Sometime governor of Henry, Prince of Wales. Brother of the Earl of Northumberland and joined him in rebellion against Henry IV.

UMPHRAVILLE, Sir Gilbert Military commander in France under Henry V.

YOLANDE OF ARAGON Mother-in-law and staunch supporter of Dauphin Charles.

An astrological treatise on his birth, claimed to have been commissioned by Henry himself during his reign, states that the future King of England was born at 11.22 precisely on the morning of 16 September 1386. On the other hand, the town where he was born confidently asserts that the correct date is 9 August 1387.

The fact is that no one knows for sure, the baby being so relatively unimportant at the time that the exact date and time were not recorded. True, he was a great-grandson of King Edward III, but that was not a unique privilege. Edward had twelve legitimate children, most of whom survived to adulthood, and all but one of the sons, at least, married and had children and grandchildren of their own.

Henrys grandfather was John of Gaunt more correctly John of Ghent, the place of his birth, but consistently rendered the way it must have been pronounced at the time. He was the third of Edwards five sons to survive infancy, and, after the eldest, the Black Prince, probably the best known, his chequered career spanning four decades of English history.