Henry V – Duty is the ultimate beauty!

Duty is the ultimate beauty.

‘Well, that is what he thought!

And boy, how the young king fought!’

But,  first things first.

Henry’s coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on Passion Sunday, 1413 in the midst of a snowstorm. The young king cut a distinctive figure as he strode towards the throne in his coronation robes. Standing a lofty six feet three inches in height, he towered above all of those assembled within the abbey’s hallowed walls. There was always something rather austere about Henry. At the coronation banquet it is said that he did not partake of any food or drink. He appeared not to be in a celebratory mood, but in more of a pensive frame of mind.

‘This is not an occasion to be filled with food and become sodden with a surfeit of drink!

A prudent king needs time to ponder the future, reflect and think!’

Young Hal.

Henry V had been born on September 16th, 1386 at Monmouth Castle in Wales. He was not born to be king, because although he was of royal blood, it was his father’s cousin, King Richard II who sat on the throne. By modern standards, Henry’s childhood was a rather unstable one. His mother, Mary de Bohun died in June 1394 when Henry was seven years old.

Mary de Bohun.

In 1398, King Richard sent Henry’s father, Bolingbroke into exile in France which must have been traumatic for the boy. However, the king took Henry into his care and treated him well.

King Richard II.

Clearly, Richard did not believe that the sins of the father should be paid for by the children. This probably explains why as king Henry V, he had Richard II’s body exhumed from a relatively obscure grave in Kings Langley Priory and re-interred in Westminster Abbey. This act also illustrated Henry’s strong sense of duty. It was simply the right thing to do for a king and kinsman who had met an unfortunate end.

Henry as Prince of Wales presents a book to a favoured noble.

In the summer of 1399, Bolingbroke had returned to England with an army and launched a successful coup against his cousin, King Richard. Bolingbroke forced Richard to abdicate in his favour and was crowned king as Henry IV. This meant that his eldest son, young Hal became the Prince of Wales, and therefore the heir to the throne.

Government experience.

The fact that Henry IV was in poor health meant that Prince Henry would have the opportunity to participate in government. In fact, from 1410 until late 1411, he was the de facto ruler of England.

Military prowess as Prince Henry.

Henry was first ‘blooded’ in battle in July, 1403, aged sixteen at the Battle of Shrewsbury. He was engaging rebel forces, when for some reason he raised his visor and was hit with an arrow in the face.

‘The young prince received a grievous arrow wound to his face!

But falter, he did not, moving forward he led his men with courage and grace!’

In fact, Prince Henry made a very real contribution to the royal victory that day at Shrewsbury. His facial wound could have been fatal, but the skill of the king’s personal physician, John Bradmore saved his life.

The Battle of Shrewsbury.

Prince Henry showed early promise as a military commander in Wales, dealing with the Welsh insurgent, Owen Glendower. His energetic policy of ‘search and destroy’ which included the tactic of deliberate starvation eventually forced Glendower to abandon his rebellion against the English crown.

The new king showed promise of becoming a most effective ruler of the realm.