The new King, Henry IV comes forth and first!

The accession of Bolingbroke to the throne as Henry IV was marred by the muttering that he was a usurper.

The coronation of Henry IV in October 1399.

Despite the jollity at the coronation banquet, others were quietly bitching about Henry as they tucked into their venison. To them, he was not the rightful king, and they remained loyal to Richard II. The snarls of these malcontents were hidden by raised goblets.

‘A most angry, bitter faction!

But could idle, drunken chatter become sober, serious action?’

As 1399 drew to a close, Henry looked forward to 1400 and his first calendar year as King of England. However, it was not to be a happy year.

‘Those early years, for Henry, brought nothing but pain and tears!

 

(Problem 1)

Rebellion at New Year!

A number of Richard II’s supporters hatched a plot to murder Henry and his sons and restore the former king to the throne. It was known as the Epiphany Plot, because it was planned for January 6th 1400, at a jousting tournament. However, the plotters were betrayed and Henry was alerted to the danger, and with his sons escaped in the nick of time. The conspirators fled, but were hunted down and executed.

‘Oh! You, yes you, would come to murder the king and his sons on Twelfth Night!

For the cause of King Richard, you were determined to fight!

But your plot was betrayed and you were all put to flight!’

It had been a most unpleasant experience, but something of a salutary lesson. While Richard was alive, Henry’s place on the throne would remain insecure. Henry’s followers impressed upon him the gravity of the situation. Perhaps they said:

‘It’s time that dear Dick, the former king, becomes a trifle sick!

Because while he breathes!

you can never, on the throne sit at ease!’

Richard would die the following month, at the age of 33, in circumstances which remain shrouded in mystery.

 

(Problem 2)

Wales.

Henry’s attitude to the province was one of ill-concealed contempt.

‘When I think of Wales and the Welsh!

I simply wish to sit back, pat my stomach and loudly belch!’

Unfortunately, Henry would not be afforded the opportunity to become so inactive. Owen Glendower, a Welsh noble who had been educated at the Inns of Court in London, decided to rebel against Henry IV in September 1400. Proclaiming himself Prince of Wales, Glendower soon attracted substantial Welsh support and his rebellion enjoyed a number of early military successes.

‘It is news from Wales concerning Owen Glendower!

His actions, your majesty, are calculated to make you glower!’

Owen Glendower

Glendower soon gained control over most of Wales. In 1404, he had himself crowned Prince of Wales and had called a Welsh parliament. His cause was aided by the Percy family’s decision to revolt against Henry in 1403.  Glendower even managed  to enlist support from the French, who sent an armed force to Wales.

Wales for the Welsh!

Never before or since had an independent Welsh nation become so close to being a reality. However, after Glendower’s defeat at the battle Pwll Melyn in 1406, his forces never regained the initiative and were forced into a constant retreat. Eventually, Glendower became a fugitive in his own land and despite the offering of a huge reward for his capture, he was never betrayed by his people. He was probably dead by 1416, but his ultimate fate remains unknown.

(Problem 3)

The Percy revolt of 1403.

Given his problems with Glendower from 1400 onwards, the last thing that Henry wanted was a fight with a powerful baron. However, in July 1403, this was exactly what happened. When  Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland rebelled in July 1403, the king’s worst nightmare came to pass. Percy had been a loyal supporter of Henry against King Richard and had since protected the northern border against Scottish incursions. However, the Percys maintained that they had been starved of funds with which to protect the borders from attack.  There had been a dramatic confrontation at Westminster in late 1402, when Percy’s son, known as Hotspur, demanded additional funds in the presence of King Henry. The king was furious at such impertinent conduct.

‘That upstart hound, Hotspur!

Hath proven himself, an insufferable common cur!’

The Percys agreed to make common cause with Owen Glendower. In the summer of 1403, an army led by Hotspur and the forces of Owen Glendower were due to meet at Shrewsbury. King Henry was determined to avoid the prospect of meeting their combined armies on the field of battle. The king moved fast and managed to engage Hotspur at Berwick on July 21st, before he could  team up with Glendower. At first, Hotspur gained the initiative, but all was lost when he was felled by an arrow despatched by a royal archer.

The death of Hotspur at the Battle of Shrewsbury.

King Henry had successfully defeated his opponents, and this particular threat to his throne had been thwarted.