Henry VI of England (1421-1471)

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1422-1461/1470-1471: King of England

Henry VI Plantagenet of Lancaster, King of England, King of France, was born 6 December 1421 in Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom to Henry V of England (1387-1422) and Catherine de Valois (1401-1437) and died 27 May 1471 Tower of London, London, England, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. He married Margaret of Anjou (1430-1482) 22 April 1445 ^JL .

Biography

King Henry VI of England was born on December 6, 1421, in Windsor, England, and reigned from 1422 until 1461, and again from 1470 until 1471. He was the only child of King Henry V and Catherine of Valois. Henry VI inherited the throne at the age of nine months when his father died during the Hundred Years' War. His mother, Catherine, acted as regent until her death when Henry was only eight years old. He was then placed under the care of several guardians, including his uncle, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester.

Henry VI was known for his piety and lack of interest in politics and warfare, which contributed to his weakness as a king. His reign was characterized by ongoing conflict between the houses of York and Lancaster, known as the Wars of the Roses. During Henry's reign, the English army suffered a series of military defeats in France, losing almost all of its territories. In addition, England was plagued by internal conflicts, with nobles vying for power and control of the government.

In 1461, Henry was deposed by Edward IV, a member of the House of York, and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was briefly restored to the throne in 1470, only to be deposed again the following year by Edward IV.

Henry VI spent the rest of his life in captivity in the Tower of London, where he was reportedly murdered in 1471. He was later canonized by the Catholic Church as a martyr, and his feast day is celebrated on May 21.

In popular culture, Henry VI has been portrayed in plays, films, and television shows, most notably in William Shakespeare's history plays, which depict his reign and the Wars of the Roses.

Family Life

Henry VI was married to Margaret of Anjou (1430-1482) in 1445, and they had one son, Edward of Westminster. Margaret was a strong-willed and politically astute queen who played a key role in the Wars of the Roses, leading the Lancastrian faction against the Yorkists.

Children

Offspring of Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou (1430-1482)
Name	Birth	Death	Joined with
Edward of Lancaster, Prince of Wales (1453-1471)	13 October 1453 Palace of Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom	4 May 1471 Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom	Anne Neville (1456-1485)

Siblings

Offspring of Henry V of England (1387-1422) and Catherine de Valois (1401-1437)
Name	Birth	Death	Joined with
Henry VI of England (1421-1471)	6 December 1421 Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom	27 May 1471 Tower of London, London, England, United Kingdom	Margaret of Anjou (1430-1482)

Allmand, Christopher (2013). Henry V. Association Pamphlets, General Series. 68 (revised ed.). London: Historical Association.
Allmand, C. (30 April 1982), "The Coronations of Henry VI", History Today 32 (5), http://www.historytoday.com/ct-allmand/coronations-henry-vi
"Henry VI, king of England". 28 July 1999. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-VI-king-of-England.
Cheetham, A. (2000). Antonia Fraser. ed. [Henry VI of England (1421-1471) at Google Books The Wars of the Roses]. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-22802-3. Henry VI of England (1421-1471) at Google Books.
Craig, L. (2003). "Royalty, Virtue, and Adversity: The Cult of King Henry VI". Albion 35 (2): 187–209. DOI:10.1017/S0095139000069817.
Dicks, S. (1967). "Henry VI and the Daughters of Armagnac: A Problem in Medieval Diplomacy" ( ). The Emporia State Research Studies 15 (4: Medieval and Renaissance Studies): 5–12.
Duffy, E. (1992). The Stripping of the Altars: Traditional Religion in England 1400–1580. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-06076-8.
Griffiths, R.A. (1981). [Henry VI of England (1421-1471) at Google Books The Reign of King Henry VI]. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-04372-5. Henry VI of England (1421-1471) at Google Books.
Griffiths (28 May 2015). "Henry VI (1421–1471)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
Kingsford (1911). "Henry VI.". In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 285–286.
McKenna, J. (1965). "Henry VI of England and the Dual Monarchy: Aspects of Royal Political Propaganda, 1422–1432". Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 28: 145–162. DOI:10.2307/750667.
Tout, T. (1891). "Henry VI". In Sidney Lee. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900. 26. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
Wolffe, B. (2001). [Henry VI of England (1421-1471) at Google Books Henry VI]. Yale English Monarchs series. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-08926-4. Henry VI of England (1421-1471) at Google Books.

External Links

wikipedia:en:Henry VI of England
Henry VI of England at thePeerage
Henry VI of England Henry VI of England, Geni.com, https://www.geni.com/people/Henry-VI-of-England/6000000000307256979 Henry VI of England, retrieved 01 May 2023
Henry VI of England at Find A Grave
Henry VI, Archontology, http://www.archontology.org/nations/uk/england/king_england/henry6.php, retrieved 28 November 2009
Henry V, https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/henry_v_king.shtml
Henry V, UK: British Monarchy, https://www.royal.uk/henry-v .
Henry V Biography, https://www.who2.com/bio/henry-v/
Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe (17 February 2011), The Myth of Henry V, https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/henry_v_01.shtml
Tyler, J Endell, Henry of Monmouth: Memoirs of Henry the Fifth, Project Gutenberg, https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20488 .
Henry VI at the official website of the British monarchy
Henry VI at BBC History

Ancestry Trees

Contemporary References

Here are some of the best contemporary references for his life:

"The Reign of Henry VI: The Exercise of Royal Authority, 1422-1461" by R. A. Griffiths - This book is a comprehensive study of Henry VI's reign, including his politics, religion, and military campaigns.
"Henry VI: A Good, Simple and Innocent Man" by James Ross - This biography provides a sympathetic portrayal of Henry VI, emphasizing his piety and lack of political skills.
"The Wars of the Roses" by Dan Jones - This book provides a detailed account of the Wars of the Roses, including the role of Henry VI in the conflict.
"The Hollow Crown" - This BBC television series adapts William Shakespeare's history plays, including "Henry VI, Part 1," "Henry VI, Part 2," and "Henry VI, Part 3." The series provides a dramatic interpretation of Henry VI's reign and the Wars of the Roses.
"The History of England" by David Hume - This classic history book covers the period from the Roman invasion of Britain to the death of George II, including a detailed account of the reign of Henry VI.
"Henry VI: The Life and Rule of England's Child King" by Lauren Johnson - This recent biography provides a balanced assessment of Henry VI's life and reign, drawing on both primary sources and modern scholarship.

Original Citations

Annales Henrici Quinti

From Annales Henrici Quinti (The Annals of Henry V), a chronicle of the reign of Henry V, which includes the following passage:

"Die vero Sabbati in crastino Conceptionis beatae Mariae, hora fere quarta post meridiem, ex utero reginae in palatio de Wyndesore, rex Henricus natus est; quem decretum fuit regem appellari, qui deinceps Henricus Sextus est vocatus."

Translated from Latin, this passage reads: "But on the Saturday next before the feast of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at nearly the fourth hour after noon, King Henry was born from the queen's womb in the palace of Windsor; it was decreed that he should be called king, and henceforth he was called Henry VI."

Chronicle of London

Chronicle of London, a chronicle of the city of London from 1089 to 1483. This passage provides a detailed and vivid contemporary account of the 1437 coronation of King Henry VI, including the ceremonial procession, the anointing and crowning of the king, and the banquet that followed. It also highlights the pomp and circumstance surrounding the event, and the widespread celebration that took place throughout England.

"On the day of the Purification of Our Lady [February 2], which fell on a Sunday in the year of Our Lord 1437, Henry VI was crowned king of England in Westminster Abbey by the bishop of Winchester, who was then chancellor of England. And there were present at the said coronation, many lords spiritual and temporal, and divers other persons of honour and worship, and also the mayor and aldermen of the city of London, with a great company of commoners, and the said king was conveyed to the abbey by the citizens of London in a most solemn and sumptuous manner, with trumpets sounding and many other musical instruments playing. And when the king came to the abbey, he was received by the archbishop of Canterbury and other bishops and clergy, who conducted him to the high altar, where he made his oblation and offering. And then he was anointed by the said bishop of Winchester with holy oil on his head, breast, and arms, and after that, he was vested in royal robes of cloth of gold and crowned with a crown of gold set with precious stones, and a sceptre was delivered into his hand. And when he was thus crowned and anointed, he was led to the throne, where he received homage and fealty from the lords spiritual and temporal, and from the mayor and citizens of London. And then he was borne in procession to Westminster Hall, where a great banquet was held in his honour, and the nobles and dignitaries of the realm were feasted with all manner of meat and drink, and there was great rejoicing throughout the land."

Royal Succession Charts

Regnal titles
Henry VI of England (1421-1471) House of Lancaster Cadet branch of the House of Plantagenet Born: 6 December 1421 Died: 21 May 1471
Preceded by Henry V	King of England Lord of Ireland 1422–1461	Succeeded by Edward IV
Preceded by Edward IV	King of England Lord of Ireland 1470–1471	Succeeded by Edward IV
Preceded by Charles VI Template:S-dis	Succeeded by Charles VII as undisputed king
Peerage of England
Vacant Title last held by Henry of Monmouth	Duke of Cornwall 1421–1422	Vacant Title next held by Edward of Westminster
French nobility
Preceded by Henry of Monmouth	Duke of Aquitaine 1422–1453	Annexed by France

References

Footnotes (including sources)

Thurstan, Phlox, Rtol, MainTour