Six Events That Shaped Christmas In The Middle Ages

 Christmas during the Middle Ages could be a busy time. Here, we will take a look at some of the events that happened during a medieval Christmas that would have a lasting impact on history. Firstly, we'll have a look at some famous coronations.

Christmas Coronations

Charlemagne Crowned Holy Roman Emperor  Christmas Day 800

Being Pope around the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries could be a particularly unpleasant experience. Stories of popes being usurped, murdered or having rival popes installed against them (anti popes) were rife and            Leo III's story is no less brutal, having nearly been blinded and his tongue almost torn out in a vicious attack on him by the citizens of Rome. Charlemagne went to his aid where Leo offered to crown him Emperor. Future emperors like Charles The Bald would also have themselves crowned on Christmas Day; Not only for religious reasons but also to follow in the footsteps of Charles The Great.

William The Conqueror Crowned King of England 1066

After his victory at Hastings in October 1066, William of Normandy was crowned king of England at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. But the coronation didn't exactly go according to plan. A huge roar of approval was bellowed out by those inside the abbey in acceptance of the new king but William's guards outside took this as a sign William was in danger and went on the rampage. As chaos broke out, William remained inside the abbey, shellshocked and furious,

Baldwin I Crowned King of Jerusalem 1100

After The First Crusade had reclaimed Jerusalem for Christianity in the summer of 1099, a ruler over the Holy City had to be established, The man the crusaders turned to was Godfrey of Bouillon, Godfrey, however, refused to take the title of king in this holiest of places nor would he accept a crown, instead assuming the title of defender of the Holy Sepulchre. He died in 1100 and it would be his brother, Baldwin, who would become the first king of Jerusalem when he was crowned Christmas Day 1100

Christmas Births

King John Born Christmas Eve 1166

On Christmas eve, 1166, the final child to be born to King Henry II and his Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, arrived at Beaumont Palace, Oxford. This little boy would be named John. The future prospects for John looked limited as he had three surviving old brothers ahead of him in the line of succession. Lands and power would surely be hard to come by for him as he grew up. Lacking in lands and titles he may be but John could take some comfort from the fact that he was his father's favourite and also from the fact that life in the medieval period could change in the blink of an eye.

Christmas Deaths

Byzantine Emperor Leo V murdered Christmas Day 820

Being Byzantine emperor was a dangerous old game as Leo V was to find out to his cost on Christmas Day 820. Having forced his way on to the imperial throne in 813,  Leo would have to see off his own share of plots against him with one coming from a man named Michael The Amorian. Leo was going to carry out Michael's execution swiftly but allowed himself to be persuaded to leave it until after Christmas which would prove to be a big mistake. Supporters of Michael attacked Leo whilst he was attending mass in the early hours of Christmas morning. Leo attempted to defend himself with a large cross but had his arm severed by one of the assassins and, from there, he was easy prey.

Henry III Of Castile Died Christmas Day 1406

Afflicted by poor health, Henry is sometimes referred to as the Suffering. His 13 year long reign was a proactive one despite his personal issues as Henry engaged in naval conflicts with England, saw off a threat posed to him by Portugal and kept things stable at home. His wife, Catherine, was an English princess and a daughter of John of Gaunt who had previously tried to take the Crown of Castile. Despite his best efforts, Henry's health caught up with him and he died aged only 27 on Christmas day 1406.

Although some of the events talked about here may suggest otherwise, Christmas day was a very important day in the medieval calendar, far more important then it is today, hence why some of the period's great men like Charlemagne and William The Conqueror chose to have the most important moments of their lives held on that particular day. During the hundred years war, fighting was periodically stopped including at the Siege of Orleans in 1428 so the dead could be buried. Kings like Richard II of England chose to celebrate the day by holding a ludicrously large feast. Richard was not alone in enjoying himself in that regard.. Even the poor could enjoy themselves and, for a short time at least, could forget about the harshness of their lives with some much needed merriment and donations from those higher up in the social standing.

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The Incredible Life of Perkin Warbeck

In 1485, Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth and became king of England, completely against the odds. But as a usurper, Henry knew that he had a fight on his hands to keep the throne. In 1487, Henry saw off the uprising of Lambert Simnell with victory at the Battle of Stoke. But a more persistent problem would come in the unlikely form of a young man from Tournai. This young man is known to us as Perkin Warbeck. Warbeck claimed he was, in fact, Richard, Duke of York, the younger of the two Princes In The Tower. Perkin was roughly the right age to be passed off as Richard but he had to make his case convincing, For one, he had to learn and rapidly improve his English. Without that, he'd get nowhere.

It was in Ireland that Warbeck's story began to develop as Irish Yorkist supporters began to believe that Warbeck really was one of the sons of Edward IV and that it could be he who reclaimed the crown of England for the House of York. This would be disconcerting news for Henry VII in England as Ireland had strongly supported the uprising of Lambert Simnel, providing him with men for an invading army and Lambert had also been crowned in Dublin, However, not everybody in Ireland was convinced that supporting Perkin was the right course of action, Supporting Simnel's invasion had caused the Irish to lose thousands of its young men in the defeat at Stoke and it seemed unwise to provoke the wrath of the king of England again. But Warbeck's claims did begin to pick up momentum and word began to spread around Europe that one of Princes in The Tower was ready to claim the crown,  From Ireland, Warbeck sailed for France where he was greeted by king Charles VIII. The French, no doubt, happy to, once again, create mischief for England.

Henry did not stand for this however. He declared war on Charles and landed in Calais with a large army. Charles realised quickly that fighting a war over Warbeck was clearly not worth it and he soon came to terms with Henry. Charles agreed to renounce his support of Warbeck and paid Henry a generous sum of money to leave France relatively unharmed which Henry was glad to do,  Now, Warbeck turned to Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy. Margaret was the sister of Edward IV and Richard III and therefore was the aunt of the Princes in the Tower. With most of Margaret's immediate family dead and with her having no children, it's possible Warbeck may have seen an opportunity to exploit any vulnerabilities Margaret may have had. Accordingly, Margaret publicly recognised Warbeck as her nephew and added 30 gentlemen to his retinue, all dressed in typical Yorkist fashion,

By 1493, Warbeck's story was becoming larger than life. In that year, he wrote Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, the most powerful rulers in Europe at the time, relaying his tale. Although they were unmoved, Warbeck still had another potential powerful ally. Emperor Maximilian I had been left unimpressed by Henry's peace agreement with Charles VIII and so invited Warbeck to his court where he even attended the funeral of Maximilian's father. In England, King Henry grew steadily more irritable with this nuisance claimant who not only refused to go away but was making something of a name for himself.

By 1495, the king's frustration was only growing as men close to Henry, including his chamberlain, were found guilty of supporting the pretender and therefore. Some were imprisoned, others were executed. What had started out as a seemingly minor matter was now spiralling dangerously out of control for the king, And now Warbeck was ready to make his move. With a small fleet, he sailed for England where royalist supporters and bad weather combined to force Warbeck to sail once again for Ireland in search of reinforcements. In early 1496, Warbeck married a woman named Katherine Gordon, a match which had been arranged by another enemy of Henry, James IV of Scotland. James and Warbeck then launched an invasion of Northern England but James quickly retreated. Henry also came to an agreement with Emperor Maximilian as they formed an alliance against France. This, Henry hoped, deprived Warbeck of his most important potential ally. In August 1497, a peace agreement was reached with James IV and Warbeck finally appeared to be running out of options.

Warbeck rolled the dice one final time. Landing in Cornwall, Warbeck was joined by 3,000 men, many of whom were said to be naked, and attacked Exeter. This failed and Warbeck agreed to meet the king, Henry, a lenient man, showed his usual mercy to Warbeck and allowed him to stay at the royal court. However, after Warbeck made a break for it, once he had been recaptured, his treatment was less kind. He was placed in the stocks for public humiliation before being thrown in the Tower of London, The following year of 1499 he was hanged after, allegedly, plots to free him were uncovered, People can make up their own minds on if they believe Perkin or not. After all, his confessions were made under duress although his final words on the scaffold appear to confirm he was indeed an impostor. But what can' be denied is what an incredible life this young man led.

Geoffrey De Mandeville: Rebel And Outlaw

 

The reign of King Stephen was chaotic as he desperately sought to keep the throne he had stolen off his cousin, the Empress Matilda, in 1135. England descended into civil war that would become known as the Anarchy. The struggle for power swung back and forth. In 1141, Matilda appeared to strike a decisive blow when forces loyal to her defeated Stephen at Lincoln. But Matilda didn’t have enough support across the country to establish herself as Queen and worse was to follow for her when her key ally Robert of Gloucester, her half brother, was captured. Although Matilda had King Stephen in captivity, it was clear that hopes of her taking the crown depended largely on the support of Robert. As a result, an exchange took place with Stephen and Robert both being freed. It was now a stalemate.

During these dark and difficult times, the loyalty of men was sorely tested. One such example was Geoffrey De Mandeville, Earl of Essex. Geoffrey, described as a knight proven in battle, had been an important supporter of King Stephen in the early years of the Anarchy. But for Geoffrey, things would take a dark and sinister turn. He was accused of treason by people with a clear agenda against him. What didn’t help Geoffrey’s cause was that Stephen was a rather weak willed man and prone to listening  to those he shouldn’t be listening to. Geoffrey was arrested in St Albans in 1143, charged with treason. Geoffrey was forced to surrender his castles at Pleshey and Saffron Walden in Essex. Needless to say, Geoffrey and his allies were seething and Stephen had, yet again, created another big problem for himself with rebellion very much on Geoffrey’s mind.

Although he was deprived of his strongholds, Geoffrey still managed to gather together a group of supporters to aid his rebellion, primarily using bribery to do so. Geoffrey’s band of men was something of a motley crew, ranging from battle hardened knights and archers to out and out crooks. Setting himself up in the Isle of Ely, where, famously, the Anglo Saxon Hereward The Wake had been based, Geoffrey began to attack the king’s lands, setting fire to some and looting others. Whatever Geoffrey took in the pillaging, he used to pay off his knights for their services. Geoffrey’s rebellion then became much more serious with the arrival in England, from Normandy, of his sister with her second husband who was, evidently, a fearsome fighter.Now relying heavily on his brother in law, Geoffrey’s rebellion marched on unrelenting as he began to attack and destroy churches and religious buildings. 

At one abbey in Cambridgeshire, Geoffrey, early in the morning, forced entry and drove all the monks out into the early morning air, no doubt dazed and confused. As well as helping himself to anything valuable inside the abbey, Geoffrey strengthened the abbey and turned it into a makeshift stronghold, garrisoning it with his now sizeable army. However, Geoffrey had pushed his luck too far. He found himself excommunicated and, soon after, was to meet his end. Geoffrey attacked the small and insignificant castle at Burwell. Whilst he was laying siege to Burwell, Geoffrey was struck in the head by an arrow. As he lay dying, Geoffrey, predictably, asked God for forgiveness. 

The fact he was to die excommunicated was a problem for Geoffrey as this meant he could be refused burial in Holy Grounds. Geoffrey would have been aware of this as he lay dying and probably would have been of some distress. He died in 1144 and his body was accepted by the Templars and entombed at Temple church. Whilst Geoffrey’s rebellion had been taking place, King Stephen had been desperately trying to put a stop to it as well as dealing with a whole host of other problems. News of Geoffrey De Mandeville’s death would have been welcome to him but there was another factor beginning to emerge in Stephen’s war with Matilda and that came in the shape of Matilda’s son, Henry, who had just been knighted by his Great Uncle, David I of Scotland.. The young boy of 11 was fast maturing and now an obvious alternative to those unsure of the possibility of Matilda taking the crown with female rule an alien thought to many in the Middle Ages. Even though Stephen would fight on, he must have felt the possibility of him establishing a lasting dynasty was a prospect fast slipping away from him

Henry II's Final Battle

By 1189, Henry II, ageing and tiring from continuous problems with his sons, once again had to brace himself for warfare as the eldest of his two remaining sons, Richard, allied himself with the devilish king of France Philip II. Philip and Richard began to eat into Henry’s holdings in France as castle after castle fell into their hands. With Henry staying in Le Mans, Philip and Richard made preparations to launch an unexpected attack and catch the king of England off guard. Henry was said to be furious at the fall of his lands and the gradual disintegration of his once mighty empire. But what made him particularly angry was the continued treachery of Richard. All Henry could do now was turn to William Marshal, the finest knight and warrior of his age. The king instructed Marshal, as well as a handful of other knights, to ride out early in the morning to locate Philip and Richard’s army.

Marshal and the others did as they were ordered. They wore light armour in order to travel more easily and set out on their scouting mission. They came to a river but crossing it was made much more challenging by the thick fog that had descended. Eventually, they crossed and soon enough they came upon the enemy who were evidently marching at great speed. One of Marshal’s small retinue suggested that it would be best to return, with all haste, to Henry to inform him that the enemy was approaching. Marshall, however, delayed him. Marshall wanted a closer look at Richard and Philip’s army. After returning to his small band of men, Marshall had discussions over what to do next. One knight wanted to attack the French scouts who were riding on ahead and seemingly, paying little attention to the environment around them. Marshal, seeing little to gain from this, dismissed the idea as folly and instead chose to return to Henry.

Henry realised he had little option but to depart Le Mans, once he had been informed by Marshal on the situation facing him. However, he took steps to ensure that Richard and Philip’s progress was hindered as much as possible. The bridge that Marshal had crossed during his scouting mission was pulled down, ditches were dug and the fords of the river were impeded so crossings were made highly treacherous. As this was being done, Philip and Richard drew steadily closer until Henry and his men could see them across the river. At this point, the level headed and calming advice of William Marshal helped to clear Henry’s mind. Philip and Richard had set up camp and so there was no need for Henry to panic. Yet.

Henry and his men rose early in the morning. Here, the English king had a heated disagreement with Marshal over the wearing of armour. Henry demanded that Marshal take his off armour and disarm himself, as he sought to speed up the departure from Le Mans. Marshal, sensing a battle could be imminent, point blank refused the king’s request. Angered, Henry told Marshal to stay behind as he departed the town, along with a number of other knights. Evidently, the king thought the precautions that he had taken to prevent Richard and Philip’s army from crossing the river would hold at least long enough for Henry and his men to reach safety. But a small band of French knights had found a crossing, much to the dismay of the English, and now Henry and his company were in grave danger. Marshal, ever the wise man of war, had been proven right. Those who had disarmed themselves would now be regretting it.

For Marshal, there was nothing else for it but to rouse the men still inside the walls of Le Mans. The fighting between the two sides was fierce. Marshal, in particular, defended the gates of Le Mans particularly staunchly, to the point where his horse suffered a crippling injury. Henry, somewhat embarrassed and realising how wrong he’d been, was now entirely reliant on Marshal. Perhaps fueled by this, Henry, needlessly, started a damaging fire, which played into Philip’s hands and the French king returned to his position over the river. The flames of Henry’s fire continued to spread and the decision was taken to abandon Le Mans completely. Further fighting broke out when the French saw Henry and Marshal leading their men out of Le Mans. Philip himself sustained some heavy blows and it was here that Henry’s son, Richard, later known as the Lionheart, would earn his respect for William Marshal.

Marshal cornered the rebellious prince. Richard, in fear for his life, begged Marshal to spare him. Marshal, of course, did so but, after the damage that Richard had caused to the prestige of Henry II, his own father, Marshal was not going to let him go lightly. He drove a spear into Richard’s horse, sending him crashing to the ground. This was Henry’s final military engagement. Not long after, Henry II died with Richard succeeding him. On the death of his father, Richard evidently showed remorse for his behaviour. Some of that remorse, no doubt, instilled in him by that encounter with William Marshal.

 

The Laws of William The Conqueror

 Shortly after becoming king of England in 1066, William The Conqueror made clear the laws that were to be implemented by him. These are referred to as The Articles of William I. Firstly, William emphasised his faith in God, stating his wish that God be revered throughout the entire realm. Of course, in a highly religious age, there was nothing radical about this.William then made mention that peace was to be preserved between the English and Normans. Again, it’s no particular surprise that peace was high on William’s agenda. As a Conquering king, he knew full well that there was going to be, at the very least, extreme tensions between the Normans and the English population. Whether he was prepared for the strength of the English resistance is another question altogether.

William then aimed to secure the safety of the men he had brought with him from Normandy and who could realistically expect to be the target of English jealousy and frustration. Any Englishman who dared to cut down a Norman, was to be apprehended within 5 days by the man he served. If the lord failed to bring the culprit to justice in the allotted time, then he could expect to pay a hefty fine. William also expected every free person in the country to swear loyalty to him and to promise to assist the king should he come under attack from internal or external enemies.

William ordered Normans who had been living in England during the reign of Edward The Confessor, whom he referred to as my relative, to pay a tax. Over time, William would become increasingly obsessed with money and this was a creative way of boosting his finances early in his reign. William ordered the sale of livestock to be conducted inside the walls of a secure town only with three reliable witnesses present. If this wasn’t followed, and William surely knew very often it wouldn’t be, then the transaction would be reversed and fines issued. In that case, the king again would benefit.

William attempted to demonstrate fairness in the laws that he was implementing. If an English native was accused by a Norman of a crime, ranging from theft to murder, and the evidence was fairly clear, then the Englishman could still expect to be given the ability to clear his name despite any evidence against him. He could choose  a trial of ordeal, using a hot iron, or trial by combat. If he was not fit to do either, then he could choose somebody else to take his place. Whoever of the accused and the accuser was defeated, they would then have to pay a fine to the king. Again, William manipulated situations to suit his own ends. William promised to the English that he would maintain laws regarding lands that had worked well in previous reigns. Any free man, who wished to remain free, would be kept under pledge in order to guarantee his good behaviour.

William outlawed the sale of slaves outside of England and, perhaps the most interesting of William’s articles, was his banning of the death penalty. Instead, punishments such as blinding and castration were to be used. Whatever laws William put in place, however, the stability of his authority would be sorely tested in the years following his successful invasion. Rebellion would push him to the brink of endurance and in 1070, William was pushed past what he could tolerate and he resorted to one of the worst massacres of the Middle Ages in a bid to keep control of his kingdom. He may have attempted to look a wise and just king in the laws he passed but his actions spoke of a very different man indeed.

Henry V In France: 1420-1422

After becoming the legal heir to the kingdom of France following the signing of the Treaty of Troyes, which also arranged for his marriage to the daughter of the French king Charles VI, Henry V of England now turned his attention towards the areas of France that could be troublesome to him if and when he took the crown. He took Sens and Montereau with relative ease before he laid siege to Melun which would prove altogether more problematic. Among Henry's company included the king of Scotland, James I, who had been held captive by the English since 1406 and would remain so until 1424. The siege rumbled on from July of 1420 until November of that year with frequent and determined fighting causing Henry’s army to lose hundreds upon hundreds of men. Eventually the food supplies ran low and those defending Melun were forced to capitulate. This provided Henry with a propaganda opportunity as he allowed those who had defied him to leave unharmed, showing the French he would be a lenient and just king. The siege, nonetheless, came at a price for Henry and he departed for Paris to celebrate Christmas in a calmer environment.

After Christmas was over and the French Parliament had been dissolved, Henry travelled to Rouen where he ensured that Normandy was stable and peaceful. Henry was evidently content with how things had gone in France since the signing of the Treaty at Troyes and now he made arrangements to return to England. Henry landed at Dover on 1st February 1421, accompanied by a small retinue which included his new wife, Catherine of Valois, and his brother, John, Duke of Bedford. Henry spent a few days at Canterbury, probably discussing with the Archbishop about the prospect of Catherine’s coronation. From there, the royal couple returned to London and, not long after, Catherine was crowned in a solemn ceremony at Westminster Abbey. With that out of the way, Henry’s thoughts turned to the future and producing heirs for the succession. A matter of weeks after Catherine had been crowned, she had fallen pregnant and a little boy was born to the couple in December 1421. This baby would become Henry VI.

At this point in time, things appeared to be running smoothly for Henry V but life in the medieval period could change rapidly even for the most powerful and mighty of kings. In France, those opposed to the prospect of Henry taking the French crown gathered themselves in support of Charles The Dauphin and captured the town of Bauge. Another of Henry’s brother’s, Thomas, Duke of Clarence, was killed in the fighting along with many other Englishmen. Henry was urged by his advisers to return to France as quickly as possible to ensure that this rebellion against him did not spiral out of control. For the time being though, Henry was sidetracked by matters with Scotland as the Scots sought to free their captive king. Henry quickly stabilised matters in the North and now sailed to France, at the head of a fresh army.

Landing in France, Henry went in pursuit of Charles The Dauphin but the latter actively avoided fighting Henry and instead chose to lay waste to areas that had been loyal to the king of England. With his pursuit of Charles proving fruitless, Henry instead laid siege to the town of Meaux but this came at a particularly heavy price for Henry, his army and the local peasantry. Henry had ordered his army to pillage the local area for food to boost the army’s dwindling supplies. The land had suffered already from Charles’ actions and this latest pillaging was a disaster for the peasants. The land became virtually unworkable, causing hunger and starvation among the common people, but all complaints that were made fell on deaf ears.

However, as dismissive as the English army may have been about the peasants’ troubles, they would soon have their own issues. Although the Siege of Meaux ended with the English capturing the town, many of Henry’s men died in the fighting and disease spread rapidly through the camp. Henry himself contracted dysentery and, although he would fight it for some months, it was an illness that he would not recover from. As 1422 gradually wore on, Henry became weaker and it was soon clear to his doctors and to Henry himself that he would not recover. He made preparations as best as he could for the future of both England and the English interests in France but Henry was dying at a particularly inopportune moment. His one son and heir was a baby not even one year old yet, meaning that a long regency government was required. Regency governments in the medieval era often ended in chaos. 

When Henry V died on 31st August 1422, English hopes of conquering France totally died with him and the hopes of Charles The Dauphin were renewed. Ironically, Charles VI died only a few weeks after Henry. Had Henry, only 35, lived just a little while longer, he may well have united the English and French crowns in what would have been an extraordinary achievement. Alas, it wasn’t to be. Henry VI, when he had just turned 10 years old, was crowned King of France on 16th December 1431 but this proved a symbolic and hollow gesture. Charles The Dauphin had been crowned two years earlier, thanks to the help of Joan of Arc who had been executed in May 1431. He was now Charles VII. The Hundred Years War would still rumble on for another couple of decades but, with the death of Henry V in 1422, it had turned decisively and permanently against the English.

 

After becoming the legal heir to the kingdom of France following the signing of the Treaty of Troyes, which also arranged for his marriage to the daughter of the French king Charles VI, Henry V of England now turned his attention towards the areas of France that could be troublesome to him if and when he took the crown. He took Sens and Montereau with relative ease before he laid siege to Melun which would prove altogether more problematic. Among Henry's company included the king of Scotland, James I, who had been held captive by the English since 1406 and would remain so until 1424. The siege rumbled on from July of 1420 until November of that year with frequent and determined fighting causing Henry’s army to lose hundreds upon hundreds of men. Eventually the food supplies ran low and those defending Melun were forced to capitulate. This provided Henry with a propaganda opportunity as he allowed those who had defied him to leave unharmed, showing the French he would be a lenient and just king. The siege, nonetheless, came at a price for Henry and he departed for Paris to celebrate Christmas in a calmer environment.

After Christmas was over and the French Parliament had been dissolved, Henry travelled to Rouen where he ensured that Normandy was stable and peaceful. Henry was evidently content with how things had gone in France since the signing of the Treaty at Troyes and now he made arrangements to return to England. Henry landed at Dover on 1st February 1421, accompanied by a small retinue which included his new wife, Catherine of Valois, and his brother, John, Duke of Bedford. Henry spent a few days at Canterbury, probably discussing with the Archbishop about the prospect of Catherine’s coronation. From there, the royal couple returned to London and, not long after, Catherine was crowned in a solemn ceremony at Westminster Abbey. With that out of the way, Henry’s thoughts turned to the future and producing heirs for the succession. A matter of weeks after Catherine had been crowned, she had fallen pregnant and a little boy was born to the couple in December 1421. This baby would become Henry VI.

At this point in time, things appeared to be running smoothly for Henry V but life in the medieval period could change rapidly even for the most powerful and mighty of kings. In France, those opposed to the prospect of Henry taking the French crown gathered themselves in support of Charles The Dauphin and captured the town of Bauge. Another of Henry’s brother’s, Thomas, Duke of Clarence, was killed in the fighting along with many other Englishmen. Henry was urged by his advisers to return to France as quickly as possible to ensure that this rebellion against him did not spiral out of control. For the time being though, Henry was sidetracked by matters with Scotland as the Scots sought to free their captive king. Henry quickly stabilised matters in the North and now sailed to France, at the head of a fresh army.

Landing in France, Henry went in pursuit of Charles The Dauphin but the latter actively avoided fighting Henry and instead chose to lay waste to areas that had been loyal to the king of England. With his pursuit of Charles proving fruitless, Henry instead laid siege to the town of Meaux but this came at a particularly heavy price for Henry, his army and the local peasantry. Henry had ordered his army to pillage the local area for food to boost the army’s dwindling supplies. The land had suffered already from Charles’ actions and this latest pillaging was a disaster for the peasants. The land became virtually unworkable, causing hunger and starvation among the common people, but all complaints that were made fell on deaf ears.

However, as dismissive as the English army may have been about the peasants’ troubles, they would soon have their own issues. Although the Siege of Meaux ended with the English capturing the town, many of Henry’s men died in the fighting and disease spread rapidly through the camp. Henry himself contracted dysentery and, although he would fight it for some months, it was an illness that he would not recover from. As 1422 gradually wore on, Henry became weaker and it was soon clear to his doctors and to Henry himself that he would not recover. He made preparations as best as he could for the future of both England and the English interests in France but Henry was dying at a particularly inopportune moment. His one son and heir was a baby not even one year old yet, meaning that a long regency government was required. Regency governments in the medieval era often ended in chaos. 

When Henry V died on 31st August 1422, English hopes of conquering France totally died with him and the hopes of Charles The Dauphin were renewed. Ironically, Charles VI died only a few weeks after Henry. Had Henry, only 35, lived just a little while longer, he may well have united the English and French crowns in what would have been an extraordinary achievement. Alas, it wasn’t to be. Henry VI, when he had just turned 10 years old, was crowned King of France on 16th December 1431 but this proved a symbolic and hollow gesture. Charles The Dauphin had been crowned two years earlier, thanks to the help of Joan of Arc who had been executed in May 1431. He was now Charles VII. The Hundred Years War would still rumble on for another couple of decades but, with the death of Henry V in 1422, it had turned decisively and permanently against the English.

What Made Edward IV A Bad KIng

 Henry VI is often blamed for the Wars of the Roses. But the man who deposed him twice, Edward IV, as a king, was little better. He was impulsive, as demonstrated by his shock marriage to Elizabeth Woodville. This made a dangerous enemy out of an ally in the shape of Warwick The Kingmaker and led to Edward’s own brief deposition in 1470. Warwick had been on the continent,  negotiating,on Edward’s behalf, a spectacular marriage for the king with several European princesses an option. When Warwick got word of Edward’s marriage to a woman from a relatively obscure family, he was both embarrassed and furious. Edward had sent him to do his bidding and eventually left him high and dry. Warwick now turned against the king.

Astonishingly, Warwick turned to Margaret of Anjou, the queen of the deposed Henry VI. With Henry increasingly fragile and delicate, his hopes of becoming king again lay in the hands of Margaret, a forceful and determined woman, but Warwick was her only realistic option. The two hated each other but realised if Henry was to be restored to power and Warwick avenge himself upon Edward for his very public humiliation then Margaret and Warwick now knew an alliance was needed, no matter how much they undoubtedly resented. The alliance briefly worked as Edward was forced to flee England when Warwick and Margaret landed in England with an invading forces. Henry ruled as king for a few short months but Edward returned.

He defeated Warwick at the Battle of Barnet with Warwick being killed attempting to flee. Then ,at Tewkesbury, Edward triumphed again over the House of Lancaster and ,here, Henry and Margaret’s one son, another Edward, died at the age of 17. Henry was then murdered at the Tower of London, likely on the orders of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Edward IV’s brother. Thus, Edward’s enemies were eliminated and he was restored to his throne. It had been a narrow escape from a situation that was entirely avoidable. Edward’s pursuit of Elizabeth had been driven by lust and his decision to marry by impulse. Had the king been thinking clearly, he would have realised the damage he would cause to his relationship with Warwick The Kingmaker. He’d got away with it.

But Edward IV didn’t learn his lessons. He failed to think about the future and over indulged when he had finally removed his enemies. Edward’s excessive eating habits contributed to his premature death in 1483 which led to further, terrible instability. When he first came to the throne in 1461, Edward had been a fine figure of a young man in his late teens. Strong, powerful and tall, standing at 6 foot 4, Edward embodied everything that was looked for, physically, in a medieval king. But after reclaiming the crown a decade later, he began to let himself go. He gave in to temptation, eating great quantities of food and an all too strong liking for women. Edward kept a number of mistresses which was not unusual for medieval kings regardless of their marital status. When Richard III took the throne from his nephew Edward V, the rightful heir to Edward IV, his supporters claimed that Edward V was illegitimate due to a marriage agreement Edward IV had made with a woman named Eleanor Talbot.

But it’s possible Edward’s sex life came back to haunt him. It’s been speculated recently that Edward died of syphilis although that remains unproven. What that indicates, true or not, is that Edward had strayed from the path of good medieval kingship. Excessive indulgence is not the trait of a good king and Edward’s grandson, Henry VIII, would fall into the same pitfalls. Edward was also not popular in his own time and faced rebellions against his rule including from the mysterious Robin of Redesdale. The king’s authority was also repeatedly undermined by his nuisance of a brother, George, Duke of Clarence.

I think it can be argued, when looking at the evidence, that Edward IV was as responsible for the Wars of the Roses as Henry VI. Henry, after all, was clearly not a well man and so had some mitigating factors. And Henry’s biggest crime was that he was simply too nice to rule a country. When Edward’s father, Richard, Duke of York attempted to take the crown, it was simply a power grab. If the nobles in 15th century England had the best interests of the realm at heart then supporting Henry should have been their main concern. He was no tyrant and didn’t deserve his fate that he met in the Tower of London; a vicious beating. Edward, when he took the crown, was ultimately a usurper and, frankly, aside from his undoubted military skills, he failed to prove himself any more worthy of the title of king then Henry had done. And, as I've evidenced, what followed Edward's death were not just about the greed of Richard III but also the shortsightedness of Edward IV. He left a young son to take the crown. Had he lived just a few years more, which was easily achievable had he taken care of himself better, then Edward V WOULD have been crowned king. A king's legacy isn't just dictated by the events of his reign but what came after it and this is why I regard Edward IV as being really quite a poor king.