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King Henry IV |
1399 - 1413Born: c.30 May 1366,
Bolingbrooke Castle, Lincolnshire King Henry IV was the first of the 3 kings of the House of Lancaster. It was claimed that he was not a very attractive character. He was a solid looking man with a good head for business. He knew how to win a throne by striking down a feeble adversary and he knew how to keep it by making tactful concessions to the right people. The crown which he won was no joy to him; Shakespeare's "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" was applied, most rightly to Henry IV. His reign was divided into 2 halves. During the first the king was harassed by rebellions; during the second by constant ill health and the ambitions of his heir. These 2 divisions can be studied in dramatic form in the two parts of William Shakespeare's King Henry the Fourth. Links
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