Henry IV (1367-1413) was the first king of England of the House of Lancaster. He became king in October 1399, after he forced his cousin, King Richard II, from the throne. Many people questioned Henry’s claim to the crown. However, Parliament supported him as king and established the Lancastrian dynasty in England. Revolts and conspiracies marred Henry’s reign, but he put them down with great effort and with Parliament’s support. A major rebellion fueled by Sir Henry Percy ended in 1403 when Percy was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury. A Welsh revolt led by Owen Glendower took years to put down. Further violence stemmed from Scottish border raids and ongoing conflict with the French.
Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, a son of King Edward III. Henry’s mother descended from King Henry III. Henry was born at his father’s castle of Bolingbroke, in Lincolnshire, on April 3, 1367. He and his first wife, Mary de Bohun, had seven children before her death in 1394. He married Joan of Navarre in 1402. Henry suffered from skin disorders and epilepsy that worsened in his later years. Throughout his reign, he allowed his son, Prince Henry, to play a major role in government affairs. The prince became King Henry V upon Henry IV’s death in London on March 20, 1413.
Henry IV is a main character in William Shakespeare’s historical dramas Henry IV, Part I .
