Edward III — The Last Great Medieval King
While some kings inherit a kingdom, Edward III inherited a crisis. In 1327, his father, Edward II, was deposed and imprisoned. The crown passed to the fourteen-year-old Edward, but the real power remained in the hands of his mother, Isabella of France, and her ally...
Edward IV — The Warrior King of the House of York
Visitors entering St George's Chapel, Windsor walk across a floor beneath which generations of English monarchs lie buried. Among them rests one of the most formidable kings of the fifteenth century: Edward IV. Tall, charismatic, and a gifted battlefield commander,...
Henry IV — The Dynasty Maker
Not all kings inherit a crown; some have to take one. Henry IV spent much of his life as Henry Bolingbroke, the son of John of Gaunt and grandson of Edward III. Few would have expected him to become king; indeed, the crown belonged to his cousin Richard II, whose...
Henry V — The King Who Made England Believe
Few rulers have benefited more from success than Henry V. To later generations he became the warrior king of Agincourt, the hero of Shakespeare's plays, and the embodiment of English courage. His reputation grew so large that it sometimes obscures the man himself. Yet...
Henry VI — The Gentle King Who Lost His Crown
Few English kings left such a paradoxical legacy as Henry VI. He was deeply religious, thoughtful, and devoted to learning. Unlike many medieval rulers, he preferred prayer and scholarship to warfare or political intrigue. His personal piety was widely admired, and he...
John Wycliffe — The Man Who Asked Dangerous Questions
Most revolutions begin long before anyone realizes one has started. John Wycliffe never led an army or overthrew a king. He never saw the Reformation that would transform Europe more than a century after his death. Yet many of the questions he asked would eventually...
Margaret of Anjou — Power in a Time of Chaos
History is often kinder to victors than to survivors. Margaret of Anjou was neither. For centuries she has appeared in English history as a controversial figure: ambitious, combative, and unwilling to accept defeat. To some contemporaries she was a dangerous woman who...
Richard II — The Crisis of Authority
History remembers Richard II in two very different ways. One is the brave fourteen-year-old king who rode out to confront the rebels during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 and helped prevent a kingdom from descending into chaos. The other is the deposed monarch whose...
Richard III — The King History Cannot Agree About
Visitors entering Leicester Cathedral often pause near a simple stone tomb set into the floor of the choir. The inscription bears only a name: Richard III. For centuries Richard’s reputation has been anything but simple. Few English monarchs have inspired such...
Richard Neville — Warwick the Kingmaker
At Warwick Castle the past occasionally interrupts the present. During our visit, one of the guides suddenly shouted across the courtyard: “A Warwick! A Warwick!!” Another voice answered the call, and within seconds two figures were racing up the castle walls,...
