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In the early morning of October 25, 1415 the small, hungry, tired army of King Henry V of England gathered in the morning gloom on the field of Agincourt, in France. His army of some 6,000 men had been chased by a much larger French army until at last it was forced to turn and fight. One thousand yards away was a French army of around 25,000 rested and well-armed soldiers, the best of the French knights. The French were confident that they could put an end to the English king and his claim to the French throne - and it appeared likely that the reign of Henry V, short and troubled as it had been to this point, was nearing an end.

Henry was born in 1387 at Monmouth castle in South Wales. His father, Henry Bolingbroke was a powerful noble who had in the past been an enemy of King Richard II. When Henry was eleven, the King exiled his father and took Henry into his court as a hostage. It was common then to take hostages from the family of your enemies, to ensure cooperation.

Richard II was an unpopular and weak king, neurotic and constantly in conflict with Parliament. In 1399 he led a military expedition to Ireland, in an attempt to subdue the rebellious Irish. The campaign was ultimately a failure, but greater disaster loomed when Henrys father returned from exile while Richard II was still in Ireland. Richards unpopularity made it easy for Henrys father to gather support, and when the king returned from Ireland he was forced to abdicate the throne, and Henrys father became king of England, known as Henry IV.

Although Richard had abdicated and subsequently died in Pontrefact Castle (probably murdered) there still remained those in England who were loyal to Richard. A revolt by these forces early in the reign was easily defeated, but Henry IV was to have much larger problems, especially in Wales and Scotland. Throughout his short reign Henry IV fought for his throne, and his son was instrumental in many of these wars. It was at this time that Henry learned how to lead men in war and how to administer captured territories. As Henry IVs reign drew to a close, the king was ill and his son was involved in various schemes to gain control of the monarchy, even before his fathers death.

In 1413, Henry V was crowned king of England, following the death of his father. Henrys reign was to be short and filled with troubles. Almost immediately he was faced with a challenge in the form of Sir John Oldcastle (Lord Cobham), an old friend who also followed the religious beliefs of the Lollards. The Lollards were a heretical sect of Christians who questioned the divine rights of the monarchy, and felt that a true king had to earn the grace of God. After several arrests and escapes, Oldcastle was finally caught and burned at the stake.

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Written by: adwatson
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