March 20 - Death of Henry IV

This Day in History: 20 March 2020 

 

20 March 1413 

 

607 years ago, today, King Henry IV, the first English monarch of the Lancastrian dynasty, died after years of being plagued by illness, leaving his son, Henry V, to succeed him. 14 years prior, Henry Bolingbroke was crowned as King Henry IV of England, as the previous king, King Richard II, was forced to abdicate, as he was greatly weakened by the conflict within Parliament. In his last years, Henry IV was a chronic individual, and his son began to have power over the king's royal council, whilst he led armies against the Welsh. Owen Glendower and the Welsh rebels were fighting against the prince, who gained an English victory over them at the Battle of Shrewsbury.  

 

According to Raphael Holinshed, it was predicted that Henry would die in Jerusalem, which Shakespeare's play, Henry IV, also repeated. Henry took this to mean he would die on a crusade, and in reality, he did die in the Jerusalem Chamber, in the abbot's house of Westminster Abbey, during a legislative session. His executor, Thomas Langley, was at his side. Henry V was later crowned on 9 April, at Westminster Abbey, but the ceremony was marked by a terrible snowstorm, which the common people could not decide if it was a good or bad omen.  

 

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