Henry of Bolingbroke was never meant to be king, but he was destined to be the Duke of Lancaster. The eldest son of John O'Gaunt, who was arguably the richest man in Europe, Henry fell prey to the jealousies and suspicions of his cousin, King Richard II. Exiled on a trumped up charge of conspiracy, Henry then witnessed his inheritance seized by the king on the death of his father. As a result, and with nothing to lose, he landed in England in 1399 and succeeded in usurping the crown from Richard, who was later murdered in Henry's castle at Pontefract.

By this act Henry founded the line of Lancastrian kings, but his own reign was far from tranquil. Despite the fact that few regretted the demise of King Richard, by usurping the crown Henry had created a dangerous precedent the results of which dogged him throughout his 14 year reign. Six years of almost continual rebellion followed the death of Richard, including that of Harry Hotspur, which culminated in the unprecedented execution of an archbishop of the church. An act which undoubtedly affected Henry deeply and almost certainly led to a terrible physical affliction which beset him the very night of the execution and from which he never recovered.

The reign was also beset by a rebellion in Wales, massive financial difficulties, and a court frequently torn apart by the poor relationship between the King and the Prince of Wales, later King Henry V. That said, there were moments of triumph and success. Henry was a great warrior, a devout catholic, and a great patron of the arts who was himself a talented musician and writer. In an age where kings regularly took mistresses, Henry was devoted to his wife and was totally devastated when she passed away.

Henry was also a very complex character and during this talk we will look at his early life and how his experiences under Richard affected his character. The events which led to his making the momentous decision to invade Britain and ultimately take the crown will be looked at - did Henry really have a choice? We will then move on to his reign and try to understand how all the hope which accompanied Henry's coronation very quickly dissolved amid the slaughter of civil war. Why did those who supported him soon turn against him? Finally, we will look at his relationship with his son, Henry, and try to understand how these two great warriors, who were so alike in many ways, simply could not get on.