Henry was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire. He would become King Henry IV of England.

King Edward III of England died in June 1377. One year earlier Edward's eldest son and heir to the throne, Edward the Black Prince died. Richard, the son of the Black Prince, was proclaimed heir to the throne. King Edward was ill for some time before his death, and John of Gaunt, another of Edward's sons, took the affairs of the nation under his control. Edward was buried in Westminster Abbey in a tomb designed by Henry Yevele. ^[1]

Henry Bolingbroke married Mary Bohun.

It is believed that Henry, the future king of England Henry V, was born at the gatehouse tower of Monmouth Castle. His father was Henry Bolingbroke the future Henry IV king of England and his mother was Mary de Bohun. Mary was seventeen when Henry was born. ^[2]

Fear of an invasion from France led Henry Bolingbroke to prepare defences along the south coast during the winter months of 1387 and spring months of 1388,  ^[2]

The rivals Henry Bolingbroke and King Richard both lost their wives in his month. Mary Bohun died in childbirth while Anne of Bohemia died from the plague.

Thomas de Mowbray, the Duke of Norfolk, made a remark about King Richard II which Henry Bolingbroke took as treasonable. Henry informed the King and Mowbray was arrested. Richard had executed or exiled other members of the Lords Appellant the previous year and now Henry and Thomas were concerned that their turn was next. Mowbray had confided these concerns with Bolingbroke. Mowbray denied the accusations and that he ever talked to Bolingbroke. To bring the dispute to an end, a duel between the two was arranged. But before the duel took place Richard changed his mind and banished Bolingbroke for ten years and Mowbray for life. ^[2]

In this year Beeson Castle, which had belonged to Richard II, was handed over to Henry IV. In the castle a hoard of Richard's treasure was found.

Bolingbroke should have inherited the lands from his father, John of Gaunt, but Richard had other ideas. The king confiscated Bolingbroke's inheritance and increased his term of exile to life. ^[2]

Landing at Ravenspur in Yorkshire, Bolingbroke returned to England intent to taking the throne from Richard. He marched south to Bristol taking control of Lancastrian castles on route, all of which welcomed his return. ^[2]

Richard returned to England landing in Wales where he became a fugitive. He was captured at Conwy Castle and at a meeting with Bolingbroke at Flint Castle agreed to surrender himself and the throne of England. Richard was transferred to Pontefract Castle where he was imprisoned. ^[2]

Parliament accepted Bolingbroke's claim to the throne. He was to become Henry IV, king of England. ^[2]

Henry IV was crowned King of England after the abdication of King Richard II. Henry was crowned at Westminster Abbey.

Bolingbroke's son Henry, Prince of Monmouth, was made Prince of Wales. The Prince was not the true heir to the English throne as this honour fell to the young Earl of March, but Henry would become Henry V, king of England. ^[2]

Supporters of Richard II planned to attack King Henry IV during a tournament held over Christmas at Windsor Castle. The plot was betrayed by Edward, Earl of Rutland, son of the Duke of York. Henry and his family escaped to London, and by the time the King returned to Windsor with an army, the rebels had been dealt with by local people. ^[2]

To stop the Scots raiding the northern borders of England, Henry took an army into Scotland. The Scottish king Robert III did not concede defeat and Henry had to resort to minor raids of his own without any real outcome for either side. ^[2]

What started as a land dispute between Owain Glyndwr, a wealthy land owner in Wales and his rival Lord Grey of Rutin quickly escalated into a revolt when the English King Henry IV sided with Rutin and awarded him the land. ^[2]

King Henry IV moved into North Wales to try and stop the rebellion of Owain Glyndwr, but he was not able to deal with the Welsh rebels, who were more skilled at fighting in the terrain. ^[2]

King Henry IV gave his son Prince Henry, the future Henry V, the task of defeating Owain Glyndwr in North Wales. As the boy was only 13 years old, Hotspur a knight and jouster of importance was given the role of guardian over the Prince. Hotspur was the son of Henry Percy the Earl of Northumberland. ^[2]

The statute called De heretico comburendo was passed by Henry IV allowing heretics to be burnt at the stake. It was forbidden for anyone to translate the Bible into English and illegal to own a copy. ^[3]

After accusing the king of not paying his army, Hotspur resigned his guardianship of the king's son in North Wales and he left to resume fighting the Scots. ^[2]

The king assembled an army at Shrewsbury Castle in preparation to fight Owain Glyndwr. ^[4]

Edmund Mortimer's army met Owain Glyndwr at Pilleth near Whitton in central Wales. Mortimer's army was badly defeated and Mortimer was captured. Glyndwr offered to release Mortimer for a large ransom, but Henry IV refused to pay.

Thomas of Lancaster, the second son of King Henry IV, was appointed Viceroy of Ireland. As he was only twelve years old a council was appointed to assist his rule.

The Percies, led by the Earl of Northumberland and Hotspur announced their intent to revolt against Henry IV. They even promised to free the Scots they had captured at the battle of Homildon if the Scots assisted in the revolt. The plan was to join forces with Owain Glyndwr and support the claim of the young Edmund Mortimer 5th Earl of March to the English throne.

Henry IV managed to reach Shrewsbury just before Hotspur arrived and the rebel army had to camp outside the town to the north. The battle lasted all day but it ended when Hotspur was killed.

Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland (Hotspur's father) had not managed to reach Shrewsbury in time to save his son. The Earl surrendered to the King, who accepted and showed the Earl mercy.

At Parliament, King Henry is forced to name his councillors. ^[5]

Owain Glyndwr called a Parliament where he declared himself to be the true 'Prince of Wales'. Embassies from France and Scotland attended the meeting and gave promises to support Glyndwr's plans to overthrow Henry IV.

Owain Glyndwr makes an alliance with France. ^[5]

At a Parliament held in Coventry, Henry is released from the constraints that were imposed upon him in January. ^[5]

The French king, Charles VI, sent a fleet of ships to assist Owain Glyndwr in his revolt against King Henry IV. They landed at Milford Haven and captured Carmathen Castle. Attempts to capured Pembroke Castle failed and they abandoned the invasion.

Richard Scrope colluded with the Earl of Northumberland to overthrow Henry IV. Scrope was the Archbishop of York.

The Archbishop's revolt was crushed with the aid of the Nevilles and the king had him executed.

An outburst of plague occurred sometime between 1405 and 1407 and the pestilence was so great that, according to the St. Albans chronicler, in London thirty thousand men and women were reported to have died in a short space of time. Henry IV is thought to have left London to wait for the plague to die out.

The King's mysterious illness had resurfaced and he was extremely ill and close to death. Prince Henry was temporarily put in control of the country.

Henry IV sent his second son, Thomas, Duke of Clarence to France with an army to assist the Duke of Orleans in the struggle to control the French throne, but the parties involved in the struggle had just signed a peace treaty. Having nothing to do, Thomas took his army south to Guienne where he was appointed Lieutenant. ^[6]

Henry IV died in the Palace of Westminster. The mysterious disease he had suffered from for many years had taken its toll. Prince Henry accepted the crown and claimed it. The Earl of March now old enough to rule still had a very good claim of his own.

Henry IV was buried at Canterbury Cathedral. ^[6]