Henry VI of England

Reign: 1422 – 1461; 1470 – 1471
Life: 1421–1471

He became king of England at the age of nine months following the death of his father, Henry V, and inherited the French claim upon the death of his maternal grandfather, Charles VI of France. Henry VI's claim to France was increasingly challenged during the latter stages of the Hundred Years' War, and by 1453 English authority there had collapsed entirely. His reign in England was marked by weak royal authority, factional conflict among the nobility, and a prolonged period of mental incapacity beginning in 1453, which contributed significantly to political instability and the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses. His early reign, when England was ruled by a regency government, saw the pinnacle of English power in France. His reign saw the near total loss of English lands in France. In contrast to his father, Henry VI was described as timid, passive, benevolent and averse to warfare and violence.

During Henry VI of England's reign, Charles VII of France ruled France, Afonso V of Portugal ruled Portugal, and Murad II ruled Ottoman Empire.

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Henry VI by Bertram Wolffe

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Henry VI

Bertram Wolffe

The standard academic life of the gentle king whose weakness fuelled the Wars of the Roses.

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Henry VI of England

The World During Their Reign

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Henry VI

Henry VI

The Reign of Henry VI