Henry VI

Previous king: Henry V (father)       Reigned: 1422-1461       Next king: Edward IV

Henry V Henry VI became king when he was only 9 months old.

Joan of Arc Henry's father Henry V had won much land in France and was declared the heir to the King of France. But most of this land was lost once Henry VI became king. Joan of Arc was a young woman who said that she saw visions of saints, who told her to drive the English out of France. She inspired the French army to do just this. She wore men's clothes and rode to battle herself. Eventually, all that was left in English hands was the port of Calais. However, Joan of Arc herself was captured by the English and burnt as a heretic.

Henry VI became very unpopular. His grandfather Henry IV had seized the crown from Richard II. Now people began to rebel against him. This is called the War of the Roses. Edward of York (later Edward IV) was supported by Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, who was so powerful that he was called Warwick the Kingmaker. Henry was deposed in 1461, and Edward became king.

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