9 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HENRY V AND AGINCOURT
BBC History Revealed|November 2023
Teresa Cole shares lesser-known facts about the English king and the against-all-odds battle that secured his legacy
Teresa Cole
9 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HENRY V AND AGINCOURT

1 NOBODY KNOWS WHEN HENRY V WAS BORN

Henry V was born at Monmouth Castle, perched high above the River Monnow, but there is no record of his birth and even the year is uncertain. Some say his birthday was 9 August 1387, but an alternative date is 16 September 1386. The latter comes from a horoscope drawn up for the king and apparently commissioned by him just before the Agincourt campaign in 1415.

However, the French astrologer who drew the horoscope was later accused in Paris of being an English spy, and it is possible the work was just an excuse for the man to come to England and meet with Henry. The king apparently showed no interest in the horoscope afterwards.

2 HE ENJOYED A CLOSE BOND WITH RICHARD II

When his father, Henry Bolingbroke, was sent into exile in 1398, Henry was placed in the custody of Richard II. But rather than having his rival's son maimed or put to death, Richard treated the boy with respect: he spent time with him, took him on expedition to Ireland, and even knighted him along the way. And incredibly, when Richard heard of Bolingbroke's challenge to the Crown in 1399, he made no threats against him.

It seems that, in return, Henry saw Richard as something of a father figure. After Bolingbroke had taken the throne as Henry IV and asked that his son come and see him in the Palace of Westminster, it is said that Henry instead went to visit Richard in the Tower of London. If accounts from the time are to be believed, only at the king's insistence did the younger Henry finally go to see his father.

When Henry himself became king in 1413, he demanded that Richard's body be exhumed from its obscure resting place in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, and reburied in Westminster Abbey.

3 HIS FIRST BATTLE WAS NEARLY HIS LAST

This story is from the November 2023 edition of BBC History Revealed.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2023 edition of BBC History Revealed.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BBC HISTORY REVEALEDView All
'Dickens's evocation of the fears, excitement and confusion of childhood is peerless'
BBC History Revealed

'Dickens's evocation of the fears, excitement and confusion of childhood is peerless'

DR LEE JACKSON ON WHY CHARLES DICKENS REMAINS RELEVANT TODAY

time-read
2 mins  |
Christmas 2023
THE AUTHOR GOES ABROAD
BBC History Revealed

THE AUTHOR GOES ABROAD

Dickens expanded his horizons and boosted his fan-base by venturing overseas - but global fame came with a cost

time-read
4 mins  |
Christmas 2023
REVIVING THE FESTIVE SPIRIT
BBC History Revealed

REVIVING THE FESTIVE SPIRIT

A Christmas Carol wasn't just a bestseller - it changed the way that Britons chose to mark the festive season

time-read
3 mins  |
Christmas 2023
GIVING THE POOR A VOICE
BBC History Revealed

GIVING THE POOR A VOICE

From Hard Times to Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens used his pen to help illuminate the lives of the less fortunate

time-read
3 mins  |
Christmas 2023
A JOURNEY THROUGH DICKENS'S LONDON
BBC History Revealed

A JOURNEY THROUGH DICKENS'S LONDON

The works of Charles Dickens are synonymous with visions of Victorian London. We talk to Dr Lee Jackson about the author's love of the capital, and the locations that most inspired him

time-read
10+ mins  |
Christmas 2023
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
BBC History Revealed

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Dr Lee Jackson chronicles Charles Dickens's journey from down-at-luck teenager to titan of Victorian literature

time-read
6 mins  |
Christmas 2023
GIFTS, TREES & FEASTING
BBC History Revealed

GIFTS, TREES & FEASTING

We take a journey through the photo archives to reveal how Christmas and its many traditions have been celebrated over the years - and around the world

time-read
3 mins  |
Christmas 2023
WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY
BBC History Revealed

WHAT GREAT PAINTINGS SAY

We explore the story behind an allegorical painting that celebrates the triumph of love over hate, peace over war

time-read
3 mins  |
Christmas 2023
HELLISH NELL
BBC History Revealed

HELLISH NELL

Malcolm Gaskill delves into the life of Helen Duncan - the fraudulent Scottish medium whose ectoplasm-filled seances saw her ending up on the wrong side of the law

time-read
6 mins  |
Christmas 2023
7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
BBC History Revealed

7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE

Presidential historian Dr Lindsay M Chervinsky reveals some of the most surprising facts about the world-famous US residence

time-read
5 mins  |
Christmas 2023