Monarch
Henry V (reigned 1413–1422)
Henry V is celebrated as one of England's great warrior kings, famous for his stunning victory over France at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
The Battle of Agincourt
In 1415 Henry V led an English army to a famous victory against a much larger French force at the Battle of Agincourt. The battle was part of the Hundred Years' War between England and France, during which England pressed its claim to the French throne.
The English longbowmen played a decisive role in the victory, cutting down the heavily armoured French knights. The battle became one of the most celebrated military victories in English history.
Following Agincourt, Henry negotiated the Treaty of Troyes in 1420, which recognised him as heir to the French throne and saw him marry Catherine of Valois, the French king's daughter. Henry died in 1422, before he could inherit France.
Henry V and Shakespeare
Henry V's life and his victory at Agincourt were immortalised by William Shakespeare in the play Henry V. Shakespeare portrayed him as an inspirational leader who rallied his outnumbered troops with stirring speeches, most famously the "St Crispin's Day speech" before the battle.
The play has helped cement Henry V's place in the popular image of English medieval glory and national pride.
Key facts for the test
- • Henry V reigned from 1413 to 1422
- • He won a famous victory against France at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415
- • The battle was part of the Hundred Years' War between England and France
- • English longbowmen were crucial to the victory
- • Henry V is the subject of a famous Shakespeare play
- • He died in 1422, before he could take the French throne