Henry IV of England

Born around April 1367 at Bolingbroke Castle, Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and grandson of Edward III. In 1388 he joined the Lords Appellant in revolt against his first cousin, Richard II. Exiled in 1397, he returned two years later after Richard blocked his inheritance following his father's death. Henry rallied supporters, imprisoned Richard, deposed him, and claimed the throne in 1399 - the first king from the House of Lancaster and the first English ruler since the Norman Conquest whose mother tongue was English. His reign was marked by persistent rebellion: Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh uprising and Henry Percy's challenge, which ended at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. As his health failed after 1410, his eldest son Henry of Monmouth took over governance. Henry IV died on 20 March 1413, and his son succeeded him as Henry V, inheriting a crown won by force and a kingdom still haunted by the act.