Henry V of England
King of England; Heir to France
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."
Biography
Henry V was the warrior king who brought England to its greatest continental triumph. A serious, devout, and tactically brilliant commander, he invaded France in 1415 and won the immortal victory of Agincourt against overwhelming odds. By 1420 he had forced France to sign the Treaty of Troyes, naming him heir to the French throne and regent of France — the fulfillment of Edward III's original claim. He died suddenly of dysentery at age 35, before he could inherit France, leaving an infant son to hold what he had won.
Did you know?
Henry V was badly wounded by an arrow in the face at the Battle of Shrewsbury (1403) at age 16 — fighting for his father against English rebels, not the French. Surgeons had to devise a special tool to extract the arrowhead buried 6 inches deep in his skull.
Key Battles
Battle of Agincourt
England victoryOctober 25, 1415 · 8,450 total casualties
Agincourt became the defining English victory of the war and a cornerstone of English national identity, immortalized by Shakespeare. It demonstrated once more that disciplined English yeomen with longbows could defeat a numerically superior French chivalric force. Henry followed the victory with the Treaty of Troyes (1420), making him heir to the French throne.
Life Journey
Timeline
September 16, 1386
🌅 Birth
Born at Monmouth Castle, Wales
July 21, 1403
⚔️ Battle
Wounded by arrow to the face at Battle of Shrewsbury, age 16
March 21, 1413
📍 Posting
Crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey
October 25, 1415
⚔️ Battle
Wins the Battle of Agincourt against overwhelming odds
May 21, 1420
📍 Posting
Signs Treaty of Troyes; named heir to the French throne
August 31, 1422
✝️ Death
Dies of dysentery at Vincennes, France, age 35