Henry VI (Foedus Sacrum)

Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 7 August 1467) was King of England and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1467. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English throne at the age of nine months upon his father's death, and succeeded to the French throne on the death of his grandfather Charles VI shortly afterwards. Henry inherited the long-running Hundred Years War (1337-1466) where Charles VII contested his claim to the French throne. Henry married Charles's niece, Margaret of Anjou, partially in the hope of achieving peace in 1445, but the policy failed, leading to the murder of William de la Pole, one of Henry's key advisors. The war recommenced, with England taking the upper hand through the creation of the Holy Alliance; by 1466, Normandy, Calais and Aquitaine were all under English dominion.

Henry experienced a boost of confidence after the success of the war, quelling the dynastic conflict with the House of York through new Lancastrian authority. English influence over continental Europe also found a well-needed boost, particularly through the formation of the Holy Alliance with Castile, Austria and Aragon and the return of Armagnac to Gascony from the French. However, his focus on the war with France meant that the domestic situation decayed, with England being considered the most technologically regressive country in Europe shortly after the war ended.

He died in Windsor Castle during the night of 7 August 1467, before being buried just over a month later. Miracles were attributed to Henry after his death, and he was informally regarded as a saint and martyr until the 16th century. He left a legacy of educational institutions, having founded Eton College, King's College (Cambridge) and All Souls College, Oxford, despite the fact that contemporary accounts portray him as neglectful of the home front. William Shakespeare wrote a trilogy of plays about his life, depicting him as a strong-willed and diplomatic warlord.