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6 Henry VI:
'Under-Mighty
Monarch'
- For the first 16 years of his
reign Henry was a minor, thus
did not have a say on what must
be done
- When he reached his majority in
1437 he came under the influence
of favourites such as Duke of
Somerset + Duke of Suffolk
- The effective running of
government remained in
the hands of noble
ministers
- Leading to tension + rivalry
at court between powerful +
ambitious nobles - which the
king seemed unable to
manage + control
- Leading to tension + rivalry
at court between powerful +
ambitious nobles - which the
king seemed unable to
manage + control
- The effective running of
government remained in
the hands of noble
ministers
- When he reached his majority in
1437 he came under the influence
of favourites such as Duke of
Somerset + Duke of Suffolk
- Unchecked political rivalry
could turn into personal
animosity
- In 1447 - Henry's uncle Humphrey, Duke
of Gloucester was brought down by his
rival at court, Somerset's uncle Cardinal
Henry Beaufort - Henry did nothing to help
his uncle, who died in mysterious
circumstances before who could be tried
for treason
- In 1447 - Henry's uncle Humphrey, Duke
of Gloucester was brought down by his
rival at court, Somerset's uncle Cardinal
Henry Beaufort - Henry did nothing to help
his uncle, who died in mysterious
circumstances before who could be tried
for treason
- Henry seemed incapable of judging people + situations:
- He mistook Cardinal Beaufort's offer to
lend substantial sums of money as
friendship not means to control him
- By 1444 - He had lent the Crown various sums
= in excess of £200,000 - only part of which
had been repaid
- By 1444 - He had lent the Crown various sums
= in excess of £200,000 - only part of which
had been repaid
- He misunderstood the
seriousness of the rivalry
between York + Somerset
- His failure to heal the rift + pacify
the 2 warring dukes contributed to
the outbreak of civil war
- His failure to heal the rift + pacify
the 2 warring dukes contributed to
the outbreak of civil war
- He mishandled the war in France by resuming
it in 1449 - resulted in the loss of Normandy +
the fall of Suffolk (the Crown's chief adviser)
who took some of the blame for the failure
- He mistook Cardinal Beaufort's offer to
lend substantial sums of money as
friendship not means to control him
- His wife Margaret was too a factor in promoting the
impression of an 'under-mighty monarch'
- She was a formidable woman + her
strong will + domineering personality
made him appear even weaker +
indecisive
- As the marriage went on such came
to exercise a greater degree of
influence over her husband
- Some nobles (like York + Norfolk) resented her meddling
in affairs of state + her close relationship + promotion of
in 1448 (partly a rewarded for arranging her marriage)
- Some nobles (like York + Norfolk) resented her meddling
in affairs of state + her close relationship + promotion of
in 1448 (partly a rewarded for arranging her marriage)
- Due to her increasing influence at court,
Henry sought advice from an ever-decreasing
circle of nobles
- The excluded became increasingly resentful,
but she brushed them aside
- Her political skill came to
the fore during Henry's
mental incapacity
- She was a formidable woman + her
strong will + domineering personality
made him appear even weaker +
indecisive
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