Henry VI not only ascended to the English throne at the age of nine-months, but at the ripe old age of one, he also was king of France. Too young, his uncles would serve as regents and more royal family members would crawl out from the woodwork with their greed for power. About the only good that came out of this naive king’s reign was a passion for education and building (Eton College and King’s College were erected during his time). Turns out, Henry VI’s biggest problem would be a French peasant girl by the name of Joan of Arc. According to her story, which she shared with the Dauphin of France, the voices of the Saints Michael, Catherine and Margaret told her that she alone could drive the English out of France. We can just imagine that the poor, hapless Dauphin unable to motivate the French people himself, responded with a resounding “Sweet, dude. Go for it!†So little Joanie throws on her amour, jumps on her white horse, and heads for Orleans. Her zealous faith in the “Lord’s wishes†and her firm belief in her own purpose must have rubbed off on the people who joined her one-person uprising, because the English would eventually exit stage left. (For more on Joan, see the name Joan). The English and the French are still amidst the 100 Years’ War, but we are nearing the end now. Henry VI mad a terrible mistake by not taking France’s offer of Normandy and Aquitaine if they would just get the hell out, because the French would eventually recapture all of their land back. Of course, this was not Henry’s only problem. Back at home, he wasn’t so popular, particularly given the miserable losses to the French. Enter Richard of York (Henry’s cousin) who was seen as an arguably more legitimate heir to the throne than the current king, fast-forward to The War of Roses, in which two distinct lineages fight over the monarchy for the next 30 years. They brought new meaning to the term dysfunction families. And their battles with one another were seriously violent. Henry VI would ultimately be captured and killed, and the Duke of York’s son would become King Edward IV of England, thus transferring the monarchy to a new House (Lancastrians to the Yorks).
