The History of King Henry IV

Few kings have left more of an impression on the English - and then the British - nation as King Henry V, who died on 31 August 1422. The Battle of Agincourt in 1415 wove Henry V’s legend into the fabric of history. To many, he remains a hero, the exemplar of what a warrior-king should be. To others, Henry had a darker side that eclipses any glimmer of glory.

To mark the 600th anniversary of his death, Matt Lewis takes a look at both sides of Henry V’s reputation and considers how we assess people and their actions from the distant past with our modern sensibilities.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited and mixed by Anisha Deva and produced by Rob Weinberg. 

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