Henry VI

Henry VI 1421-1471.

King of England (1422-1461 and 1470-1471) who as an infant succeeded his father, Henry V, and for most of his reign exercised little power. He was taken prisoner in the Yorkist victory at Northampton (1460), and Edward IV was proclaimed king (1461). Rescued from captivity, Henry regained the throne (1470) but was recaptured at the Battle of Barnet and murdered in the Tower of London.

---

Henry VI

n

1. (Biographies / Henry VI (1165-1197) M, German, POLITICS: hereditary ruler) 1165-97, king of Germany (1169-97) and Holy Roman Emperor (1190-97): added Sicily to the Empire

2. (Biographies / Henry VI (1421-1471) M, English, POLITICS: hereditary ruler) 1421-71, last Lancastrian king of England (1422-61; 1470-71); son of Henry V. His weak rule was blamed for the loss by 1453 of all his possessions in France except Calais; from 1454 he suffered periods of insanity which contributed to the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses (1455-85). He was deposed by Edward IV (1461) but was briefly restored to the throne (1470)

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Henry VI - son of Henry V who as an infant succeeded his father and was King of England from 1422 to 1461; he was taken prisoner in 1460 and Edward IV was proclaimed king; he was rescued and regained the throne in 1470 but was recaptured and murdered in the Tower of London (1421-1471) House of Lancaster, Lancastrian line, Lancaster - the English royal house that reigned from 1399 to 1461; its emblem was a red rose