The Shadow King

April 8, 2019
Johnson (So Great a Prince) seeks to reclaim the unhappy Lancastrian king from the “simple saint” myth with a thorough examination of his difficult circumstances and his pious, peace-oriented personality. The early death of warrior-king Henry V left an infant with a claim to both the English and French thrones and substantial French holdings, but the gentle, insecure Henry VI ultimately lost everything. Surrounded by such strong-willed figures as Richard, Duke of York, who dominated his life, and the queen, Margaret of Anjou, who tried to save him, Henry’s cowed reaction to family infighting, significant personal losses, and his own inadequacies doomed him to failure, forcing him to eventually renounce his son’s claim with the Act of Accord in favor of Yorkist Edward IV. Johnson allows for a bit of fun with the multiple English monarchs (including Richard III and Henry VII), showing how closely intertwined these warring factions actually were. This dense exploration of Henry’s boyhood shows how his passive personality and bouts of psychosis (during which his wife, a stronger ruler, stepped in) led to his making disastrous decisions. Johnson’s intense look at the earthly failures that defined Henry VI’s unpopular reign—and the transformation of a medieval king’s fatal flaws into the basis for a devoted posthumous following—is a treat for committed Anglophiles.

May 1, 2019

Historian Johnson (So Great a Prince) aims to help readers interested in late medieval history better understand the life and political choices of Henry VI (1421-71), a complicated, contradictory, and psychologically troubled man. The author is clearly fascinated by the enigma of the so-called "shadow king," and why he demands our attention. An infant king, he was the only monarch to be crowned in both England and France. Despite his storied background, he was an ineffective ruler who lost England's French possessions during the Hundred Years War and saw his kingdom descend into the chaos of the War of Roses. Despite all this, Henry became a sainted figure following his mysterious death; he was almost certainly murdered. Using archival sources as well as printed primary and secondary materials, Johnson charts Henry's rise and fall, presenting him as an individual who struggled in extraordinary situations. Maps, genealogical tables, and explanatory notes assist in learning more about the religiosity of the period, royal lineage and succession customs, the workings of royal households, and even medieval medical practices and therapies. VERDICT A complex, yet highly readable and immaculately researched biography for those interested in British royalty and medieval history.--Marie M. Mullaney, Caldwell Coll., NJ

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