Henry IV Nicknamed the Henry the Mad Ruler of England
The medieval ruler Henry IV that ruled form 1421 to 1461 was often just called Henry the Mad by his not so loving subjects. He was a gentle, naive and prudish man that spent all of his time meditating and in prayer. He was very fragile and after losing some of his French possessions after a war with France he had a complete nervous breakdown and went into a state of withdrawal from everything. As he was curled up in the fetal position in his bed all day, the country broke out into the civil war known as The War of the Roses.
Weirdly his grandfather was a King of France who was known as Charles VI the Mad who ruled France from 1368 to 1422. His mother Catherine was crazy Charles’ daughter. Henry the Mad also became King Henry VI on October 11, 1422 when he was still a tiny baby. Even as a very young man he was obsessed with religion and he often had to navigate among the many ambitious men that acted as his advisors.
Henry IV enjoyed dressing like a monk and often wore a long black gown with a hood with black shoes. He would only wear his royal clothing if he could wear a hair shirt under it to “keep him humble. He was also very much controlled by his young wife, Margaret, who was very controlling and also unfaithful to him.
During his entire reign Henry suffered from bouts of madness that were so bad that he was unable to speak, lift up his head or move a muscle in his body. He would be tended and fed by his care-giver. When his first son was born he had no reaction. His depression was so bed that Richard of York was appointed as Protector to rule the country instead.
As civil war raged around them Margaret and Henry were forced to flee Scotland and in 14564 he spent time as a fugitive hiding in the forests. He was caught, taken to London and tortured and then in 1470 suddenly assigned luxurious apartments. He was put to death so no more war in his name would be fought in the Tower of London on May 8th,1471.