Editing House of Lancaster (section)

==Duchy and Palatinate of Lancaster==
{{See also|County palatine}}
{{House of Lancaster||Royal Arms of England (1399-1603).svg}}
Henry's son, also named [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster|Henry]], was born at the castle of [[Grosmont, Monmouthshire|Grosmont]] in [[Monmouthshire]] between 1299 and 1314.<ref name="Weir2008p77">{{harvnb|Weir|2008|p=77}}</ref> According to the younger Henry's memoirs, he was better at [[Historical European martial arts|martial arts]] than academic subjects and did not learn to read until later in life.<ref name=fowler26>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|p=26}}</ref> Henry was coeval with Edward III and was pivotal to his reign, becoming his best friend and most trusted commander.<ref name="Jones2012p471b">{{harvnb|Jones|2012|p=471}}</ref> Henry was knighted in 1330, represented his father in [[Parliament of England|parliament]] and fought in Edward's Scottish campaign.<ref name=fowler30>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|p=30}}</ref> After the outbreak of the [[Hundred Years' War]], Henry took part in several diplomatic missions and minor campaigns and was present at the great English victory in the naval [[Battle of Sluys]] in 1340.<ref name=fowler34>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|p=34}}</ref> Later, he was required to commit himself as hostage in the [[Low Countries]] for Edward's considerable debts. He remained hostage for a year and had to pay a large ransom for his own release.<ref name=fowler35>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=35–37}}</ref>

In 1345, Edward III launched a major, three-pronged attack on France. The [[William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton|Earl of Northampton]] attacked from [[Brittany]], Edward from [[Flanders]], and Henry from [[Aquitaine]] in the south.<ref name="Jones2012p471b"/> Moving rapidly through the country, Henry confronted the [[Bertrand I, 1st Comte de l'Isle|Comte d'Isle]] at the [[Battle of Auberoche]] and achieved a victory described as "the greatest single achievement of Lancaster's entire military career".<ref name=fowler58>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=58–59}}</ref> The ransom from the prisoners has been estimated at £50,000.<ref name=fowler61>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|p=61}}</ref> Edward rewarded Henry by including him as a founding knight of the [[Order of the Garter]].<ref name=McKisack>{{harvnb|McKisack|1959|p=252}}</ref> An even greater honour was bestowed on Lancaster when Edward created him [[Duke of Lancaster]]. The title of duke was relatively new in England, with only Cornwall being a previous ducal title. Lancaster was also given [[County palatine|palatinate]] status for the county of [[Lancashire]], which entailed a separate administration independent of the crown.<ref name=fowler173>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=173–174}}</ref> There were two other counties palatine; [[County Durham|Durham]] was an ancient ecclesiastical palatinate and [[Chester]] was crown property.

In 1350, Henry was present at the naval victory at [[Battle of Les Espagnols sur Mer|Winchelsea]], where he saved the life of the [[Edward, the Black Prince|Black Prince]].<ref name=fowler193>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=193–195}}</ref> He spent 1351–2 on [[Northern Crusades|crusade]] in [[Old Prussians|Prussia]] where a quarrel with [[Otto the Mild, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg|Otto, Duke of Brunswick]], almost led to a duel between the two men, which was only averted by the intervention of [[John II of France]].<ref name=fowler106>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=106–109}}</ref> As campaigning in France resumed, Henry participated in the last great offensive of the [[Rheims]] campaign of 1359–60{{mdash}}the first phase of the Hundred Years' War{{mdash}}before returning to England where he fell ill and died, most likely of the [[Bubonic plague|plague]], at [[Leicester Castle]].<ref name=fowler217>{{harvnb|Fowler|1969|pp=217–218}}</ref>

Edward III of England married [[John of Gaunt]], his third surviving son, to Henry's heiress [[Blanche of Lancaster]]. On Henry's death, Edward conferred on Gaunt the second creation of the title of Duke of Lancaster, which made Gaunt, after Edward, the wealthiest landowner in England. Gaunt enjoyed great political influence during his lifetime, but upon his death in 1399 his lands were confiscated by [[Richard II of England|Richard II]]. Gaunt's exiled son and heir Henry of Bolingbroke returned home and gathered military support in clear contravention of Richard's [[Treason Act 1397|treason act of 1397]], which included a definition of treason of "or [to] ... raiseth People and rideth against the King to make War within his Realm ...". Although he claimed his aim was restoration of his Lancaster inheritance, this Act and Henry's knowledge of Richard's character{{mdash}}suspicious and vindictive{{mdash}}probably meant Henry knew that only by removing Richard from power could he be secure.<ref name=Brown2010>{{harvnb|Brown|Summerson|2010}}</ref> Henry unified popular opposition to Richard II, took control of the kingdom and Richard{{mdash}}recognising that he had insufficient support to resist{{mdash}}surrendered to Henry's forces at [[Conwy Castle]]. Henry instigated a commission to decide who should be king. Richard was forced to abdicate and although Henry was not next in line, he was chosen by an unlawfully constituted parliament dominated by his supporters.<ref name=Weir1995p36>{{harvnb|Weir|1995|pp=36–39}}</ref> After the first unrest of his reign and a revolt by the Earls of Salisbury, Gloucester, Exeter and Surrey, Richard reputedly starved to death.<ref name=Saul1995>{{harvnb|Saul|1997|pp=424–425}}</ref> There is some debate as to whether this was self-inflicted or ordered by Henry to end the risk of restoration without leaving incriminating marks on the body.<ref name=Tuck2004>{{harvnb|Tuck|2004|pp=209–215}}</ref>