History is shaped not only by great events, but also by the lives — and deaths — of great individuals. Few medieval kings left as lasting an impact on the trajectory of English and French history as King Henry V of England. Celebrated as a military genius and a national hero, Henry V's early death in 1422 at the age of 35 abruptly halted what could have been a transformational reign. But what if Henry V had not died young? What if he had lived another twenty or thirty years to consolidate his power in France and England? This article explores a fascinating counterfactual scenario: how European history might have unfolded if Henry V had survived beyond 1422.

Background: The Hero-King of Agincourt

Henry V ascended the English throne in 1413 during the height of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. A warrior-king in the medieval mold, he quickly demonstrated extraordinary military skill, most notably at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, where his outnumbered English forces crushed the French nobility. The battle became legendary, immortalized in Shakespeare’s Henry V, and cemented Henry's reputation as one of England’s greatest kings.

Following further campaigns, Henry achieved a diplomatic triumph in 1420 with the Treaty of Troyes. This treaty disinherited the Dauphin Charles (the future Charles VII of France) and recognized Henry as the heir and regent of France. He sealed the deal by marrying Catherine of Valois, daughter of King Charles VI of France. It seemed Henry was on the verge of achieving what no English monarch had accomplished since the Norman Conquest: uniting the crowns of England and France.

But in 1422, while on campaign in France, Henry died suddenly of dysentery. His nine-month-old son, the future Henry VI, inherited both kingdoms — in theory. In practice, Henry VI's reign was marked by instability, the loss of France, and the Wars of the Roses. But what if Henry V had lived? shutdown123