Henry VI

King Henry VI still holds the record for being the youngest king of England, it is unlikely that the record will be broken any time soon. He came to the thrown at just 9 months old. For the first 20 years of his life England and France were ruled by his uncles and advisors.

The French have never liked being ruled by England, and in 1429 Joan of Arc is said to have led French armies to many victories against English armies. She was later caught and burnt alive after being charged for being a witch. She was later made a saint and there is not a statue in Winchester Cathedral. By 1453 all of France had been lost, all but Calais. King Henry VI was very ill during his reign and suffered from, amoung other things, a mental breakdwon in 1453. At this point Richard, Duke of York, was made protector of the crown. The king recovered by 1455 and took back the crown, it is at this point that a civil war broke out between the two families. The war and struggle that ensued is known as the War of the Roses. During the War of the Roses the crown changed hands a few times. It finally remained with Edward IV, after Edward killed Henry.