3 OF 28 
King Henry IV
3 of 28 portraits of King Henry IV
King Henry IV
by Unknown artist
oil on panel, late 16th or early 17th century
23 1/8 in. x 18 in. (587 mm x 457 mm)
Purchased, 1870
Primary Collection
NPG 310
Click on the links below to find out more:
This portraitback to top
The son of John of Gaunt, and known as the Earl of Derby in early life, in 1380 Henry married Mary de Bohun. In 1387 he was one of the five lords who marched on London and compelled Richard II to grant their demands. Having regained the king's favour he was appointed Duke of Hereford in 1397 only to be banished from the realm soon after. In 1399 he secretly left France and landed in Bridlington from where he marched to Bristol. Having met the king, who had been deserted by his army, Henry took Richard to London where he resigned the crown. Henry obtained the throne by popular election and one of his first acts was to condemn Richard to perpetual imprisonment. In this portrait he holds the sceptre of the monarch in his left hand and a red rose in his right.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 295
- Strong, Roy, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits, 1969, p. 141
- Strong, Roy, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits, 1969, p. 141
