The king, the crown, and the Duchy of Lancaster

In 1399, Henry Bolingbroke seized the English throne, becoming Henry IV and uniquely commanding both the public authority of the crown and the private power of the Duchy of Lancaster. This study reveals the significant tensions between the king's public and private roles, challenging the traditional view of the Duchy as a simple advantage. It examines how Henry IV struggled to combine regional lordship with national kingship, how Henry V successfully integrated the Duchy, and how Henry VI's reign saw these conflicts re-emerge. The book explores this complex relationship throughout the Lancastrian period, focusing on political society in the north midlands and East Anglia, and re-evaluates evidence from the Paston Letters.