| Summary: | Defeated by the French, mentally debilitated and twice deposed, in 1471 Henry VI, king of England, met a gruesome end and was murdered in the Tower of London. Bringing the Lancastrian dynasty to a close, Henry is often considered to be one of the worst monarchs to have ever ruled the country. Yet, swiftly following his death, Henry gained widespread fame as a holy figure so powerful that he reportedly worked numerous miracles ranging from finding lost objects to bringing people back from the dead. Pilgrims travelled en masse to Henry’s burial places, devotees sung songs in his honour and artists across the country rendered the king’s image on church rood screens and walls.
This thesis takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine how and why such an abject king became the figurehead for one of the most successful late-medieval English cults. The widespread popular devotional following that arose almost immediately after Henry’s murder prevailed for many years and operated under multiple monarchs, each of whom offered varying degrees of royal support or hostility. Examining this phenomenon offers access to the pilgrims themselves, a group often overlooked and difficult to investigate. Henry’s cult intersects the spheres of political, religious and social history and myriad explanations exist for its rise and continued success. This thesis addresses the many questions that remain about how Henry’s cult achieved its success and why so many individuals were so keen to venerate the dead king, despite his earthly failures. Examining this manipulation leads to a greater understanding of late-medieval lived experience, devotional practice on the eve of the Reformation and the relationship between religion, politics and society.
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