Henry V's Brother: John of Lancaster, Regent of France

by Joanna Arman

Named after his famous grandfather, John of Gaunt, John of Lancaster Duke of Bedford, has been largely forgotten and sidelined in history. As the third of four sons, he was not his father’s heir, but he nonetheless distinguished himself in his youth in his service on the Scottish borders.

As an adult, he was overshadowed by his charismatic older brother, the warrior king and victor of Agincourt, Henry V. Yet Henry trusted John the most of all his brothers and twice left him to rule England during his expeditions in France. John Duke of Bedford was the man who really governed England for almost half of his brother’s nine-year reign.

John reached the pinnacle of his career when he was appointed Regent of France. As Regent, he governed a polity that had not existed for three centuries: a truly Anglo-Norman realm. It was not just ruled by England but populated by English settlers who lived & fought alongside the French.

For thirteen years, John held the English kingdom of France together on the negotiating table and often on the battlefield. He struggled against renegade soldiers and his adversary, Charles VII of France, but sometimes against the political machinations of his relatives to keep his late brother’s dream alive.

John became a man noted for equitable rule and an unshakeable commitment to justice. In England, people looked to him to heal the divisions which poisoned Henry VI’s government, and in France, they viewed him as the only statesman fully committed to the good governance of Normandy and Paris.

Today, John is only remembered as the man who condemned Joan of Arc, even though he was not involved. This biography provides a much-needed reassessment of John’s life and political career.

Genres: History, Biography, British Literature

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 30, 2025

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!

John of Lancaster is one of those historical figures who spent generations always one degree away from the throne. Just as later Elizabeth of York was daughter, sister, niece, wife and mother to the king of England, so too was John of Lancaster son, brother, and uncle to the king of England. he's also always overshadowed, and not just by whoever is one the throne. As a child, it was his proud grandfather John of gaunt. Then his adventurous father, who became Henry IV, then is militaristic brother, Henry V. Then, when the king dies young and his baby nephew is on the throne, he still is overshadowed by the antics of his other brothers, by his Beaufort uncles, and, as he tries to hold the young empire together, he is overshadowed by the legendary Joan of Arc, and finally, his own death his overshadowed by the antics of his second wife immediately making a scandalous new marriage to a hot young man of no rank who work for her first husband.

Overall, this book is a good look at the Lancastrian dynasty before the War of the Roses, but not quite a biography of John, as so many other people and events take center stage in what is supposed to be his own story.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having recently read Dan Jones' fantastic "Henry V" I thought this was a perfect time to learn more about his brother John, so this book seemed like it came at just the right time. While I did end up learning some things about John (I knew pretty much nothing before), I can't say this is a great biography of him.

The first half of the book is essentially backstory, giving the reader the history/biography of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. Yes, necessary to understand the turbulent times and background of John's upbringing, especially as his father becomes king and John steps up to guard the north of England. But more of the spotlight could have been turned to John instead of his brother, father, and uncle. Instead, it is almost easy to forget you're reading what is meant to be a biography of John until after Henry V's death when John becomes Regent of France. He finally becomes the focus of his own biography and you get a decent sense of the ridiculous infighting and politics he deals with in the French and English governments- where he seems to be the only one not out for himself.

The writing is extremely casual and it is rare that the author refers to historians of the time, quotes letters, or gives the reader a sense of whether what we're reading is her opinion, historical opinion of the time, or definite fact. An exception to this is when it comes to Joan of Arc and the author points to sources to clear up the facts that John actually had nothing to do with Joan, except possibly be in the same area of France as she was at one point.

One of the problems I had with this book is that the advanced copy I was given clearly hadn't seen an editor yet, so the number of mistakes in the writing and unnecessary repetition occasionally made sections almost unreadable. Presumably this will be fixed by the time the book goes to print. I'd have given the book at least 1 extra star if it hadn't been for that.

This is the first biography I've read on John of Lancaster, so I don't know if the approach the author took to him was unique. It read as as a pretty basic, decent introduction to an important, and probably overlooked, historical figure to me. I'll be checking the bibliography to read more about him from other sources.

I received a DNR from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fascinating new biography about John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford, Joanna Arman brings the forgotten brother of Henry V to life in incredible detail. Exploring his work as regent of France during the Hundred Years’ War and two shorter regencies in England, Arman explores his commitment to justice and fair rule in his brother’s stead. As an overlooked and forgotten political player, John of Lancaster’s contributions to the Hundred Years’ War and Henry V’s reign have been overshadowed by the condemnation of Joan of Arc, which he was not involved with. An interesting reassessment of his life and political career, this book is full of great historical details and information, drawn from some fascinating primary sources, and Arman’s book is very well-written and readable, so all sorts of history readers will enjoy it. Different from a typical biography, the reevaluation element is definitely fascinating and the most interesting part of this book. Well-written, intriguing, and immersive, this biography does a great job including relevant context for John of Lancaster’s life and Arman’s reassessment of his political importance, so readers unfamiliar with the early fifteenth century will still be able to understand this fantastic and engaging new release about another forgotten historical figure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the advance copy.

[Karen Mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a reall interesting and engaging look at a seemingly forgotten man of history! I knew very little of John of Lancaster so was very eager to learn more about the man and the times, and this book delivered on that front perfectly!

It looks into the turbulent times that were prevalent in the 15th century and the challenges that faced the Royal Family from both in the UK and in France too. There's so many historical names that were relevant at the times, so there's many paths that the author takes you down, seeing their relationship with Henry V and all around him, along with the threats from overseas.

I loved learning more about him as a person, and how he was so loyal to the family and played such a pivotal role in many of the battles and trying to thwart the plots against them. It's also led me to start researching more on my own about various goings on of the time as this book has really sparked off a big interest in me now in the characters of the time. Highly recommended!

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting and informative biography of John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford. He was trusted by his brother, Henry V, to govern England during Henry’s French campaigns. During the reign of Henry VI, he served as Regent of France, holding the Anglo-French realm together for thirteen years. Known for his just rule, he strived to maintain order and fulfill his brother’s vision despite political intrigues and war. I was happy to learn more about this capable leader whose influence is too often forgotten.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Caroline Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from NetGalley.
An amazing look into an important historical figure who has been largely marginalized by his older brother and nephew.
However, there is no maybe about the fact that Geoffrey Chaucer’s wife was Katherine Swynford’s sister even though Philippa de Roet is known to history by her maiden name and Katherine is known to history by her first husband’s name.

[Melisende · Rating 2 out of 5]

"A much-needed reassessment of John’s life and political career" this most definitely is not.

See fuller review @ Melisende's Library

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Errors that could have easily been avoided, too much supposition, and less detail on life of John than on his father and brother.
Disappointed.

[Jade aka MrsTosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have grown up in the City of Lancaster and we have various relics and even a pub named after John O Gaunt, so I want interested to find out more about his family and especially John on Lancaster. Throughout history he always seems to have been just on the side lines and in the shadow of his grandfather, brother and later his Nephew. But it is quite obvious that his brother Henry V trusted him with his life and country and the man held defend his men and country through countless battles.

This book was well written and really interesting to read, I didn't get bored with the facts. Not only do you get a feel for John of Lancaster, but you also get details of many other historical figures that played their part in history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Sword History for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.