Henry I, Holy Audonian Emperor
| Henry I, Holy Audonian Emperor | |
|---|---|
 17th-century painting of Henry I | |
| Holy Audonian Emperor | |
| Reign | 9 May 1404[1] – 5 October 1440 |
| Predecessor | Margaret |
| Successor | Henry II |
| Born | 8 June 1376 Jugny, Burgoy |
| Died | 5 October 1440 (aged 64) Jugny, Burgoy |
| Burial | Jugny Cathedral, Lyncanestria |
| Spouse | Adelaide of Low Ghant |
| Issue |
|
| Father | Eudes I, Duke of Burgoy |
| Mother | TBD |
Henry I, Holy Audonian Emperor (8 June 1376 – 5 October 1440), was the monarch of the Audonian Empire from 1404 to his death in 1440. He was the first monarch to be elected by an assembly of the realm's nobility, as prior monarchs had inherited by hereditary right.
Childhood
Succession to the dukedom
At the age of 12, the young Henry's father Eudes died of wounds sustained in a jousting tournament, thereby making him the new duke of Burgoy. The dukes of Burgoy were a cadet branch of the reigning House of Valmeuse.
Claimant to the Audonian throne
Rallying supporters
When Louis III died in 1394, many powerful dukes of north and west Audonia refused to recognize . The dukes of Renfort, Vanciènnes and Antenfoi wrote to Henry requesting that he press his claim to the throne as heir of the most senior line of the Valmeuse dynasty. Correspondence between the nobles makes it clear that their opposition to Margaret was not only the fact that she was a woman, but the opportunity to install a younger monarch who would be beholden to them, as Henry at the time was only 18.
Henry delayed response, eventually calling up his levies in the spring of 1395 and rendezvousing with Thierry II Gaston, Duke of Vanciènnes at the siege of Vannes in July of that year. Surviving letters show that Margaret had originally tried negotiating with Henry, offering him further fiefs and prestigious appointments for an oath of loyalty.
Civil War
Reign
Later years and death
Legacy
Precedent of Imperial election
Footnotes
- ↑ Beginning dates for his reign are disputed; Henry laid claim to the Audonian throne in 1395, and took the Imperial capital of Hauteville in 1401, though his rival Empress Margaret would not leave Audonia until the battle of Hesbaye in 1404.