On 13 October 1399, Henry Bolingbroke was crowned King Henry IV at Westminster Abbey. His coronation followed the deposition of his cousin Richard II less than two weeks earlier.

Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, a son of Edward III, and belonged to the House of Lancaster. Richard exiled him in 1398. When John of Gaunt died the following year, Richard confiscated the Lancastrian inheritance instead of allowing Henry to inherit it.

Henry returned to England in July 1399 while Richard was campaigning in Ireland. He initially claimed that he intended to recover his estates. As support gathered around him, he moved against the king. Richard surrendered, and an assembly at Westminster accepted his removal on 30 September. Henry claimed the crown and was recognised as king.

The coronation publicly confirmed the change of ruler. Henry took part in ceremonial processions between Westminster and the Tower of London before being crowned by Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury. The ceremony took place on the feast of Edward the Confessor, whose shrine stood in the abbey. It presented Henry as a lawful Christian monarch, although he had taken the throne from a living, anointed king.

The coronation did not settle the question of succession. Henry had a royal claim through his father, but other descendants of Edward III also claimed the throne. Richard remained a potential focus for opposition until he died in captivity in 1400.

Henry faced repeated challenges during his reign. Owain Glyndŵr began a revolt against English rule in Wales in 1400. The Percy family, previously among Henry’s supporters, rebelled in 1403. Henry defeated the Percys at Shrewsbury, but fighting in Wales continued.

Henry remained king until he died in 1413, when his son succeeded him as Henry V.