Mary de Bohun

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Mary de Bohun (c. 1369 – 4 June 1394), was the first wife of King Henry IV of England and the mother of King Henry V, but was never queen, as she died before her husband came to the throne.

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[edit] Early life

Mary was the daughter of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, and Joan FitzAlan (1347-1419), the daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and Eleanor of Lancaster. Through her mother, Mary was descended from Llywelyn the Great.

Mary and her elder sister, Eleanor de Bohun, were the heiresses of their father's possessions. Eleanor became the wife of Thomas of Woodstock, first Duke of Gloucester, the youngest child of Edward III.

[edit] Marriage and children

Mary married Henry, then known as Bolingbroke and at the time not in direct line of succession to the throne, on 27 July 1380 at Arundel Castle when she was maybe little more than twelve years old.

It was at Monmouth Castle, one of her father's possessions, that she gave birth to her first two children, both boys. She bore Henry of Monmouth at sixteen years of age. He was later to be Prince of Wales and subsequently King Henry V on the death of his father. Three more sons and two daughters were born in the years up to 1394.

Her children were:

[edit] Death

Mary de Bohun died in Peterborough Castle, giving birth to her last child, a daughter, Philippa of England. She was buried at Church of St Mary de Castro, Leicester.

[edit] External links and references