Beaufort, Henry (1375–1447)

English politician and cleric. As chancellor of England, he supported his half-brother Henry IV and made enormous personal loans to Henry V to finance war against France. As a guardian of Henry VI during his minority, from 1421 he was in effective control of the country until 1426. In the same year he was created a cardinal.

Beaufort was the second of four illegitimate children of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his third wife, Katharine Swynford (c. 1350–1403). All the children were legitimized by charter of Richard II 1397. Beaufort was ordained priest, and was made bishop of Lincoln 1398 and of Winchester 1405. He had a long-running personal feud with Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, which led to his fall from power 1426. In 1427 he was sent by the pope to Germany to lead a crusade against Hussites. He crowned Henry VI king of France in Paris 1431.