John of Gaunt of Castile. As his father and elder brother, Edward, the Black Prince, became incapacitated due to poor health, Gaunt assumed control of many government functions, and rose to become one of the most powerful political figures in England. He was faced with military difficulties abroad and political divisions at home, and disagreements as to how to deal with these crises led to tensions between Gaunt, the English Parliament, and the ruling class, making him an extremely unpopular figure for a time. John exercised great influence over the English throne during the minority of King Richard II, and the ensuing periods
Joan of Navarre, Queen of England traditional English sources as John V). She was his third wife and the only one to bear him children. Upon the death of John IV on 1 November 1399, he was succeeded by their son, John V. Her son being still a minor, she was made his guardian and the regent of Brittany during his minority. Not long after, she was given a proposal by Henry IV. The marriage proposal was given out of mutual personal preference rather than a dynastic marriage. According to the "Encyclopædia Britannica", affection developed between Joan and Henry Bolingbroke (the future King Henry IV) while