2013 marks the 600th anniversary of Henry's accession to throne, which took place on 21 March 1413. So began the short reign of a king who has achieved – in scholarship as well as in the popular mind – an unparalleled reputation as the exemplar of successful medieval kingship. In recent years, there has been a great blossoming of interest in the reign of Henry V, and especially in the resounding victory he achieved on the battlefield at Agincourt in 1415. The 600th anniversary of this battle in 2015 is likely to attract far wider interest than the anniversary of his accession, and for good reason: Agincourt is what made Henry's reputation. The battle had a profound impact on the reign: Henry seems to have spent his time either building up to the campaign that would lead to Agincourt, or capitalizing on the advantage which the victory gave him, whether militarily – by opening the way to the conquest of Normandy – or diplomatically, by forcing the French to negotiate from a position of weakness. The enduring image of Henry as the ideal late medieval warrior king is justly deserved. Nevertheless, he still had the kingdom of England to rule and in so doing he faced many and varied domestic challenges. He was also unique amongst late medieval heirs to the English throne in discharging key military and political responsibilities before becoming king, as Prince of Wales, during the reign of his father, Henry IV.