C. Education D. Marriage II. Reign A. Early difficulty B. King’s personality C. Government policies D. Thomas Becket III. Death A. Achievements B. Sons revolt C. Successor Henry II Henry II was the first of eight Plantagenet kings. He neither ignored his island kingdom nor dragged it into continental trouble. Along with Alfred, Edward I, and Elizabeth I, Henry II ranks as one of the best British monarchs. Henry II was born in Le Mans, France in 1133
Henry II was born in 1133, and died at 56 years old, in 1189. When he was only 2 years old, his grandfather Henry I, appointed his cousin Stephen to the throne, instead of Matilda, who would be rightfully eligible to the throne. Matilda was not found suitable, firstly because of her gender (in a sexist society), and secondly because she was married to a rival of the Norms, Geoffrey of Anjou. Born in Anjou, to Geoffrey of Anjou, (Plantagenet), the most powerful Duque of Central France, and Matilda
In Medieval England the Church was all powerful. The fear of going to Hell was very real and people were told that only the Catholic Church could save your soul so that you could go to Heaven. The head of the Catholic Church was the pope based in Rome. The most important position in the church in Medieval England was the Archbishop of Canterbury and both he and the king usually worked together. A king of England could not remove a pope from his position but popes claimed that they could remove
Upon the death of King Richard I in 1199 A.D., the only remaining heir to the throne was his younger brother John. Regarded as one of the worst kings of England, John’s reign was no doubt unpopular. As hated as John was, there was no denying that he was a hard worker, competent general and able king. It was not John’s failure as a strategist that made his reign crumble, but rather his underlying character flaws, such as his unyielding cruelty, pettiness and lack of sympathy for his people. John
In the year 1170 King Henry II created what is known as the Inquest of Sheriffs. When taking a closer look at this this document, it is obvious that it is a significant artefact of the medieval time period. By performing a thorough analysis of this source, one can easily see that it is filled with rich information on the time period in which it was written in. Not only does it allow us to see into medieval times, but it also gives us valuable information on society. Through this close reading, this
Henry II was known as one of England’s greatest kings. Along with being king of England, he was also Count of Anjou, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Duke of Normandy, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland, and controlled little bits of Western France and Scotland. He was most famous for his legal administrative systems, his long disputes with the Church, and his dramatic turmoil with his family. One of his greatest quotes was, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” Henry II was born on
The Norman Conquest and Dynasty of William the Conqueror The Norman Conquest of Anglo-Saxon England (1066) Duke William of Normandy’s claim on England’s crown was based, in part, on the fact that he was distantly related to Edward the Confessor, the Saxon King of England. However, his more legitimate claim also was based on an event that occurred in 1054 when Harold of Wessex was shipwrecked on the shore of Normandy. Harold was rescued, and then imprisoned by his host, Duke William of Normandy
Reigns of Henry II Henry II, one of the Angevin kings, was one of the most effective of all England's monarchs. He came to the throne amid the anarchy of Stephen's reign and promptly collared his errant barons. He refined Norman government and created a capable, self-standing bureaucracy. His energy was equaled only by his ambition and intelligence. Henry survived many wars, rebellions, and controversy to successfully rule one of the Middle Ages' most powerful kingdoms. Henry was crowned
Henry at just 19 years old and Eleanor of Aquitaine being thirty and strong pheaded, they eloped to be one of the most powerful and effective political relationships. Though these people are very different, this relation worked for so many reasons, and fell apart as well. Henry the II was a very powerful leader and one of the greatest English monarchs to date, but his wife Eleanor, who also was very powerful, had a definite affect on his rule and a lasting affect on France. If not for each other
Thomas Becket vs Henry II The High Middle Ages was a time of power struggles between the Church and the State. Increases in royal power and expeditions like the Crusades symbolized the teeter-totter of the balance of power between the two foundations, and a prime example of the fight for power is the conflict of Henry II, King of England, and Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry II gained his throne thanks to the efforts of his mother, who fought to maintain her family's stature
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful and influential woman of the Medieval ages. She had inherited a vast estate by the age of 15, soon became the Queen of England (1154–1189), the Queen of France (1137–1152), lead a crusade and was one of the most sought out brides of her generation. Eleanor was born in Southern France, in year 1122. She was born into wealth, well educated by her father, William X, Duke of Aquitaine, thoroughly versed in literature, philosophy, and languages. Eleanor
impetus of its fire it does not recognise lords, it does not fear colleagues, it does not respect or spare anyone, not even itself." This is one of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s most famous quotes, who was one of the most influential women in France and England during the Middle Ages. She was born in 1122, in Poitiers, Bordeaux, France, but some historians think she was born in Nieul-sur-l’Autise. Her mother was Aenor de Châtellerault, and her father was William the Tenth, Duke of Aquitaine. She grew up
Seljuk Turk Empire, Jerusalem and the Holy Land did not seem to have a chance. People who lived there were forbidden of practicing anything religious. In 1093, an appeal was sent to the pope to have him send armies to help regain the land. Pope Urban II called for a “holy war” to regain what they had lost. Almost 60,000 people responded to the pope’s call. (http://www.wolfhavenproductions.net/FeudalEurope/crusades.htm) Despite the overwhelming urge to attack the Muslims, there were those out there
considered by many to be the epitome of knighthood and chivalry as well as being an outstanding ambassador for England during the turbulent twelfth and thirteenth centuries. From a virtually obscure beginning, William evolves into one of the most dominant stately figures of the time in England. During his brilliant military and political career, William served as knight for the courts of Kings Henry II, Richard (the Lion-hearted), and John. William was born around 1147 to John Marshall and Sybil of Salisbury
on Richard I, byname Richard the Lion-Hearted. He was born September 8, 1157 in Oxford, England. He died on April 6, 1199 in Chalus, England. His knightly manner and his prowess in the Third Crusade(1189-92) made him a popular king in his own time, as well as the hero of countless romantic legends. He has been viewed less kindly by more recent historians and scholars. Richard was the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and he was given the duchy of Aquitaine, his mother’s inheritance
born into an esteemed French family from which she inherited the region of Aquitaine and became one of the most influential female figures in history (Eleanor of Aquitaine Marries Henry II). Through two marriages and many children, Eleanor of Aquitaine managed to become the queen of France as well as the queen of England; her complicated life and titles would later lead to centuries of war (Eleanor, Historic World leaders). Even with the struggles that accompanied womanhood in her day, Eleanor moved
24, 1167 as the youngest son of Henry II and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. For most of John’s early life, his brothers, Henry, Richard and Geoffrey, and even his mother were all embroiled in some type of rebellion with Henry II. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why according to several historic records, John was the favored child of Henry and as such enjoyed several perks. He was the first son married and to an Italian heiress named Isabella no less. As Henry II’s favorite son, John’s brothers
King John, also known as John Lackland, was born in December 24, 1167 and belonged in the High Middle Ages. He was the youngest son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. They had eight sons together. When King II assigned provinces to his sons, King John received no share, which is why people in England stared to refer him as John Lackland. King Henry II died then his older brother, King Richard inherited the kingdom. Not long after he mysteriously died then King John inherited the throne. King
Throughout the years of 1100-1400 and beyond, England has shown itself to be the best representation of a national monarchy. During this time period it begins to do so with the Plantagenet rulers. The name “Plantagenet” originated from the broom plant that Geoffrey, count of Anjou, used as a personal emblem (Hamilton, 1). This plant was called Planta genesta (Hamilton, 1). Geoffrey’s son Henry II is considered to be the first Plantagenet king, however, he and his sons Richard I and John are more
Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine is viewed as an influential figure of the Middle Ages for her role as queen of France, then England. She married Louis VII then Henry II successively and because of this, she was a very wealthy woman. This was also because her father, William X, left the Duchy of Aquitaine to her. This means I will prove that Eleanor of Aquitaine is not an important person in history. Eleanor only gained power because of other people, not because she necessarily deserved