General Notes

Henry II, first 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 wars, rebellion, and controversy to successfully rule one of the Middle Ages' most powerful kingdoms.
Henry was raised in the French province of Anjou and first visited England in 1142 to defend his mother's claim to the disputed throne of Stephen. His continental possessions were already vast before his coronation: He acquired Normandy and Anjou upon the death of his father in September 1151, and his French holdings more than doubled with his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitane (ex-wife of King Louis VII of France). In accordance with the Treaty of Wallingford, a succession agreement signed by Stephen and Matilda in 1153, Henry was crowned in October 1154. The continental empire ruled by Henry and his sons included the French counties of Brittany, Maine, Poitou, Touraine, Gascony, Anjou, Aquitane, and Normandy. Henry was technically a feudal vassal of the king of France but, in reality, owned more territory and was more powerful than his French lord. Although King John (Henry's son) lost most of the English holdings in France, English kings laid claim to the French throne until the fifteenth century. Henry also extended his territory in the British Isles in two significant ways. First, he retrieved Cumbria and Northumbria form Malcom IV of Scotland and settled the Anglo-Scot border in the North. Secondly, although his success with Welsh campaigns was limited, Henry invaded Ireland and secured an English presence on the island.
English and Norman barons in Stephen's reign manipulated feudal law to undermine royal authority; Henry instituted many reforms to weaken traditional feudal ties and strengthen his position. Unauthorized castles built during the previous reign were razed. Monetary payments replaced military service as the primary duty of vassals. The Exchequer was revitalized to enforce accurate record keeping and tax collection. Incompetent sheriffs were replaced and the authority of royal courts was expanded. Henry empowered a new social class of government clerks that stabilized procedure - the government could operate effectively in the king's absence and would subsequently prove sufficiently tenacious to survive the reign of incompetent kings. Henry's reforms allowed the emergence of a body of common law to replace the disparate customs of feudal and county courts. Jury trials were initiated to end the old Germanic trials by ordeal or battle. Henry's systematic approach to law provided a common basis for development of royal institutions throughout the entire realm.
The process of strengthening the royal courts, however, yielded an unexpected controversy. The church courts instituted by William the Conqueror became a safe haven for criminals of varying degree and ability, for one in fifty of the English population qualified as clerics. Henry wished to transfer sentencing in such cases to the royal courts, as church courts merely demoted clerics to laymen. Thomas Beckett, Henry's close friend and chancellor since 1155, was named Archbishop of Canterbury in June 1162 but distanced himself from Henry and vehemently opposed the weakening of church courts. Beckett fled England in 1164, but through the intervention of Pope Adrian IV (the lone English pope), returned in 1170.He greatly angered Henry by opposing to the coronation of Prince Henry. Exasperated, Henry hastily and publicly conveyed his desire to be rid of the contentious Archbishop - four ambitious knights took the king at his word and murdered Beckett in his own cathedral on December 29, 1170. Henry endured a rather limited storm of protest over the incident and the controversy passed.
Henry's plans of dividing his myriad lands and titles evoked treachery from his sons. At the encouragement - and sometimes because of the treatment - of their mother, they rebelled against their father several times, often with Louis VII of France as their accomplice. The deaths of Henry the Young King in 1183 and Geoffrey in 1186 gave no respite from his children's rebellious nature; Richard, with the assistance of Philip II Augustus of France, attacked and defeated Henry on July 4, 1189 and forced him to accept a humiliating peace. Henry II died two days later, on July 6, 1189.
A few quotes from historic manuscripts shed a unique light on Henry, Eleanor, and their sons.
From Sir Winston Churchill Kt, 1675: "Henry II Plantagenet, the very first of that name and race, and the very greatest King that England ever knew, but withal the most unfortunate . . . his death being imputed to those only to whom himself had given life, his ungracious sons. . ."
From Sir Richard Baker, A Chronicle of the Kings of England: Concerning endowments of mind, he was of a spirit in the highest degree generous . . . His custom was to be always in action; for which cause, if he had no real wars, he would have feigned . . . To his children he was both indulgent and hard; for out of indulgence he caused his son henry to be crowned King in his own time; and out of hardness he caused his younger sons to rebel against him . . . He married Eleanor, daughter of William Duke of Guienne, late wife of Lewis the Seventh of France. Some say King Lewis carried her into the Holy Land, where she carried herself not very holily, but led a licentious life; and, which is the worst kind of licentiousness, in carnal familiarity with a Turk."

House of Anjou, later called Plantagenet.  Ruled England 1154-1189.  Henry made
his friend Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury, but later caused his death
by saying "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?"  Four knights took him
at his word and murdered Becket.  He dominated his powerful wife, Eleanor and
took mistresses as he wished.  He behaved with a certain meanness towards all
his children, except the youngest son, John. He received the duchy of Aquitaine
when he married Eleanor and the territory included Normandy, Anjou, Brittany
and England.  He had a vast domain from the Scottish border to the Pyrenesand
more than half of France.  Henry had reddish freckled complextion and gray
eyes.  He was a scholar, spoke many languages and had contempt for the
trappings of Monarchy; dressed in ordinary clothes.  He is buried near Chinon.

Reign 1154-1189
Burial , Fontevraud Abbey
Henry II (1154-1189)

Born: 5th March 1133 at Le Mans, Maine

Died: 6th July 1189 at Chinon Castle, Anjou

Parents: Geoffrey, Count of Anjou and the Empress Matilda

Siblings: Geoffrey, Count of Nantes & William, Count of Poitou

Crowned: 19th December 1154 at Westminster Abbey, Middlesex

Married: 18th May 1152 at Bordeaux Cathedral, Gascony

Spouse: Eleanor daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitane & divorcee ofLouis VII, King of France

Offspring: William, Henry, Matilda, Richard, Geoffrey, Eleanor, Joan &John

Contemporaries: Louis VII (King of France, 1137-1180), Thomas Beckett(Archbishop of Canterbury), Pope Adrian IV, Frederick I (FrederickBarbarossa, Holy Roman Emperor, 1152-1190)
Henry II, first of the Angevin kings, was one of the most effective ofall England's monarchs. He came to the throne amid the anarchy ofStephen's reign and promptly collared his errant barons. He refinedNorman government and created a capable, self-standing bureaucracy. Hisenergy was equaled only by his ambition and intelligence. Henry survivedwars, rebellion, and controversy to successfully rule one of the MiddleAges' most powerful kingdoms.

Henry was raised in the French province of Anjou and first visitedEngland in 1142 to defend his mother's claim to the disputed throne ofStephen. His continental possessions were already vast before hiscoronation: He acquired Normandy and Anjou upon the death of his fatherin September 1151, and his French holdings more than doubled with hismarriage to Eleanor of Aquitane (ex-wife of King Louis VII of France). Inaccordance with the Treaty of Wallingford, a succession agreement signedby Stephen and Matilda in 1153, Henry was crowned in October 1154. Thecontinental empire ruled by Henry and his sons included the Frenchcounties of Brittany, Maine, Poitou, Touraine, Gascony, Anjou, Aquitane,and Normandy. Henry was technically a feudal vassal of the king of Francebut, in reality, owned more territory and was more powerful than hisFrench lord. Although King John (Henry's son) lost most of the Englishholdings in France, English kings laid claim to the French throne untilthe fifteenth century. Henry also extended his territory in the BritishIsles in two significant ways. First, he retrieved Cumbria andNorthumbria form Malcom IV of Scotland and settled the Anglo-Scot borderin the North. Secondly, although his success with Welsh campaigns waslimited, Henry invaded Ireland and secured an English presence on theisland.

English and Norman barons in Stephen's reign manipulated feudal law toundermine royal authority; Henry instituted many reforms to weakentraditional feudal ties and strengthen his position. Unauthorized castlesbuilt during the previous reign were razed. Monetary payments replacedmilitary service as the primary duty of vassals. The Exchequer wasrevitalized to enforce accurate record keeping and tax collection.Incompetent sheriffs were replaced and the authority of royal courts wasexpanded. Henry empowered a new social class of government clerks thatstabilized procedure - the government could operate effectively in theking's absence and would subsequently prove sufficiently tenacious tosurvive the reign of incompetent kings. Henry's reforms allowed theemergence of a body of common law to replace the disparate customs offeudal and county courts. Jury trials were initiated to end the oldGermanic trials by ordeal or battle. Henry's systematic approach to lawprovided a common basis for development of royal institutions throughoutthe entire realm.

The process of strengthening the royal courts, however, yielded anunexpected controversy. The church courts instituted by William theConqueror became a safe haven for criminals of varying degree andability, for one in fifty of the English population qualified as clerics.Henry wished to transfer sentencing in such cases to the royal courts, aschurch courts merely demoted clerics to laymen. Thomas Beckett, Henry'sclose friend and chancellor since 1155, was named Archbishop ofCanterbury in June 1162 but distanced himself from Henry and vehementlyopposed the weakening of church courts. Beckett fled England in 1164, butthrough the intervention of Pope Adrian IV (the lone English pope),returned in 1170.He greatly angered Henry by opposing to the coronationof Prince Henry. Exasperated, Henry hastily and publicly conveyed hisdesire to be rid of the contentious Archbishop - four ambitious knightstook the king at his word and murdered Beckett in his own cathedral onDecember 29, 1170. Henry endured a rather limited storm of protest overthe incident and the controversy passed.

Henry's plans of dividing his myriad lands and titles evoked treacheryfrom his sons. At the encouragement - and sometimes because of thetreatment - of their mother, they rebelled against their father severaltimes, often with Louis VII of France as their accomplice. The deaths ofHenry the Young King in 1183 and Geoffrey in 1186 gave no respite fromhis children's rebellious nature; Richard, with the assistance of PhilipII Augustus of France, attacked and defeated Henry on July 4, 1189 andforced him to accept a humiliating peace. Henry II died two days later,on July 6, 1189.

A few quotes from historic manuscripts shed a unique light on Henry,Eleanor, and their sons.

From Sir Winston Churchill Kt, 1675: "Henry II Plantagenet, the veryfirst of that name and race, and the very greatest King that England everknew, but withal the most unfortunate . . . his death being imputed tothose only to whom himself had given life, his ungracious sons. . ."

From Sir Richard Baker, A Chronicle of the Kings of England: Concerningendowments of mind, he was of a spirit in the highest degree generous . .. His custom was to be always in action; for which cause, if he had noreal wars, he would have feigned . . . To his children he was bothindulgent and hard; for out of indulgence he caused his son henry to becrowned King in his own time; and out of hardness he caused his youngersons to rebel against him . . . He married Eleanor, daughter of WilliamDuke of Guienne, late wife of Lewis the Seventh of France. Some say KingLewis carried her into the Holy Land, where she carried herself not veryholily, but led a licentious life; and, which is the worst kind oflicentiousness, in carnal familiarity with a Turk."